Forages: Are strawberry tops & leaves okay to feed?

[blessedbeingmom]

Are strawberry tops & leaves okay to feed? My DH gave one of our guinea pigs a strawberry, and he only ate the top. LOL! It was from our garden, so no pesticides to worry about.

[trump_cinnamon]

Yep, they're fine.

[eschimpf]

Originally Posted by trump_cinnamon

Yep, they're fine.

Yup but as with all fruit feed once in a while as strawberries can be high in sugars.

[Peggysu]

Yeah my piggies love the tops. When I cut up strawberries for myself I give them the some of the tops. They prefer that then a whole strawberry. But like the previous poster said they shouldn't be fed to often.

[blessedbeingmom]

Originally Posted by eschimpf

Yup but as with all fruit feed once in a while as strawberries can be high in sugars.

I was meaning just feeding the leaves or tops, not the strawberries themselves. Thanks though!

[eschimpf]

No problem, I added that in there as some newbies might not know and its always safer then sorry to add that in. But meh I'm getting used to this forum

[gooberific]

Actually, I've asked this question before, and the way I understood the answer, even the tops are supposed to be fed according to how often you would usually feed the berry.

*edited to add*
When I asked about strawberries at the rescue when I first picked up two of my boys over a year ago, she said she usually gives them just the berries because she wouldn't give them anything she wouldn't eat (the tops). I read that they could eat the whole strawberry, so I started feeding the whole strawberry and noticing they only really ate the tops and a few nibbles of the berry anyway, which is what led me to asking the very same question.

[blessedbeingmom]

Originally Posted by gooberific

When I asked about strawberries at the rescue when I first picked up two of my boys over a year ago, she said she usually gives them just the berries because she wouldn't give them anything she wouldn't eat (the tops). I read that they could eat the whole strawberry, so I started feeding the whole strawberry and noticing they only really ate the tops and a few nibbles of the berry anyway, which is what led me to asking the very same question.

Thanks for your help, although I am not sure I understand the logic behind this line of reasoning, as my piggies do eat things that I wouldn't eat (grass, hay, cornhusks, droppings). I do understand it as far as not feeding them something like old lettuce or a slimy bell pepper, that wouldn't be fit for anyone to eat.

[blessedbeingmom]

I just did a search and found some related posts, but this question really is a little different as my DH was wanting to know if the actual strawberry leaves (from our plants) would be acceptable to feed as a forage (not just the tops).

[Ly&Pigs]

Originally Posted by blessedbeingmom

I just did a search and found some related posts, but this question really is a little different as my DH was wanting to know if the actual strawberry leaves (from our plants) would be acceptable to feed as a forage (not just the tops).

Yes the leaves of the strawberry plant would count as forage and not actual fruit. The leaves on the tops of the strawberries would also be counted in my book as a forage and could be fed more often than the actual fruit itself.