Can Russian tortoises eat burdock?
Burdock
- Thread starter Cheryl Hills
- Start date
As part of a more varied diet. Dock has some toxic qualities and I've always dug it out and tossed it before it goes to seed.
I did check the tortoise tableand it says burdock needs to be studied more and has some diuretic properties but nothing else.
From "eattheinvaders.org":
Curly dock is good forage for humans, though such is not the case for livestock. Many is he in farm country who has spent days clearing pastures of the stuff, for, as USU Extension explains, the leaves of curly dock “are poisonous to cattle and sheep; the “seeds and vegetation of curly dock are toxic to poultry and can cause dermatitis and gastric problems in cattle;” and curly dock is “an alternate host to many crop diseases.” It is also indicted for toxicity to horses.
Curly dock is good forage for humans, though such is not the case for livestock. Many is he in farm country who has spent days clearing pastures of the stuff, for, as USU Extension explains, the leaves of curly dock “are poisonous to cattle and sheep; the “seeds and vegetation of curly dock are toxic to poultry and can cause dermatitis and gastric problems in cattle;” and curly dock is “an alternate host to many crop diseases.” It is also indicted for toxicity to horses.
That's what i found too.
Thanks Yvonne, I think I don't want to take any chances. I have plenty other weeds to choose from. I was just checking to see if anyone had any experience with it. But, it is not worth risking there lives for one weed.
I'm in the habit of digging it out because I used to have horses and cows. The cow would eat the seed heads then poop them out all over the property, growing up hundreds more of the weed. I learned real fast to dig them up before they went to seed. And if you should happen to cut the root/tuber with the shovel and leave a bit of it in the ground, it grows!
