Today's haul:
Apple leafs
Hawthorn
Hazel
Broad leaf plantain
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That's good going The Broadleaf Plantain looks very good. Is the Hazel in the middle of the table on the first pic?
Today's haul:
Apple leafs
Hawthorn
Hazel
Broad leaf plantain
Sent from my GT-I9195 using Tapatalk
Well they both nommed it straight away so think it must have been brambles!
It really is. I love seeing them so happy. Plus I’ve just worked out if I can regularly forage and dry it out for winter too, I could save myself £20 a month as they are predominantly on a hay and forage diet at the moment.
How does everyone on here dry their forage out?
I really wanna get into foraging... But I'm so scared I'll make a mistake [emoji38] everything you guys bring back looks wonderful though
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Yes, defo hazel had the white nuts sane as yesterday's find I sent youThat's good going The Broadleaf Plantain looks very good. Is the Hazel in the middle of the table on the first pic?
Come on Gracie join the foraging funI really wanna get into foraging... But I'm so scared I'll make a mistake [emoji38] everything you guys bring back looks wonderful though
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Ah that would be amazingWhen I come over we can have a look around and see what there is.
I'm no expert, but I got six large buckets full for the rabbits today
Yea I might go have a look around, I've been identify sloe bushes in the country park so I can pick stuff after they're gone, thumps, said a while ago that they may be good for AtticusCome on Gracie join the foraging fun
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I just kind of spread mine about. I use vases to dry stuff and I also have a dehydrator. Hawthorn goes crispy over night on the tableWell they both nommed it straight away so think it must have been brambles!
It really is. I love seeing them so happy. Plus I’ve just worked out if I can regularly forage and dry it out for winter too, I could save myself £20 a month as they are predominantly on a hay and forage diet at the moment.
How does everyone on here dry their forage out?
Yes, defo hazel had the white nuts sane as yesterday's find I sent you
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No omi, definitely check my foraging just in case!Wonderful
I wasn't by the way thinking that you had made a mistake in your ID. I like to look at people's pics to try to identify what's what and I just wanted to be sure that I'd found the Hazel in your pics. It's super that you're finding so many Hazelnuts btw as Squirrels are very fond of them. There are not many left in the hedgerows around here.
So in a few short weeks you've become quite confident in several species - must be more than 10 now This is coming into the more difficult time of the year to identify things as well. Spring will be much easier and just think of the amount you'll be collecting in 6 months' time!
No omi, definitely check my foraging just in case!
I am really enjoying it now! I have to take my doggy out for a walk everyday so is the perfect exuse to get fresh noms and stock up. Yesterday we went on a huge walk armed with loads of bags and came across a orchard - dennis loves apple leafs - wahoo!
I can identify raspberry leaf as it's silvery white underneath with red fruits. I have just never found enough of it
Toxic noms I can Identify:
Oak with or without acorns
And beech with its a spikey green nut and flat waxy leafs.
I actually struggle with Blackerry leafs as I get a bit confused when it's at all the different stages. When I see it in fruit the leafs are usually quite ropey so I dont bother.
I struggle a little with dandies too. Especially if they are with loads of other shapes and sizes. I go cross eyed and question weather or not it is a dandie. Especially the huge ones!
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Breakfast service this morning.This is good as it is demonstrating that you are now examining the plants more carefully. We actually had this conversation about Dandelions yesterday, which led to me looking them up in one of my wildflower ID books. I quote from the section under Dandelions, "Dandelion comprises some hundreds of closely similar 'microspecies' too complex to separate here". So they will sometimes not all look the same All are OK though
I have never given Toby willow or hazel leaf as i read somewhere it can effect rabbits hearts. Willow thins the blood and Hazel has cardiac properties? What's everyone's opinions on this? He definitely wants to eat willow.
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I believe it's on galens garden when you go to order the individual forage. It comes up as a warning in the description. I think on the Hazel packet for the hay experts It says beneficial cardiac properties too?I know that Salicylic Acid is in Willow (bark I think) and is a component of Aspirin, which is used as a blood thinner for some humans. I have heard nothing about Hazel, which suggests any issues.
I personally think that what we are feeding to our rabbits as forage, where I'm assuming they either get a low dose of the chemical or possibly can't metabolise it in its raw form, cannot provide either a problem or a benefit. It's very easy to be swayed by internet articles where there are no science based facts, but information is just copied from one source to another. You've only got to study the lists of "toxic" plants on different rabbity websites and see how they contradict each other.
I think if it were me, I would either try to find something credible on the internet or (as j&b suggested) ask John. For instance if the Salicylic Acid is only available in the Willow bark then there will be absolutely no issue feeding the leaves.
If you can find the information about Hazel, I would be interested.
I believe it's on galens garden when you go to order the individual forage. It comes up as a warning in the description. I think on the Hazel packet for the hay experts It says beneficial cardiac properties too?
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I have researched it and your right. After Tobys meds this morning I let him eat the leafs off two branches. I've only just got him eating fresh stuff too and he loves it. It does warn of interactions with heart medications. I need to check all this stuff with JohnNormally when I use therapeutic herbs for medicinal purposes, I think of Crataegus (hawthorn) in terms of Cardiac ..
I have researched it and your right. After Tobys meds this morning I let him eat the leafs off two branches. I've only just got him eating fresh stuff too and he loves it. It does warn of interactions with heart medications. I need to check all this stuff with John
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