Im drying loads of herbs for winter! 2010 Forageing Thread

[chelle]

Heres a load of Apple branches that my inlaws bought over for me after they pruned their orchard! wahooooooo! and I can go & get more!
Just praying it doesnt go mouldy in our dampy shed!:shock:

I have 2 cardboard boxes full drying in the airing cupboard toooo! yeah!

THUMPS
Bramble/blackberry leaves are good when they get runny caecs along with a hay only diet. Strawberry leaves (worth growing them in hanging baskets if you get the right variety) & raspberry leaves.

ETA I'd say that they are best put in with the hay unless your bun has gut issues.

Sorry - just to clarify - if bun has sensitive tummy - then brambles are ok? I though after that article on here it was to be fed in small amounts? - in my case anyway...:?
And that apple leaves/branches are fine to give as they are high in fibre & not to worry about quantity?

have I got this wrong...? Just trying to monitor what makes Indiana get the runny poops. Basically she seems fine - but notice that her tail is not always as white & fluffy as it should be...and she has dried bit of poop around her bum area on the end of her fur..bit yellowish...dont understand why she doesnt clean herself more...:?

Thanks Thumps for letting me pick your knowledgeable brain!

 

[prettylupin]

Judy any ideas on Quince?

Dad has a big Quince tree here that Poppy has taken to grazing the grass and snoozing under. I know we can eat them stewed or in jam but can't find anything about their safety for buns? Neither of my two has touched the Quince or the Fig tree so far! I always think of Quince as a type of Pear? Am I right? When dad gets back at lunchtime I'll ask him what family it is!

 

[chelle]

Judy any ideas on Quince?

Dad has a big Quince tree here that Poppy has taken to grazing the grass and snoozing under. I know we can eat them stewed or in jam but can't find anything about their safety for buns? Neither of my two has touched the Quince or the Fig tree so far! I always think of Quince as a type of Pear? Am I right? When dad gets back at lunchtime I'll ask him what family it is!

I thought Quince was apple cross pear?:?
I did read that you can feed pear leaves/twigs to buns
So perhaps the mix so these 2 fruit tree's are ok 0 will be interesting to know who knows!

sorry - not much help!

 

[prettylupin]

Quince isn't a pear apparently. My dad thinks it is Cydonia Oblonga - from the Rosacea family, whereas Pear is Pyrus and Apple is Malus. So not the same family.

As for rabbit safety I just don't know! :?

 

[chelle]

Quince isn't a pear apparently. My dad thinks it is Cydonia Oblonga - from the Rosacea family, whereas Pear is Pyrus and Apple is Malus. So not the same family.

As for rabbit safety I just don't know! :?

Right i see what you mean....all Ive found is this:http://www.ehow.com/about_6309713_plant-food-rabbits.html

Is says under "shurbs" that flowering quince is eaten...:?

Done feel that its enough info though...will keep my eyes open for more info...

 

[clutterydrawer]

Quince isn't a pear apparently. My dad thinks it is Cydonia Oblonga - from the Rosacea family, whereas Pear is Pyrus and Apple is Malus. So not the same family.

As for rabbit safety I just don't know! :?

Pyrus and Malus are the GENUS of the plants, not the family.

Quince, pear and apple are all from the Rosaceae family. So are roses, strawberries, blackberries, hawthorn, rowan, cherry, plum, apricot and loads of other things.

Quince is commonly grafted onto a pear rootstock which means it must be fairly closely related.

Whether this means it's safe for rabbits or not, I really couldn't say.

 

[weedug]

Can someone tell me what part of hawthorn can be eaten? I collected some a few days ago and have no idea what to use

And my buns love apple branches. Just wondered what other branches they can have? Am I right in saying pear, willow and hazel? Are there more?

 

[prettylupin]

Pyrus and Malus are the GENUS of the plants, not the family.

Quince, pear and apple are all from the Rosaceae family. So are roses, strawberries, blackberries, hawthorn, rowan, cherry, plum, apricot and loads of other things.

Quince is commonly grafted onto a pear rootstock which means it must be fairly closely related.

Whether this means it's safe for rabbits or not, I really couldn't say.

That's what I meant sorry, worded it incorrectly. I know they are all Rosaceae. I was just trying to clarify that Quince is not a Pear or an Apple.

 

[prettylupin]

Can someone tell me what part of hawthorn can be eaten? I collected some a few days ago and have no idea what to use

And my buns love apple branches. Just wondered what other branches they can have? Am I right in saying pear, willow and hazel? Are there more?

All parts of Hawthorn although I would personally avoid the berries for several reasons.
Yes willow, hazel, apple and pear can all be fed leaf and branch. :wave:

 

[weedug]

Thanks. Will take the berries off to be safe. No doubt I'll dry loads of the stuff and find that my buns don't even like it :lol:

Are hawthorn branches OK? And birch branches and leaves, are they OK?

 

[thumps_]

Sorry everyone. I'm a bit busy to put it mildlyat the mo.
I don't know about Quince either. It's very uncommon round here.
I agree with PL about the hawthorn.
I don't give buds & berries because they areused for a herbal medicine which slows the heart rate & interacts with some drugs for the heart in rabbits.
I may be overcautious but also avoid feeding anything with small hard seeds - (bird seed sized) because of the risks of impaction or damage to a tooth on larger haws.

