Zaid b. Khalid al-Juhani reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was asked about picking up of stray things, whereupon he said:Make announcement of that for one year, but if it is not recognised (by the owner), then recognise its big and strap, then eat it; and if its owner comes, then give that to him. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Al-Dahhak b. Uthman with the same chain of transmitters but with a slight variation of words.
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ، أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ سَرْحٍ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، حَدَّثَنِي الضَّحَّاكُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، عَنْ أَبِي النَّضْرِ، عَنْ بُسْرِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ الْجُهَنِيِّ، قَالَ سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنِ اللُّقَطَةِ فَقَالَ " عَرِّفْهَا سَنَةً فَإِنْ لَمْ تُعْتَرَفْ فَاعْرِفْ عِفَاصَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا ثُمَّ كُلْهَا فَإِنْ جَاءَ صَاحِبُهَا فَأَدِّهَا إِلَيْهِ " . وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ الْحَنَفِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الضَّحَّاكُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ " فَإِنِ اعْتُرِفَتْ فَأَدِّهَا وَإِلاَّ فَاعْرِفْ عِفَاصَهَا وَوِكَاءَهَا وَعَدَدَهَا " .
Muslim
The Book of Lost Property • Hadith 7