Foraging For Guinea Pigs (free Food!)

Lily_pig

Lily_pig

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Jul 25, 2016
Messages
25
Reaction score
18
Points
155
Location
New York
I forage for my guinea pigs. It might seem like cheaping out on them, but my piggies personally LOVE the stuff I bring for them from the wild! Many owners are concerned about bugs or parasites from the wild, but these problems are unlikely to occur, and they never have for me. Of course, it is advisable to wash anything you bring back from the wild before giving it to your guinea pigs.

Here is a list of foraged goods that I pick for my guinea pigs on a daily basis:

Plants:

Dandelions-this one is a favorite! It is super easy to find too, as dandelions are a common weed. Many of my neighbors welcome me when I pick the dandelions from their yard since they see dandelions as a nuisance. My piggies go crazy over wild dandelion greens. They love to eat all parts of the plant, so if you can be sure to get the roots! If you do manage to dig up the roots, be sure to wash all the dirt off, though.

One cool thing to try is drying the dandelion roots to make dandelion root treats! My piggies went crazy for them! Add these to the daily pellets you give your piggies for added nutrition and fun. :)

Clover-this is another guinea pig favorite. The common clover is yet another weed that guinea pigs love to chow down on. There are many different types of clover and guinea pigs can eat them all. All parts of the plant are edible, so getting the roots of the clover is a good idea. The easiest type of clover to spot is pink clover, which has the largest flower. Other types of clover include white and yellow clover.

Purslane-this plant is less well known compared to clover and dandelion. It is also considered a weed, but is a very healthy and well liked veggie for your guinea pigs. It resembles a clover, but grows more horizontally. If you are not sure what purslane looks like, be sure to research it first!

Daisy-daisies are a common wildflower. It tends to grow quickly and all over the place. Luckily, guinea pigs love to eat these! They will eat all parts of the plant.

Wild strawberry-wild strawberry plants are loved by guinea pigs! If you are lucky enough to come across some, pick some for your piggies! They will be super happy. All parts of the plant are edible, and the leaves are said to help inflammation.

Wild grass seed-the stalks of grass seed you see growing outside are a perfect substitute for Timothy Hay. If you are short on cash, pick some grass seed stalks for your piggies instead! They contain the same nutrients and fiber that your guinea pigs need.

Wild wheat-this plant seems to be rarer, however, it is another good food to forage for your piggies. It is essentially a wheat stalk that grows in the wild. If you run your fingers down the top of the plant, you should feel a sandpaper like texture.

My piggies loved the stalk I picked for them, though they seemed to find the texture strange as they had to chew it for a long time!

Trees:

Maple leaves-These are common and easy to find if you have maple trees growing around the area. These are not a guinea pig favorite, but are liked.

Wild raspberry-if you come across wild raspberry bushes, pick some berries and leaves for your guinea pigs! They love to eat both the berries and leaves of this bush!

Crabapple-if you have crabapple trees around the area, pick some of the leaves and branches for your guinea pigs. They love both!

Wild pear-wild pear trees are a perfect tree to get leaves and branches for your guinea pigs as well.

Hopefully this list was helpful for everyone. I hope that more owners will try foraging for their piggies!
 
you are not cheaping out on them!:nod: you are feeding them with the best food. Also breastfeeding a child is cost-free but it is the best option for him... In nature there are a lot of proper "vegs", rich of minerals and vitamins, grown without any chemical product; and our piggies are not vegetarian, but herbivores...
I also look for food in lawns and parks and they are eating so happily.
Just one thing; I searched online of the chart of these natural food, because some of them are very rich of calcium and poor in phosphorus; considering that keeping a correct ratio is important I try to balance the grass and wild herbs with something else.
Purslane and clover are rich of calcium (anyway my piggies don't like them). Plantago, too, is rich of calcium and has antibiotic properties. I used it boiled in water for cleaning and desenfecting a watery eye and it worked amazingly.
I have a long list of good forage and trees, but it is in italian...:roll:
 
