[Gpdd] re: [Care] Carrots & Parsley

[Lauren Cordeiro]

Hi Erin,
Carrots are higher in sugar than other veggies so yes, should be given in moderation. The same is for parsley, because it is higher in calcium than other veggies... Parsley is hands down my pigs' fave veg, but I always give them a variety of veggies, so they never get only parsley or only carrots or only anything else. I think your list sounds good, although I think it needs more variety! Variety prevents too much dependency on particular foods, because it seems like most foods have some kind of negative aspect when fed in excess. Also, my pigs also like lettuce, but once someone told me it was high in laudanum, used (in much more concentrated quantities, obviously) as an opiate and painkiller in Victorian times, and can be harmful to pigs in large quantities (how large, I couldn't say). However, I do keep it around (the lettuce, not the drug) as a treat once in a while (not the iceberg variety - no nutritional value). Try feeding some new things in with their regular veggies. There
 are a bunch of different things you can add into a mix, including (someone correct me if any of these are not ok) endive, kale, mustard greens, collard greens, dandelion leaves, bok choy, broccoli/cauliflower LEAF (NOT the heads that we eat- can cause gas), clover... and I'm sure there are more I didn't name. Some things to avoid are spinach, swiss chard, and potato skins and anything else that contains oxalic acid, which can contribute in some pigs to the formation of a certain type of stones. I would double check anything you buy and anything on the list I just gave you, to make sure that none of them are too high in calcium, as well. If so, feed in smaller quantities or as a treat only. Also, avoid avocado (poisonous) and starchy vegetables, and apparently potatoes can be toxic if they have started to bud (and are starchy as well, although I'm not an Atkins freak!). One of these days I'm going to make a big list of all vegetables with their nutritional values and risks to pigs. I
 just gotta get around to it....
 
Lauren, Piglet and Pooh Bear

		
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