So, as I was walking through my yard looking for weeds to feed to the flock, I decided, what weeds CAN I feed them? So I decided to make a list along with descriptions and pics of each plant! I watched a video, made a list, and looked each up one by one! Out of a list of twelve only five came out correct! Some of them didn't not have a lot of info on them, and some were listed as toxic so I decided not to include them! I will post the original list though!
Original List:
Winter Grass
Rye Grass
Shepherds Purse
Banded Clover
Yellow Flowering Daisy
Chickweed
Power Grass
Buffalo
Dandelion
Milk Thistle Plant
Medic Plant
Perennial Rye Grass
Always take from areas or soil that has not been sprayed with pesticide for at least a year. Wherever you take them from, be sure to wash them well with water.
You may serve any part of the following plants, including roots and even a bit of untreated soil!
Winter GrassWinter grass has many names according to different regions. Three of these are winter grass, walk grass, and annual bluegrass. Its scientific name is
Poa Annua. This plant can be found in all of the U.S and Greenland, and most of Canada. This is a invasive plant, and many may not want it lying in their yards, but birdie owners can put it to use! You can even start growing a little patch of winter grass! This is a favorite in many pet birds.
Shepherds PurseShepherds purse may look a little like dandelion. Its scientific name is
Capsella bursa. Shepherds purse is part of the mustard family, and is native to Asia minor and Europe. Thought it is native only to Europe and Asia Minor, it is a common weed thought the world. It's prefers to live to live in colder climates. It is also found in North Africa, North America, China, and the Mediterranean. Unusual to flowering plants, this plant flowers all year long. The leaves of Shepherds Purse can supply a bird with vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, iron, potassium, sodium, and some protein.
Perennial Rye GrassThe scientific name of Perennial Rye Grass is
Lolium perenne. It is also known as the English Rye Grass. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, but it has spread all over the world. Cockatiels prefer half ripe seeds, so the greenest plants are fine. My birds personally like to chew the stem open and eat out the insides.
ChickweedThis plant has always been given to birds kept in captivity. There are many kinds, and the most common one is Stellaria chickweed, so that's the one I will explain about. It's scientific name is
Stellaria media. It is a annual plant that is native to Europe. Chickens like to eat it, thus giving it it's name. The leaves of Chickweed are a by good source of vitamin A, B, C, and D. It's also a good source of calcium, potassium, zinc, copper, and iron. Zinc in organic plants is not toxic! Only zinc in metals is deadly.
DandelionDandelion, a common plant that everyone recognizes, has the scientific name of
Taraxacum officinale. It is native to Eurasia and North America, but has spread all over the world. Birds like cockatiels can eat any part of it. When you first offer dandelion to your bird she might have diarrhea but that's normal, her poo will return to normal after a while. You can also offer it with soil that's still attached to the roots of dandelion.
PurslaneThe scientific name of Purslane is
Portulaca oleracea. It is also known as Pigweed, little Hogweed, Pusley, and Verdolaga. It can grow up to 40 cm high. It is considered a exotic weed in the New World, and considered a invasive weed. It contains taproots, and is able to survive poor and/or compact soil. It can also survive droughts. Depending on the amount of rain fall flowers of purslane can bloom during any time of the year. Purslane first originated in India. Purslane is rich in vitamins A and C. It also contains riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium, and manganese.
Milk ThistleThere are three kinds of true milk thistle,
Carduus marianus,
Silybum eburneum, and
Silybum × gonzaloi. I will explain
Carduus marianussince its the most common. It is a annual plant of the Asteraceae family. It es originally native to Southern Europe all the way to Asia, but now is found all over the world. It grow from 30 to 200 cm. The medical parts of the plant are ripe seeds.
Sources:
http://www.indmowing.com.au/images/business/markpaisley/poa_annua1.jpg
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=POAN
[url]http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Shepherd's%20Purse.html[/url]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsella_bursa-pastoris
http://www.birds-online.de/nahrung/wildgraeser/deutweidelgras_en.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolium_perenne
http://www.americansingercanary.com/chickweed.htm
http://middlepath.com.au/plant/Chickweed_Stellaria-media_Caryophyllaceae.php
http://www.birds-online.de/nahrung/gruenfutter/loewenzahn_en.htm
http://piperbasenji.blogspot.com/2011/05/dandelions.html
http://www.ehow.com/facts_6724171_milk-thistle-birds.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portulaca_oleracea
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Purslane.html
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/purslane.html
http://www.worldcrops.org/crops/Verdolaga.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Illustration_Silybum_marianum0.jpg
The video:
[url="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vHoRLKFmhqU"]YouTube - Green Treats for Budgies & Pet Birds are Weeds to Many 170810[/url]