Help identifying piggy forage 🙂

alpacasqueak

alpacasqueak

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I’ve always wanted to forage more than grass, dandelions and clover (and apple and pear branches) but always a bit scared that I’ll poison my bubs! I’ve been out in my massive shared garden today to give it a go as there’s masses of greenery everywhere atm!
Think I’ve identified most of the stuff, but need help with a few so I know I’m not feeding the wrong things from the expert foragers on here! Thanks in advance :D

Long leaf plantain (I think!)
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Broad leaf plantain (I think!)
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Vetch?
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Cleavers/sticky weed?
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Cranesbill?
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This I really have no idea but there’s stacks of it!
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There’s at least 4 types of grass and dandelion species which they regularly tuck into and I’ve picked some bramble leaves today too. (Avoided nettles today but they’re there too!) Will be going slowly introducing new stuff though of course :) Dried plantain is a big favourite already so shall see if they like it fresh too! :hmm::)
 
Well they loooved a bit of broad leaf plantain and the rest of it’s in the fridge, hopefully won’t be on H&I or the vets later! :xd:
 
Your first one is ribwort plantain, a favourite of my piggies. The second is not plantain but looks more like dock. Vetch and cleavers are spot on. My girls love young fresh cleavers (just as well as I have heaps around the garden!) the one you have labelled cranesbill is actually periwinkle and I would not think edible. The last one is Herb Bennet (geum urbabum) I think.
 
Broad leaf plantain has the same parallel veins as ribwort plantain, but wider leaves, rather than the branching veins you can see there.
 
Second photo Becci looks like dock leaf to me? I wouldn’t feed it
The Cranesbill is periwinkle again I wouldn’t feed it
 
Thanks so much, exactly why I needed to ask, not green fingered despite my mum and nan being amazing! :))
Did take pics as I went!
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these ones at the front and guessing periwinkle then!
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Yes there are more in the bag which I didn’t take Original pics of but that’s all the ones I picked not identified! Phone takes ages sorry!
 

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Now youve posted the full picture (pic 3 in the post above) it’s definitely not broadleaf plantain - its dock
 
I don’t think dock will do them any harm, it’s part of the sorrel family which is used by the French to make sorrel sauce to go with fish, it’s quite lemony
 
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Picked quite a few so they all had one around the left hand size, 4-5cms.
They’re all alive and telling me off for rustling bags atm anyway!:doh:XD
 
Bill & Ted said:
I don’t think dock will do them any harm, it’s part of the sorrel family which is used by the French to make sorrel sauce to go with fish, it’s quite lemony
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They all scoffed full speed so must’ve tasted nice! 🤦‍♀️
 
It’s absolutely everywhere out there, I can’t imagine how it must feel in your mouth!? :eek: It was horrible as a kid when people threw it at you to stick it on your clothes but got your face! 🙈 Can’t feel too pleasant on the tongue! :hmm::))
 
alpacasqueak said:
It’s absolutely everywhere out there, I can’t imagine how it must feel in your mouth!? :eek: It was horrible as a kid when people threw it at you to stick it on your clothes but got your face! 🙈 Can’t feel too pleasant on the tongue! :hmm::))
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Sticky bid (Clevers) is very popular while its young and fresh but then they don’t like it as it gets older
 
Bill & Ted said:
You can download a phone app Google Lens, you open the app, take the photo of the plant and it goes off and identifies you of what plant it is. It does work and is accurate I have tried it out several times
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Oh that sounds handy! I‘ll have to give that a go when we‘re out on a walk next time. I‘m definitely going to ask on here before feeding any, though! Better safe than sorry.
 
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