Fluffers
Wise Old Thumper
It's alright he won't be on here until Monday, we have until them to plot an escape plan for you
:lol::lol:
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Why did nobody tell me i should wear gloves before i go foraging for Brambles...
- Thread starter GrahamL
- Start date
:lol::lol:
yvette
Wise Old Thumper
It's alright he won't be on here until Monday, we have until them to plot an escape plan for you
Ha!! Youve been caught out!! Just gone midnight on Saturday and hes been on!!!!!**sniggers**
happysaz133
Wise Old Thumper
I didn't know they were allowed brambles, never even thought. I've got about a million bushes in amongst my apple and pear trees! Have to get some WITH GLOVES :lol:
WITH GLOVES :lol:He is here at weekends actually
B&G both LOVE bramble leaves
Pheww!! Well that should help to keep bunny tummies in good condition.
I have no idea why, but some buns with GI issues seem to crave woody fiber over & above hay.
My own bun has a seasonal rotation of brambles in Feb until the hawthorn is mature, then hawthorn leaves (most commonly eaten by buns) in Autumn he changes to Blacktorn/Sloe. [I don't recommend Sloe leaves be fed continuously to buns - my bun has serious get issues similar to megacolon, & had no caecal function for 10 months, but they are perfectly safe short term, & brilliant to start a stasis bunny eating if gathered at the right time]
ETA G&B are incredibly lucky to have such a devoted Daddy. Look at what the wildies have to do! :shock: Ouch. I've actually seen them do this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6zRr_EpyNE
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Elena
Wise Old Thumper
He is here at weekends actually
Damn :lol:
Dustyrabbit
Warren Veteran
Well, I went foraging. Found out I'm very picky and nearly came home with an empty bag! but eventually found some fresh green nettles (not as tall as I would have liked but gave them a good wash) and some brambles that didn't have any rust blotches. Washed and dried everything, squashed the prickles on the back of the bramble leaves......finally offered some of each to the buns. Verdict - Fizz didn't want to try (he's a bit slow to try new things) Maisy ate some brambles but was not interested in my nettles!
Saw lots of low growing, new shoots, something like carrot tops, I wonder what they were?
Saw lots of low growing, new shoots, something like carrot tops, I wonder what they were?
Georgeypudding
Wise Old Thumper
When is Hawthorn mature? :wave:
This is real tiger territory until you know your plants, & your locality very well - the family called umbelliferae. At this time of year there are 2 at the top of the list - wild chervil/cowparsley which is a strong diuretic & deadly poisonous hemlock. Hemlock has such a powerful neurotoxin that some people have had painful pins & needles where the juice penetrated their skin for up to 3 weeks, just from picking it. Someone recently put 2 fronds of hemlock in a cheese sandwich mistaking it for cow parsley, was completely paralysed & needed artificial respiration for 2 weeks. :shock: It'll kill cattle too. :shock:
Although the young hemlock I've seen round here has a few typical maroon spots on the stem, I NEVER trust young growth to be typical.
To make it more complicated there's rough leaved chervil which gives cattle "the staggers". There's so much out there which is safe & easy to identify I'd say leave the umbelliferae well alone.
We also have Giant Hogweed (Family umbelliferae) round here- it causes very severe blistering if we brush against it, & our skin is exposed to sunlight.
Another serious poison is Ragweed, (Family compositae) which 1st. escaped round the Oxford are & is certainly very common round here.
I've yet to find a good internet site where we can compare similar looking plants. A good illustrated book is invaluable.
Georgypudding when hawthorn 1st comes out, the leaves are still folded/crumpled & lime green. Country folk use it like lettuce at this stag hence "bread & cheese". It's safe enough, but can give bunnies runny caecs cos it's high in sugars - just like spring grass. It's mature when the leaves have completely unfolded & darkened.
Georgeypudding
Wise Old Thumper
thanks :wave:
Dustyrabbit
Warren Veteran
Ah yes Thumps it propably was Cow Parsley or one of the nasties as you say, couldn't think at the time what it could be. I had a horse for 20 years so I got to know some of the hedgerow plants and I agree I wouldn't trust it to be cow parsley - I remember a lady used to ride one of the ponies at the farm where I kept mine, after a ride we saw her feeding her cow parsley, I remember saying to her that she maybe shouldn't as it was easy to mistake it for something else - well, next day that pony was found dead in the field. She was an older pony but normally fit and well, the owner just put it down to one of those things - a sudden heart attack or something but I have always had my suspicions that what she ate was not all Cow Parsley.
Maisy seems to prefer the Brambles now the leaves have dried out a bit.
I saw Hawthorn just spouting as you say, I'll be keeping an eye on that one.
Maisy seems to prefer the Brambles now the leaves have dried out a bit.
I saw Hawthorn just spouting as you say, I'll be keeping an eye on that one.
