Aussie Finch Forum

Just wondering if this weed is any good. Looks like common groundsel but not too sure. The ASSA book gives it a 5 star rating, but want to hear other's opinions. Cheers

Can't quite make it out but looks a bit like milk thistle to me. If so, good for cup-nesters particularly. Doesn't look at all like groundsel weed.

fraudster wrote: 02 Oct 2017, 18:50 Just wondering if this weed is any good. Looks like common groundsel but not too sure. The ASSA book gives it a 5 star rating, but want to hear other's opinions. Cheers

Hi there mate,

I'd also go along with what Tiaris thinks aswell, I would say that it's milk thistle and not groundsel, if it is milk thistle this is one of the very best wild weeds that you could ever give to yer birds, all my birds go potty on the stuff

thanks for the replies - might give some out for my birds tomorrow. ar they good to feed it just like in the picture, or do i have to wait for flowers to open, etc? cheers

fraudster wrote: 02 Oct 2017, 20:53 thanks for the replies - might give some out for my birds tomorrow. ar they good to feed it just like in the picture, or do i have to wait for flowers to open, etc? cheers

Preferably feed as the buds before the flower fully opens, same as you would feed dandelion before the flower head opens

I Actually feed dandelion and thistle to my birds after the flower has bloomed then closed again but before it reopens,this way the plant has had time to form the seeds in the head,siskens, diamonds go nuts on them,garyh

Try to get it with juvenile leaves aswell not all woody leaves. They seem to like the young leaves better to eat.

garyh wrote: 03 Oct 2017, 06:04 I Actually feed dandelion and thistle to my birds after the flower has bloomed then closed again but before it reopens,this way the plant has had time to form the seeds in the head,siskens, diamonds go nuts on them,garyh

Mmm....interesting, I'll look more into that

I've always fed it just before it starts to open up and flower, basically when it's still in its bud form and yer can just see the tip of the bud starting to open,

Trouble is with feeding dandelion to birds in cages, after a couple of days the dandelion buds have now fully opened and tons of of white fluff smothers the cages and birdroom floor

My birds like their thistle best covered in aphids, which is pretty easy to achieve round here. Dandelion the whole plant when the flowers are open.
LML