Turned the pigs out on a new section of pasture the other day. A disturbed portion of the pasture was overtaken by lambs quarters, a type of annual, summer weed. The pasture make look messy but the pigs really love it. Lambs quarters (Chenopodium album) is in the amaranth family and is edible and choice, tasting mildly of spinach. It is sometimes even referred to as ‘wild spinach’ The tasty forb is high in vitamins A and C and also contains calcium, iron and protein.
Just like with people, a diverse diet provides a range of nutrients for optimum wellness and I’m happy for our pigs to supplement their diet with a pasture full of nutrient-dense weeds.