I encourage dandelions and milk thistle in the garden along side the veg saves a lot of weeding . I also leave the lawn edges until they are long and then pull the grass up for the piggys. Piggys are the perfect excuse to be a lazy gardener. :))
 
I cut grass for my guineas every morning that it's not raining (Scotland - what can I say). Sometimes some dandelion, sometimes some strawberry leaves or something else out of my allotment - they love the runners that strawberries throw out, especially the tiny little plants on them. They get that with a bit of pepper or some other vitamin C veg, nuggets and hay. Who needs to go to the grocer (well - in the summer anyway)
 
Tiamolly123 said:
Don't know if I fancy that. :lol!:
Click to expand...

Well, if you are not convinced, clover is actually a very healthy food. We don't think of it as food because it is usually seen as a weed. However, with only 6 calories per cup, it is a super healthy vegetable! It is also very versatile: you can make it into salad, put it in sandwiches, and even make tea out of its flowers or leaves. Clover tea is very aromatic and quite tasty. Clover has a very mild taste, kind of like young lettuce.

Another fun fact-if you try out the clover in your own diet, also try daisies! The flowers taste super good. The taste is also super unique and the texture of the flower's center is very interesting. I used to make sandwiches and put the daisies into salads. Be careful of ants crawling on the flowers, however. Be sure you wash them thoroughly!

Once, I ate a daisy sandwich next to my guinea pigs's cage while they munched away at daisy plants from their hay rack. It was a good way to bond with them, I think!

Dandelions can also be eaten. You may have seen organic dandelion bunches sold in your local grocery market at some point. However, there is no need to buy these! You can just get your own dandelion greens for free where you see them growing in your area! The older leaves are quite bitter and need to be blanched or boiled. The young leaves, however, are tender and taste like young lettuce. The roots of the dandelion are also great for making tea with.
 
Reenie said:
I cut grass for my guineas every morning that it's not raining (Scotland - what can I say). Sometimes some dandelion, sometimes some strawberry leaves or something else out of my allotment - they love the runners that strawberries throw out, especially the tiny little plants on them. They get that with a bit of pepper or some other vitamin C veg, nuggets and hay. Who needs to go to the grocer (well - in the summer anyway)
Click to expand...

I completely agree with you! I used to buy veggies for my guinea pigs but I found so much of it was wasted because they didn't eat half of what I gave them each day. However, once I started to forage for them, the leftovers were nonexistent!
 
piggieminder said:
I encourage dandelions and milk thistle in the garden along side the veg saves a lot of weeding . I also leave the lawn edges until they are long and then pull the grass up for the piggys. Piggys are the perfect excuse to be a lazy gardener. :))
Click to expand...

I feel like if you were to put your guinea pigs in the garden, you'd probably never have to weed again! XD
Do they eat milk thistle too? I haven't foraged that for them yet!
 
rome_italy said:
you are not cheaping out on them!:nod: you are feeding them with the best food. Also breastfeeding a child is cost-free but it is the best option for him... In nature there are a lot of proper "vegs", rich of minerals and vitamins, grown without any chemical product; and our piggies are not vegetarian, but herbivores...
I also look for food in lawns and parks and they are eating so happily.
Just one thing; I searched online of the chart of these natural food, because some of them are very rich of calcium and poor in phosphorus; considering that keeping a correct ratio is important I try to balance the grass and wild herbs with something else.
Purslane and clover are rich of calcium (anyway my piggies don't like them). Plantago, too, is rich of calcium and has antibiotic properties. I used it boiled in water for cleaning and desenfecting a watery eye and it worked amazingly.
I have a long list of good forage and trees, but it is in italian...:roll:
Click to expand...

Could you tell us more about plantago?
As for the correct ratio, to be honest, I never really tried to think about that for my guinea pigs. I just give them a few handfuls of foraged goods everyday. That sounds interesting, though. I wonder if I should be thinking about it!
 