With bramble leaves, small quantities refers to continuous use as a treat.
Larger amounts are sometimes needed short term if a bun with mild dysbiosis = smelly unformed caecs [but not runny diarrhoea like caecs has not responded to 2 days hay only diet.]

My own bun has quite a tricky problem, but is also very good at adjusting how much he eats according to his daily needs. I've a lot more to find out about how this remedy works.

 

[thumps_]

Just to give everyone a laugh I've got scrambled egg all over my face.
They've planted fruit trees in the verge to a tiny hamlet about 6 miles away - 5 quince trees - some with round fruits & some pear shaped & I STILL don't know whether they're safe for buns.

 

[chelle]

With bramble leaves, small quantities refers to continuous use as a treat.
Larger amounts are sometimes needed short term if a bun with mild dysbiosis = smelly unformed caecs [but not runny diarrhoea like caecs has not responded to 2 days hay only diet.]

ok - thanks for that!
Will try brambles in large maunt if unfomred caecs - if not improved after 2 days - then hay only.:wave:

Just to give everyone a laugh I've got scrambled egg all over my face.
They've planted fruit trees in the verge to a tiny hamlet about 6 miles away - 5 quince trees - some with round fruits & some pear shaped & I STILL don't know whether they're safe for buns.

:shock: :lol::lol::lol::lol:

 

[lilbun]

Just to give everyone a laugh I've got scrambled egg all over my face.
They've planted fruit trees in the verge to a tiny hamlet about 6 miles away - 5 quince trees - some with round fruits & some pear shaped & I STILL don't know whether they're safe for buns.

There's quite a few quince trees on a park near me too- I have no idea whether they're safe either!

I have to say I'm loving the bunny foraging trips at this time of year. Only yesterday I drove pretty much at random out of the city, parked where I saw a sign for a bridle path, walked along it at for a little while and discovered a wonderful area with woods and open grassy areas and wild plants galore- all the bunny forage I could want. It is five miles from my house and I never knew it existed. Thank you so much for inspiring me to broaden my horizons and make my bunnies very healthy and happy in the process

 

[thumps_]

There's quite a few quince trees on a park near me too- I have no idea whether they're safe either!

I have to say I'm loving the bunny foraging trips at this time of year. Only yesterday I drove pretty much at random out of the city, parked where I saw a sign for a bridle path, walked along it at for a little while and discovered a wonderful area with woods and open grassy areas and wild plants galore- all the bunny forage I could want. It is five miles from my house and I never knew it existed. Thank you so much for inspiring me to broaden my horizons and make my bunnies very healthy and happy in the process

I have many people to thank for this thread, for making it so enjoyable such fun, & for the wealth of knowledge in it.
I could not have participated but for my special bun, & his amazing instincts for what helps his tummy. HE taught me & then I looked up the reasons why it might work.

It's brought me joy in getting out to places I once knew so well, along ancient trackways, from the oldest road in the UK, the Ridgeway, a neolithic trade route from the high quality flint mines in Cambridgeshire to the salt pans near Exeter, through every subsequent age of human habitation.

It also brought me great sadness. I couldn't understand why the Council mowed grassy trackways virtually annihilating the wild chalk downland plants which converted these paths into a blaze of subtle colours, & the last remaining place where our wild life could survive.

They'd layed mile upon mile of hardcore on ancient dirt roads. They have opened up the countryside to cyclists & in so doing on such a large scale, destroyed it in the matter of perhaps 4-5 years. (I haven't been out for about 10 years.)

It feels as if I have lost the old friends I grew up with; but worse, young people round here will never see that beauty.

Yes, there's some wonderful countryside right at the edge of cities. I think we shall have to fight hard for our foraging areas. That was something I didn't expect.

 

[Ambience]

oooooooooooooh lovely- i want some xxx

 

[thumps_]

oooooooooooooh lovely- i want some xxx

I'm sure there are easier ways to do it, but I started with a 1:50,000 ordnance survey map & a compass until I knew the area well, comfortable "granny" walking shoes, waterproofs, & started with short walks. I didn't need fitness training, that happened naturally! Before I had a car, a bus timetable was a must. The trick is to start the walk uphill, come back downhill, & if it's a long one, fit in a village with a pub that's open 1/2 way round!
It's meant to be enjoyable as well as productive!

I'm thinking of a thread of photos of our favourite foraging places. Just nice to see various parts of the country.

 

[weedug]

What a great idea! Would be lovely to see everyone's foraging sites! I'll take a camera with me next time I'm out.

One of mine is also a dumping ground though, and is usually visited by "gypsies" every few months. There are piles of rubbish and old carpets strewn everywhere .

 

[Blackberry & Co]

What a great idea! Would be lovely to see everyone's foraging sites! I'll take a camera with me next time I'm out.

One of mine is also a dumping ground though, and is usually visited by "gypsies" every few months. There are piles of rubbish and old carpets strewn everywhere .

And my favourite common is situated nest to the local tip :lol:

 

[lilbun]

I think a thread with photos showing people's favourite foraging areas is a great idea- people may think: I know somewhere like that.

The council mowers infuriate me too. I recall reading about some rare orchids being mowed down in just this way- the council apologised and promised it wouldn't happen again but it did- the next year AND the following year- preventing them from setting seed and virtually wiping out the species :shock:

Luckily the plants we are interested in are very resilient and will soon bounce back after being mowed, if the weather holds up long enough- they have had to adapt to survive being grazed to the ground by our wildies- hopefully the fresh growth when it comes will me mildew free xx