Dried Apple Tree Leaves for Rodents & Rabbits!

Dried Apple Tree Leaves for Rodents & Rabbits!

The Dried Apple Leaves are leaves with a very high crude fiber content. A truly natural product that is dried in the fresh air in a traditional way. The small petioles increase the pleasure of nibbling and promote wear of the teeth.

✔ Good tooth wear thanks to the twigs
✔ Rich in fiber

Storage of herbs

It is important to store herbs in a dark, dry and well-ventilated place. Moisture is bad for the quality of herbs. If moisture gets to herbs, they can start to mold. That is why our herbs are never packaged in plastic and only in paper.

! Herbs should not be stored in plastic.

Good to know

DRD Knaagdierwinkel ^® is the right place for fresh and traditionally dried herbs of the highest quality! In our spice shop you will find different types of dried herbs, leaves and flowers.

Herbs are a nice addition to your rodent or rabbit's daily menu. How much herbs you give depends strongly on the type of animal. For example, Guinea pigs, rabbits, chinchillas and degus will love to eat a lot of herbs.

The herbal mixtures of the Knaagdier Kruidenier ^® contain only the 1st class quality Leaves, stems and flowers. Carefully packed in a special paper (food) packaging. Directly from the grocer, so no between suppliers. The latter guarantees optimal freshness of the herbs. With us, the herbs are kept in a special dark room.

We have deliberately chosen paper to not only support the freshness of the herbs, but also that of the environment. In addition, the paper bag provides better protection against light and allows the herbs to breathe. A suffocating plastic bag does not benefit the quality of the herbs.

Picking place of the herbs
The picking place of the herbs is very important. Herbs should not be picked in a contaminated area. So not next to the road, or around industrial areas. Our herbs are all picked in nature reserves.

Only the most beautiful plant will be included
Only the most beautiful plant may be picked. Plants with spots, bugs or insects are not picked. A plant must be healthy and clean to be eligible for the rodents.

Harvesting herbs

Weather conditions play a major role during herb picking. The weather must be dry and preferably sunny and windless. Those are the best conditions for picking herbs. It depends on the plant at what time of day they can be picked. Our grocer is aware of this and knows exactly which time to choose for which plant. In the summer, the plants should be picked in the morning (because of the heat), before they wither in the sun and the volatile substances evaporate. So early in the morning but after the dew evaporates.

Picking herbs after a rainy day is also not allowed. The herbs are then very difficult to dry and can mold and rot faster.

In order to retain as many active substances as possible, it is important to keep an eye on the harvest times. Our grocer does this very closely.

Branches : Our branches are usually sawn off in winter, when there are no leaves left on them and the nutrients are well preserved within the branch.

Bark : Best harvested in early spring. Just before the flowering period, the juice flows abundantly through the twigs and branches.

Leaves : These are best picked after the buds appear early in the flowering period. This is the time when leaves contain a lot of juices. Too early makes the leaves too wet and picking them too late makes them poor in active substances.

Flowers : These are best picked early in the flowering period. Just before opening, but before they open fully. The timing has to be perfect! Our roses are therefore harvested as buds.

Fruits : Our fruits are harvested just before maturity. This is the perfect time.

Harvest in a respectful manner

We think it is important that our herbs are harvested in a way that respects nature. This means that nature is not trampled, the animals that live within this nature are not inconvenienced and the harvesting places are not thinned out. Harvest sites must be allowed to settle down. We also take into account protected plant species, which may not be affected.
By sowing and harvesting we support the butterfly and bee population.

Drying herbs

A dried herb can be used all year round. Once all moisture has evaporated, there is no longer a chance of mold and rot. This is also the reason why we advise not to pack the herbs in plastic. At high humidity, moisture can get into the plastic and cause mold and rot. Bacteria have free rein when the environment is moist. A properly dried herb normally contains no more than 10% moisture.

Before our herbs are dried, they are cleaned. That is, made free of soil, soil, moss and excess plant parts. This happens immediately after harvesting the plant. Then the drying process can begin.

The flowers should be dried in the dark, while roots dry better in the open air. Each part of the plant has its own preference for a drying process. We take this into account so that we can guarantee the best quality.