# Dandelions



## Rhasputin

What is a good way to clean these of parasites and other harmful things, without completely ruining the plant?

I assume I need to do it, if I'm picking them out of the yard, or a field.


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## Wight Isle Stud

unless your making coffe out of the roots just wash the leaves off. A visual inspecton is all you need.


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## Rhasputin

Really? There won't be anything else harmful to my mice, on the plant?
Maybe to be on the safe side, I could blanch them very quickly? Dip them for just a moment in boiling water, then move them into ice water to stop the cooking process and keep 'em fresh?

I always worry about everything I take out of nature for these guys. :lol:

Can the mice eat the roots too? I know we can.


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## Roland

Rhasputin said:


> What is a good way to clean these of parasites and other harmful things, without completely ruining the plant?
> 
> I assume I need to do it, if I'm picking them out of the yard, or a field.


I feed a lot of Dandelion leaves too and never had problems, although I try to pick the clean leaves only. Fresh Dandelion leaves seem to be very very helpfull for pregnant females a few days before they give birth. They have more milk and the babies have a better start. Dandelion leaves are rich in folic acid and calcium too. I stopp feeding this stuff, when the puppies get about one week old, because I noticed that they could get diarrhoe from feeding Dandelion leaves to the motheers later than day 7.

Chilloutarea Mousery - Tricolor , Splashed , Merle , Recessive Red
The place where science meets fun!


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## Wight Isle Stud

Golden rules are when picking from nature, never from near a Road, will be coated in exhaust fumes, and never from near a corner, as thats where dogs urinate. It is an interesting subject, but no substitute for a proper diet in mice of course, always handy though to expand the knowledge for when out foraging for treats for the mice. One I used to enjoy was picking really fine grass for them, drying it and giving it to them. They loved making the nest from this.


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## Rhasputin

Sounds good. 

I know of a place where lots of them grow, and I may be going by later.
Thanks for the info!


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## Megzilla

Something I may do next year is sow my own seeds, in a tray and then i'll have my own supply of clean leaves  Maby make it into a business :lol: (because there isn't enough danelions in the world!)


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## moustress

There is always oatgrass and wheatgrass where I dump sweepings near the compost area' the meeces like a bit of those now and then.


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## Wight Isle Stud

just for those who dont know looking at this thread,one of the quickest ways of giving a mouse scours is to give it greens that it is not accustomed to. Feed tiny amounts as a treat, they are not herbivors !............................................ Please note my keyboard is almost dead it misses out letters etc and I have to orrect ery word! my spelling is not tat bad!-getting a new one today.


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## SarahC

Megzilla said:


> Something I may do next year is sow my own seeds, in a tray and then i'll have my own supply of clean leaves  Maby make it into a business :lol: (because there isn't enough danelions in the world!)


not as ridiculous an idea as you think.You can already buy weed seed mixes aimed at tortoise keepers.I used to bring all the cress pots home when I was a catering assistant.Just the stalks left,the mice like them although I think they enjoyed digging the mud (its sterile soil) out mostly.


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## Bella

On the subject of dandelions... do you feed just the leaves, or the flower as well? And would it be okay to freeze them, so that we still have access to them in the winter months?


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## Rhasputin

I fear that freezing them would turn them to mush when thawed. Veggies don't fair well in the freezer, and flowers even less so.

But yes, they eat the flowers, the leaves, and I think they can eat the roots too.


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