Another thing that makes foraging better is that, as soon as a plant is picked, the vitamin content starts to go out of it. If you're picking fresh, your piggies are getting the veg (or weeds) in their prime state, with all the goodness still in there.
 
Lily_pig said:
Could you tell us more about plantago?
As for the correct ratio, to be honest, I never really tried to think about that for my guinea pigs. I just give them a few handfuls of foraged goods everyday. That sounds interesting, though. I wonder if I should be thinking about it!
Click to expand...
About its medical effects, there are a lot of good articles, I copy-past some (serious) lines taken from a research:
J. Basic. Appl. Sci. Res.

Journal of Basic and Applied
Scientific Research

*Corresponding author:
Milad
Moloudizargari
,
Student of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia
University, Urmia, Iran
.
Therapeutic Uses and Pharmacological Properties of Plantago major

Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
ABSTRACT
In the recent years synthetic drugs have been widely replaced with herbal medicines and plant extract
s because of their little undesirable and extensive beneficial effects.
Plantago major L. (also known as plantain and way bread) is a member of the Plantaginaceae family. Leaves and seeds of the plant have been widely used in folk medicine for various purposes, including treatment of an extensive range of diseases and disorders such as
respiratory complications and digestive system affections. It has been also used in wound healing and as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antitumor agent. Moreover, plantain contains ingredients which can neutralize internal and external poisons.
Recent studies have also shown its anti-fatigue properties.
The present review describes the traditional uses and recent findings(Since 2000 till date) about the pharmacological effects of
Plantago major
L.
(...)
-----------
there is another research about the effect of Plantago on cough:
Antitussive Effect of Plantago lanceolata in Guinea Pigs
M.H. Boskabady, H. Rakhshandah, M. Afiat, Z. Aelami, S. Amiri

Abstract

Background: Several therapeutic effects including anti-asthma and dyspnea have been described for Plantago lanceolata. In the present study the antitussive effect of this plant was evaluated.
Methods: The antitussive effects of aerosols of two different concentrations of Soxhlet and macerated ethanolic extracts, codeine and saline were tested by counting the number of coughs produced due to aerosol of citric acid 10 min after exposing the animal to aerosols of different solutions (n=8 for each solution).
Results: The results showed significant reductions of cough number observed in the presence of both concentrations of Soxhlet and macerated extracts of Plantago lanceolata as compared to saline treated group (p<0.001). The reduced cough number observed in the presence of higher concentrations of extracts was not significantly different from that of lower concentrations of LP. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the cough numbers observed in the presence of both concentrations of the extracts with that of codeine.
---------------------------

I can add my personal experience:
When my piggie had a watery eye and it seemed to be the start of a little infection, I started washing the eye with water and salt; the eye improved but it recovered totally only after using the same water boiled with some plantago leaves, using also the mashed leaves applied on the eye. One day later the eye looked normal again...

About its nutritional properties, I have a list of wild herbs and their amount of calcium and phophorus. Consider as an example the lettuce Boston/Bibb whose amount is 32-23 (32g calcium and 23g phosphorus; ratio 1,4:1).
Plantago is 184-52 (3,5:1)
Clover is 180-50 (3,6:1)
Alfa-alfa is 120-51 (2,3:1)
Dandelion leaves is 187-66 (2,8:1)
etc.
what counts more is the ratio in the day meal... therefore, if a piggie eat some leaves of plantain or dandelion (they never eat 100g of those plants) and then they eat 50g of a bell pepper (9-19) or a piece of cucumber, the ratio becomes perfect again. What piggies prefer is the normal grass, the strings... and the common grass has a perfect balance. Cutting the grass from a lawn means that your bag will be filled with normal grass and some different leaves... at least it is what I see into my bag:
100_6916.webp
therefore, those leaves of dandelion, so rich of calcium cannot be harmful...
About the ratio: I had to be careful because one of my piggies came back home from the rescue with an alert of the vet; she seemed to be prone to bladder issues and predisposed to develop stones... but at home she stopped having any issues since when she started eating differently (no pellets and a huge amount of natural grass). Feeding her with vegs needed a lot of cares... not respecting the proper ratio of the charts meant to find white wee stains and she seemed also to feel some pain when I someone touched her belly. Now everything is okay and her (new) vet is totally satisfied (the rescue was in another city and their vet was not the one in Rome).
Plantain now is over, but she used to eat some young leaves (not that much). She definitely prefers dandelion greens!
You should see me wandering with bag&knife in the late afternoon...:bal::))
 
