branches with lichens

[akane]

I got a whole bunch of apple branches someone trimmed off their trees but many of the branches were older with some not growing leaves any more. These are covered in green crust type lichens. I found one site saying they may have found toxins in far more lichens than believed and another site saying lichens are completely edible except one that is yellow and brown and looks nothing like what's on my branches. Yet other sites say some may be harmful but many animals survive on other lichens over the winters. I soaked the branches and started scrubbing them off but I'm not going to be able to do them all, especially the bigger ones. Are they at least safe after scrubbed and toss the rest or would they all be safe anyway? I'm doubting baking would do anything since it does not remove the organisms. Any toxic component would probably still be sitting there. I did use several older hickory branches with lichens when we had birds and an issue never came up.

 

[WildWolf]

I have no idea weather lichens, or certain types of lichens, are safe for rabbits, but I have fed twigs and branches that have a little on them. No ill effects... Hopefully someone with a more definite answer will reply! I want to know too.

 

[Miss M]

I fed some twigs with a little lichen before it dawned on me that the lichen might not be safe. I never had any issues, but I have no idea if it's safe.

 

[PSFAngoras]

Unfortunately I don't believe you will get a definately answer unless you can identify the specific lichen in question and research it in particular. I do know there are some safe varieties (for people) out there, but there are most likely a few toxic ones too.

 

[akane]

The problem is a given fungi can join with a variety of algi to make up the lichen but the color and growth may not change between them. I think short of a microscope and an amazing amount of research determining the exact species is probably impossible. I can narrow down the order of the fungi and the most likely family of algi but that's it. Info does seem to say scrubbing off the lichen should make a safe branch but I tested my beaver chinchilla who goes nuts for wood and he said the old soaked and scrubbed branches just aren't as appealing.

The guy is going to get us a ton of mulberry branches which rarely grow things like lichens because they rarely have dead or even really old branches still attached. Mulberries are designed to come apart because each still living branch that hits the ground can grow in to a new tree. They had to create special ornamental versions that don't start coming apart after a certain age for people to plant in their yards.

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

So true, Akane!~ I once saw growing put of a rotten log, a 'blue green mushroom" and thought, hmm, a colored mushroom...." then LICHEN!!! I had never seen a lichen 'shaped' like a mushroom, and few people realize Lichens are symbiotic relationships that actually parasitize some living plants. Another thing, the same combination will grow differently on a different species of wood bark