Ron Payne's Budgerigars - A weed or a valuable herb?
By Ron Payne
One of the first flowers to appear in the garden after a long winter, at least it is in Wiltshire, is the humble dandelion. To many people this is a pest or a weed, but to the birdkeeper it can be a wonderful addition to the diet. Our American cousins often refer to the dandelion as a herb whilst the majority of us would call it a weed. After reading an article from the 'Avian Medicine Chest' I did a little research into the dandelion and was amazed at what I found.
The dandelion is know to have wonderful cleansing properties for the bloodstream and the liver and also helps with the functions of the pancreas. Many fanciers will tell you that by feeding dandelions to your birds, you will only end up with dirty backsides. That is correct, because the dandelion has a diuretic, tonic and laxative effect. When you see a dirty backside this is nature taking its natural course, but if you see if after feeding dandelion it will show that your bird required a 'clean-out' of its internal organs. The dandelion has an abundance of minerals including potassium and sodium. Thus it will replenish your birds potassium and sodium levels whilst it is providing diuretic and laxative activities.
These activities have been shown to help in the overall cleansing of the body after a long winter. Provided that no chemicals have been sprayed onto the plant it is safe to feed everything, roots and all, to your birds.
In the course of my short research, I came across the statement that a lot of dandelions growing in a garden is often an indication that the soil is slightly toxic and the dandelion is there naturally to cleanse the soil and bring minerals from deep in the earth.
If anybody is interested in using natural products check out the website on www.petmedicinechest.com who can often provide a lot of hints on feeding your birds in a more natural way. It is an American site so beware of some of the terms used and prices quoted!