Food collecting in a city

[fred]

@dc This is a rather complex question (and answers take a bit longer ). The colours are due to sometimes dramatic increases of substances that are in the leaves in much lower concentrations during spring and summer. For example, tannins are increased is some trees which would be rather unwelcome for some rodents (but we know that degus don't have any problems with them).

Having looked up what is usually accumulated in autumn leaves, I wouldn't have any concerns to feed them, but
- would feed them only in moderation
- consider them as „new food“, i.e. introduce slowly.

[deguconvert]

Good to know!! Thank you, both!

[Whizz]

I have been wanting to begin a natural diet for a while. But have my concerns, glad I can ask and they'll be answered!

Many places around here (I live a town, but the countryside is only a walk away) allow dogs to walk - I do not criticize as I too have a dog and walk to these places with him. I would never pick the leaves or plants that are... in the area that a dog could use as a toilet, and would rather pick the higher leaves.
However, how do I know said leaves are safe? Lets say I went to pick some Blackberry leaves for my Goos to try, how do I know that these leaves are safe? Should I just pick the greenest and healthiest looking ones, bit my lip, wash them and then feed them?
I am just a bit worried if I pick some that actually have parasites or bugs in them, then feed them to my Goos.

I'm a bit of a worrier (and Germophobe/Mysophobe!) with these sorts of things. I would never be able to forgive myself if I picked some leaves that were actually safe but had something in/on them that made my Goos ill.

[Maravilla]

I avoid collecting next to dog's... . Urine I don't see as a problem as it should be sterile and washed away by rain. I normally don't even wash the fresh things as it takes even longer to dry.

I can understand your doubts about bugs and other parasites. I try to pick only green, healthy looking leaves. It's sometimes hard, especially hazelnut leaves look quite strange here. Holes in the leaves don't look nice but shouldn't be a health problem. I've already fed basil with plant louses... some extra proteins for my friends .

It's important to avoid places near streets, but it's impossible to say how many meters. Some people say that it should be 50-100m, but what for? Coarse and fine particles like street dust and tyre wear particles are found especially next to the street, so there 2-3 m should be enough. I don't pick food with waste around, but this is normal.

[davx]

Hi,

However, how do I know said leaves are safe? Lets say I went to pick some Blackberry leaves for my Goos to try, how do I know that these leaves are safe? Should I just pick the greenest and healthiest looking ones, bit my lip, wash them and then feed them?
I am just a bit worried if I pick some that actually have parasites or bugs in them, then feed them to my Goos.

Most parasites for plants are highly adapted to their host and differences between animals and plants are big, therfore direct risks from the parasites are low, but they can stress the plant and the plant produces in some cases as reaction defence substances. Even if they are dedicated to the stressors (bacteria, virusses, fungi etc.) they can also harm vertebrate animals (but it depends on the quantity). But that's not the whole story, because the animals and in particular herbivores like our degus have to deal with such risks, during the evolution they adapted to plant defence compounds either being tolerant to the toxins (and developping detoxicfication mechanisms) or by using behavioural avoidance strategies. In addition the taste plays an important role in avoidance of intoxications and is one aspect of the natural food selection mechanism of our animals.

The toxic effect of good fodder plants is normally low and can be neglected. In some special cases the plants are treated as toxic plants because can cause serious intoxication to livestock or even humans. This plants are listed in common toxic plant guidebooks. The only examles I know are ryegrass and some phototoxic plants from the umbellifer family. The toxic effect is induced by a given fungus species.

I try to avoid plants if they look really ugly, but if a leave is a bit curly and has a black or brown point or something like that, it doesn't bother me. Of course I prefer young parts, because the degus often prefer them too because they contain more energy and less fiber, but in summer or autumn there is often little choice and I have to deal with the stuff I can find.

Btw. blackberry is also good winter food, because if there is no snow it is at least in Europe one of the few plants staying green during the seasons.

[malteser60]

I've been trying to think of cities in the UK and where to go foraging. Most UK cities have a park, or a canal that is good for foraging. Even London is brilliant what with the huge parks there are around here. Ok St James park may not be great, but go out to Richmond or Bushy Park and its like the city doesn't even exist.

