FINCHforum

Can they eat them and the greens? Should they?

I always raise a section of our yard free from pesticides(whole yard is pesticide or herbacide free for YEARS) and dog pee with dandelions. Our bearded dragon LOVES them.

Can the finches eat them as a veggie? If so, I will make sure I plant enough to add this to their diet.

Last summer I fed them each day or the second plenty of dandelions from my yard and all my goulds and waxbills are crazy about it... so I recommend it (of course always fresh and clean)

EXACTLY! Cleaned and grown in safe dirt, etc. I don't take chances with my lizards, so birds would eat from same batch.

YIPPEE!! I figured they could since they are edible for us humans and mild and non-toxic for the most part.

THANKS!

katlovesaandw wrote: Can they eat them and the greens? Should they?

I always raise a section of our yard free from pesticides(whole yard is pesticide or herbacide free for YEARS) and dog pee with dandelions. Our bearded dragon LOVES them.

Can the finches eat them as a veggie? If so, I will make sure I plant enough to add this to their diet.

Just gotta say, it's pretty cool that you "plant" dandelions. Folks used to think we were nuts to sow clover in our backyard. Only reason we did was to attract honey bees to the veggie garden. They were horrified that we compromised the "lawn" by planting "weeds". I'm sure they would be equally mortified by your dandelions, but I think it's great.

And to be clear, they probably still think we're nuts, they just don't say anything anymore!

D

I plant dandelions and clover in the lawn, the birds love them

Do you feed the entire plant or just parts?
I've seen some mention greens/leaves, and others the seedheads.

To my bearded dragon, she mainly eats the heads.

Birds, I guess I would do both.
As for them being weeds...hubby is ALWAYS digging them out of lawn. We had tons when we moved in and all the neighbors do, on the lawns.

Hence the reason I grow them in a raised bin.
I just remove tops if I end up with more than lizard can eat, so they don't go to seed.

IMHO, I would have a whole lawn of them because I think they are beautiful. Hubby thinks they are weeds when on the lawn.
We do have clover in the lawn, chickens love it.

Dandelions are very nutritious! My birds love them. You can feed the entire plant including the root if you wanted to. I have heard that once the plant flowers, the leaves become bitter but my birds still relish them.

Dumb question, maybe- those of you that intentionally plant them, do you buy seeds or just use the seed puffs from the wild ones?

I buy seeds on eBay for CHEAP!

I pick dandelions out of the lawn and feed the leaves to all of my birds. (I also have a spot free of any pesticides.) Marigold flowers are relished, too - and they help give canaries their beautiful yellow and orange colors. Bob

nelloyello11 wrote: Dumb question, maybe- those of you that intentionally plant them, do you buy seeds or just use the seed puffs from the wild ones?

Use the seed heads from others. When we moved into our house there were no dandelions so I had to go get seed heads from my sisters.

Marigold flowers are relished, too - and they help give canaries their beautiful yellow and orange colors.

Wow, didn't even think of marigolds and I grow them all over in the vegetable garden to keep bugs out. Thanks for the idea!

Can you buy dandelion seeds on EBay?

I didn't know that about marigolds either. Great tip!
I do pick chickweed and dandelions in the summer for the birds though.

Wow! Thanks for the tip. I will defiantly try this.