Is Common Pond Scum Algae edible for Birds, Mammals, People ?

[St. Phatty]

I was outside playing Musical Hoses, setting up the water sprinkler on the front lawn, and there was a frog in the plastic container that the hose leaks into.

Hoses have leaks, I try to conserve the water that they leak, so I use a big black tub that is military surplus I got from a neighbor.

Anyway, greenish-brown scum grows, and now there's a frog.

I'm pretty sure that this is common pond scum algae, not the cyano bacteria you hear about.

Anyway, I don't want to eat it, I want to use it as animal feed. Bird and cat. Mix it in with their food.

Of course, I might even try frying up a patty of it.

I understand there is a concern about some types of algae. But this algae is common algae. I am pretty sure that it is not toxic.

Small amounts at first, like 5% of the total weight, working my way up to 10% or 15% of the total weight.

I am mixing it with things that you can mix Mushy Algae with, like White Rice. I cook about 50 cents worth of white rice every day, maybe 1 pint measure. That is a lot of rice !

pond scum algae oregon - Google Search

Organic Pond Scum Baby !

Maybe it could even be used as Cannabis food.


Have any of you already tried eating pond scum ?

it's just Algae, one of the most common plants on Earth.

 

[iTarzan]

Don't do it.

 

[flylowgethigh]

The frog piss is the nitrogen growing the scum.

 

[Gypsy Nirvana]

Once had a GF who would take SPIRULINA daily - her green lips were not so attractive -

spirulina - Google Search

 

[Capt.Ahab]

Give it a try and let us all know how it goes.
That said, I know that some fresh water algae are toxic.
We have a couple ponds here where I live that are now surrounded by summer people homes and during the warmer summer months the ponds turn into a toxic algae soup due to the excess nitrogen oozing out of their septic systems. Warnings include advice to not let your pets even swim in it, never mind ingest it.

 

[St. Phatty]

After watching what birds eat - I have a pet bird who once found a piece of rotten egg, and ran around with 1/2 an egg-shell, stinking to high heaven ... at least to my human nose ... before eating it as if it was the finest chocolate.

So I will go ahead and feed it to the birds, starting in small amounts.

Won't feed it to the cat.

Will start out with like a 1/4 teaspoon myself.

Thanks for the replies !

 

[iTarzan]

I have a survival guide that states "Never eat what the birds eat thinking it is sad. Birds get away with murder". They eat all kinds of stuff that would kill or harm humans and many other animals.

Why do you even want to do this?

 

[St. Phatty]

I have a survival guide that states "Never eat what the birds eat thinking it is sad. Birds get away with murder". They eat all kinds of stuff that would kill or harm humans and many other animals.

Why do you even want to do this?

Reason #1: Because it's So Cheap, and I have a Lot of it - and it's very Nutritious.

other reasons ...
Preparing for the future.

Algae grows naturally.

Why would people fear it ?

In a hundred years, algae burgers will be a common food. Maybe sooner.

I guess I will eat a tiny amount of algae for the same reason I live on 1 gallon of water a day (even though the well puts out 20 gallons per minute).

I know what sort of constraints people will live with in the future, and participating in that technology development is really interesting to me.

I probably need a microscope, so I can understand the difference between the unhealthy-to-eat algae and the normal algae.

 

[iTarzan]

I respect that answer. You seem interesting but I am not interested in this type of survival strategy.

 

[40degsouth]

Hey everyone I hope you’re all well.
I’ve fucken found my people
This is the best thread on here at the moment; great work St Phatty Shake’em up.
Krill eat algal blooms. It’s a bit like a poem my father used to recite.....” mites have mites, that tickles’n bite ‘em and so on and so on to infanitem” ....fucken itchey mites.....bastards
But as long as it comes out of a clean water source....what are we running from???
I’ve watched the Californian canibis industy devolved into big pharma and horrible things.....maybe this is the future for small growers with access to water.....fresh water nori sheets??

 

[40degsouth]

There’s only a few plants that form long chain fatty acids and cannibis is one of them

 

[40degsouth]

Maybe we can feed it to our live stock

 

[40degsouth]

Maybe I’m a just a bit too cooked.....remain calm and go back to your regular sheduled breakfast

 

[flylowgethigh]

Reason #1: Because it's So Cheap, and I have a Lot of it - and it's very Nutritious.

other reasons ...
Preparing for the future.

Algae grows naturally.

Why would people fear it ?

In a hundred years, algae burgers will be a common food. Maybe sooner.

I guess I will eat a tiny amount of algae for the same reason I live on 1 gallon of water a day (even though the well puts out 20 gallons per minute).

I know what sort of constraints people will live with in the future, and participating in that technology development is really interesting to me.

I probably need a microscope, so I can understand the difference between the unhealthy-to-eat algae and the normal algae.

I think the algae is good fish food. The fish are good people food, although a couple cranes that frequent my pond think fish are good food also.

 

[Three Berries]

The turtles and ducks eat it.

 

[St. Phatty]

I respect that answer. You seem interesting but I am not interested in this type of survival strategy.

Depends on the definition of "Survival".

There is a lot of value in turning a $2000 annual feed bill into a $400 annual feed bill.

 

[brickweeder]

lots of shorebirds like to pick at algae, I believe not to actually eat the algae but the bugs that live in the algae. If you happily make a patty and scarf it, klaus schwab will probably be your greatest fan.

 

[Three Berries]

BTW it's called Duckweed.

Algae & Duckweed: The Costs and Benefits | Brandywine Conservancy and Museum of Art

Some of the most common aquatic vegetation found in Pennsylvania ponds is duckweed and filamentous algae. Despite a similar appearance from afar, they are two very different plants that, although typically beneficial for ponds, can have a negative effect if found in excessive quantities.

www.brandywine.org

 

[St. Phatty]

lots of shorebirds like to pick at algae, I believe not to actually eat the algae but the bugs that live in the algae. If you happily make a patty and scarf it, klaus schwab will probably be your greatest fan.

I'd settle for a date with Greta Thunberg.

Even is she is 1/3 my age.

The trick is having the right tools. I use a sieve, but the water swirls all around and I only get a partial handful of algae, and give up.

Also there's a frog that lives in the bin that has Algae. Don't want to mix it into the bird food.

Schwab sounds like the kind of person whose idea of "going green" is eating Escargot.

 

[brickweeder]

I'd settle for a date with Greta Thunberg.

Even is she is 1/3 my age.

You'd date Greta who is 1/3 your age? How dare you!

You could always use those mesh bags for jelly or canning, or your bubble hash bags to separate the algae and water...they have a larger capacity to prevent spillage