rome_italy said:
About its medical effects, there are a lot of good articles, I copy-past some (serious) lines taken from a research:
J. Basic. Appl. Sci. Res.

Journal of Basic and Applied
Scientific Research

*Corresponding author:
Milad
Moloudizargari
,
Student of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia
University, Urmia, Iran
.
Therapeutic Uses and Pharmacological Properties of Plantago major

Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
ABSTRACT
In the recent years synthetic drugs have been widely replaced with herbal medicines and plant extract
s because of their little undesirable and extensive beneficial effects.
Plantago major L. (also known as plantain and way bread) is a member of the Plantaginaceae family. Leaves and seeds of the plant have been widely used in folk medicine for various purposes, including treatment of an extensive range of diseases and disorders such as
respiratory complications and digestive system affections. It has been also used in wound healing and as an anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antitumor agent. Moreover, plantain contains ingredients which can neutralize internal and external poisons.
Recent studies have also shown its anti-fatigue properties.
The present review describes the traditional uses and recent findings(Since 2000 till date) about the pharmacological effects of
Plantago major
L.
(...)
-----------
there is another research about the effect of Plantago on cough:
Antitussive Effect of Plantago lanceolata in Guinea Pigs
M.H. Boskabady, H. Rakhshandah, M. Afiat, Z. Aelami, S. Amiri

Abstract

Background: Several therapeutic effects including anti-asthma and dyspnea have been described for Plantago lanceolata. In the present study the antitussive effect of this plant was evaluated.
Methods: The antitussive effects of aerosols of two different concentrations of Soxhlet and macerated ethanolic extracts, codeine and saline were tested by counting the number of coughs produced due to aerosol of citric acid 10 min after exposing the animal to aerosols of different solutions (n=8 for each solution).
Results: The results showed significant reductions of cough number observed in the presence of both concentrations of Soxhlet and macerated extracts of Plantago lanceolata as compared to saline treated group (p<0.001). The reduced cough number observed in the presence of higher concentrations of extracts was not significantly different from that of lower concentrations of LP. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the cough numbers observed in the presence of both concentrations of the extracts with that of codeine.
---------------------------

I can add my personal experience:
When my piggie had a watery eye and it seemed to be the start of a little infection, I started washing the eye with water and salt; the eye improved but it recovered totally only after using the same water boiled with some plantago leaves, using also the mashed leaves applied on the eye. One day later the eye looked normal again...

About its nutritional properties, I have a list of wild herbs and their amount of calcium and phophorus. Consider as an example the lettuce Boston/Bibb whose amount is 32-23 (32g calcium and 23g phosphorus; ratio 1,4:1).
Plantago is 184-52 (3,5:1)
Clover is 180-50 (3,6:1)
Alfa-alfa is 120-51 (2,3:1)
Dandelion leaves is 187-66 (2,8:1)
etc.
what counts more is the ratio in the day meal... therefore, if a piggie eat some leaves of plantain or dandelion (they never eat 100g of those plants) and then they eat 50g of a bell pepper (9-19) or a piece of cucumber, the ratio becomes perfect again. What piggies prefer is the normal grass, the strings... and the common grass has a perfect balance. Cutting the grass from a lawn means that your bag will be filled with normal grass and some different leaves... at least it is what I see into my bag:
View attachment 66220
therefore, those leaves of dandelion, so rich of calcium cannot be harmful...
About the ratio: I had to be careful because one of my piggies came back home from the rescue with an alert of the vet; she seemed to be prone to bladder issues and predisposed to develop stones... but at home she stopped having any issues since when she started eating differently (no pellets and a huge amount of natural grass). Feeding her with vegs needed a lot of cares... not respecting the proper ratio of the charts meant to find white wee stains and she seemed also to feel some pain when I someone touched her belly. Now everything is okay and her (new) vet is totally satisfied (the rescue was in another city and their vet was not the one in Rome).
Plantain now is over, but she used to eat some young leaves (not that much). She definitely prefers dandelion greens!
You should see me wandering with bag&knife in the late afternoon...:bal::))
Click to expand...


