FORT LUPTON, Colo. — Life is not quiet for the Rigley family, who have chickens, ducks, cows, goats, and other farm animals on their property. Feeding the animals requires some extra muscle as the children smash pumpkins open so these furry and feathery friends have a nice bite to enjoy.
Thirteen-year-old Lainey Rigley and her siblings, Samantha and Jonathan, get to work to open up these gourds. They know pumpkins are not just for people but for their furry and feathery friends to enjoy.
"One, it helps with feed; we don't have to pay too much on feed, and two, it's fun for our animals to have something new to eat," Rigley said.
While the chickens and goats have their gourds, Rigley explained that the pumpkins have vitamins and minerals, making them a good food for them to enjoy.
"I do think they look forward to it, and I think that like every day when they finish the pumpkin, every time they finish the pumpkin, they're excited for a new one," Rigley said.
As Thanksgiving celebrations wind down and Christmas decorations go up, the Rigley family is accepting unpainted and uncarved pumpkins.
If you would like to drop off some donations, you can send an email to goatslovepumpkins@gmail.com, and if you are not in the Fort Lupton area, they recommend reaching out to other local farms that may have a similar practice in place.
While it may also seem far away, the Rigely family will also accept any Christmas tree donations for their animals as long as the trees are not sprayed with any kind of chemicals.