LAFAYETTE, Colo. — Instead of tossing your Halloween pumpkins in the garbage, Corinne Schindler hopes you’ll keep her pigs happy by donating the classic decoration.
"All of their tails are going to be wagging," Schindler said.
Turns out, it's not just humans who caught pumpkin fever.
Schindler, who runs the Acres of Opportunity Ranch in Lafayette, said the pumpkins "are just like a fall bonus" for her pigs and other livestock. The pigs seem to like the taste and Schindler likes that they're consuming fiber.
"Farmers will turn their cows out and graze the pumpkin fields and the corn fields after Halloween," Schindler said.
She said about 200 pumpkins were donated to the organization. The donations, in part, help rescue livestock animals and nurse them back to health.
"We’ve had excellent support from the community — it’s been great," she said.
Schindler said those old jack-o-lanterns cut their feeding costs in half. Each pig and cow eat a pumpkin a day. Despite the generous donations, the supplies are starting to run low already because her chickens, turkeys and horses also love that fall taste.
"Pumpkin spice lattes will kind of be over for the pigs unless we get more," Schindler said.
For more information on how to donate, click here.