I love that you work really hard to feed your piggies healthily!
My piggies love dandelions like they are crack. I usually pick both dandelions and clover for them. They eat all the dandelion but will leave some clover.
I haven't fed my piggies in any definite ratio. I don't think they have run into any major issues. Where do you get plantago? Please tell me; I want to get my piggies some too!
 
Reenie said:
Another thing that makes foraging better is that, as soon as a plant is picked, the vitamin content starts to go out of it. If you're picking fresh, your piggies are getting the veg (or weeds) in their prime state, with all the goodness still in there.
Click to expand...
I agree; they always say fresh is better. It takes time, but it is healthier.
 
Lily_pig said:
I love that you work really hard to feed your piggies healthily!
My piggies love dandelions like they are crack. I usually pick both dandelions and clover for them. They eat all the dandelion but will leave some clover.
I haven't fed my piggies in any definite ratio. I don't think they have run into any major issues. Where do you get plantago? Please tell me; I want to get my piggies some too!
Click to expand...
plantago here grows everywhere also in private garden. There is a lawn nearby full of plantago but now it is too hot and I don't see anything there... Someone told me Plantago growns only where there are no chemical products, I don't know if it is true...
I think it depends on climate...
there are two different kind of plantago:
piantaggine.webp
x12442111924a2927f814e91.webp
and this one:
Plantago_major6.webp
my piggies didn't like plantago very much when it was available; in the same lawn there was plenty of wild chicory and they loved it:

1668753_1e597fce.webp
about this pic, it is written: " Wild chicory grows in profusion beside the A34 dual carriageway near Oxford"
therefore I am sure that for finding a good forage you only need to look carefully at what normally is never noticed...
This is wild chicory (high in calcium), it is good also for us humans (but its taste is bitter, I like it boiled and cooked into a pan, it is a typical roman recipe, but it is bitter...)
wild-greens-chicory-greens.webp

cicoria_ripassata (1).webp
:D
cicoria-in-padella.webp
 
Lily_pig said:
Well, if you are not convinced, clover is actually a very healthy food. We don't think of it as food because it is usually seen as a weed. However, with only 6 calories per cup, it is a super healthy vegetable! It is also very versatile: you can make it into salad, put it in sandwiches, and even make tea out of its flowers or leaves. Clover tea is very aromatic and quite tasty. Clover has a very mild taste, kind of like young lettuce.

Another fun fact-if you try out the clover in your own diet, also try daisies! The flowers taste super good. The taste is also super unique and the texture of the flower's center is very interesting. I used to make sandwiches and put the daisies into salads. Be careful of ants crawling on the flowers, however. Be sure you wash them thoroughly!

Once, I ate a daisy sandwich next to my guinea pigs's cage while they munched away at daisy plants from their hay rack. It was a good way to bond with them, I think!

Dandelions can also be eaten. You may have seen organic dandelion bunches sold in your local grocery market at some point. However, there is no need to buy these! You can just get your own dandelion greens for free where you see them growing in your area! The older leaves are quite bitter and need to be blanched or boiled. The young leaves, however, are tender and taste like young lettuce. The roots of the dandelion are also great for making tea with.
Click to expand...
great advice! dandelions are also at the supermarket, but they are expensive; anyway, I have discovered some lawns nearby and next sunday I have planned a trip to the mountains! I am sure I will fill my car with bags of vegs and grass!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top