Alternatively I know there are courses and books you can buy about foraging for food in cities. They are aimed for foraging for food for humans to eat but they will be able to show where to go forage and what to look out for.

[davx]

I try to make a photostory about urban places in Germany and Switzerland suitable to collect green stuff. Perhaps it would also be of interest here?

Alternatively I know there are courses and books you can buy about foraging for food in cities. They are aimed for foraging for food for humans to eat but they will be able to show where to go forage and what to look out for.

I think book tips to this topic would be interesting for our website/literature subforum. Any suggestions?
Unfortunately I know only german literature, thus it would also be of interest for me.

[deguconvert]

I would love to see your Photostory, Davx! I am terrible at identifying plants and trees, so to see them with their names beside them, or somehow identified, is really helpful to me. Seeing what you find, may really help me to recognise what I am seeing in my urban area as well. It's definitely of interest to me!!

[malteser60]

I just had a quick scan on Amazon about foraging for food and found the following:

- Food for Free: a Collins Gem book

- A free pdf from the Wild Food School about urban foraging that you can print out.

- Food for Free

I have downloaded the free pdf and will see how I get along with that first.

EDIt: Just realised I posted the same book twice but with a different cover! Doh! Sorry about that.

[davx]

Thank you Malteser, that sounds very exciting!

This morning I made some videos from plants growing on a pasture and I intend to upload it to Youtube and make some comments.

[Kat]

Maravilla Thank you very much for the links. After looking at them I have realised that I have a few of those plants nearby.
I will be collecting some during the week.

Kat
x

[Maravilla]

Most important thing when drying plants is space in a dry and well ventilated room. Some leaves dry very quickly, e.g. Jerusalem artichoke, others need a couple of days.
And don't be too disappointed when your big mountain of fresh green turns into a small hill .
Some examples from my own experiences:
500 g of fresh marigold blossoms shrank to about 65 g of dried blossoms.
4 kg of fresh buckhorn shrank to about 750 g of dried one.
About 3 kg of fresh dandelion weigh now (not completely dry) 450 g.

Nevertheless, I will continue collecting food on my own as quality is better and leaves are entire and not broken into small pieces which my degus don't really eat.

This year was not very good for food collecting. We had a very dry and quite warm spring and a very wet summer. Now I am hoping for a good autumn as there are still a couple of leaves missing in my collection.

@ Kat,
if you are not sure about the plants, take some pictures and ask here in the forum.

[malteser60]

Wow, 3kg of dandelions! 4kg of buckhorn! That's a lot of collecting! I'm impressed.

I do agree about the leaves breaking into small pieces. My degus seem to avoid that which is difficult when you buy them as they tend to break in transport.

[davx]

By the way, Jordan gave a good advice to dry vegs with salt.

[Maravilla]

Unfortunately, these amounts are only a drop in the bucket when you have 8 hungry degus . I am happy that my husband is as crazy as I am so we are two looking for food. ;D

[davx]

I defoliate shrubs (e. g. hazel) and dry Raspberry cuttings for large quantities. The cavies need much more food so that we started to walk with a big bag (IKEA ) and collect big amounts of fresh herbs and grasses. But the winter always is a season when the diet is poor in variance and pretty scarce. Besides vegs there is little fresh food, you can get in bigger quantities.

[ava]

As Degus can eat certain flowers, is getting them in bunches from a florist ok, or are they likely to have been treated in some way that makes them toxic?

[malteser60]

ava, most likely the flowers from florists have been sprayed to make them pest resistant and to last longer. I would avoid florists if I were you, unless you can check with them, especially if it's a small, local florist. It's a shame really as my two love rose petals and a florist would be ideal to get them some.

[Maravilla]

This year, we collected quite a lot of herbs, leaves and flowers... but we now have 10 hungry goos, so don't be too shocked with the amounts .
All boxes are filled with the mentioned things, the bigger ones with leaves and herbs, the smaller ones with different types of flowers.




from left to right: buckhorn, Jerusalem artichoke, apple leaves


dandelion, plantain, hazelnut, ground elder, strawberry leaves, linden


As you can see, it is possible to find a lot of things if you take your time to collect and dry them. Our degus really appreciate these leaves .