* Bamboo leaves for bedding *

[ll]

We have a forest of bamboo growing on our property (seriously invasive, but that's another story).
There is a wonderful carpet of fallen bamboo leaves that I've raked up & put in the run to try ... any advice against using dry bamboo leaves long-term? If there are no downfalls I will keep collecting bags for winter use.

I know that oak leaves compost well due to their "curling" and multi-pointed leaf ends, as opposed to maple leaves which are wider and compact/lay flat.

Can any leaf experts tell me the best leaves to use or that it does not matter, all dry leaves = good.

 

[wava1vaughn]

Hi from Ga.

Nice job on your coop.

 

[ll]

Thank you Mr. Vaughn

Nice photo!
Hey I saw you on another thread and the bird in this photo caught my eye because I have a Cuckoo Orpington too:

I invite you to my gender determining thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=533311
which includes updated photos on page 4.

Thanks again!

 

[Farmer_Dan]

I'm no expert!

We use maple in one coop, pine cones in another. The pine needles seem to be a bit much so we generally don't use those. Wish we had a nice big oak to use, but glad I'm not yet overrun with the neighbors bamboo forest.

 

[DancingHen]

I don't know about using bamboo as bedding, but have you given green leaves to your chickens? I know bamboo is rated as a high protein fodder for animals to eat....was wondering if the chickens like it?

 

[ll]

Pine cones? Interesting - we have access to alot of pinecones in our yard.

I haven't given them green leaves, that is interesting too!

 

[Denninmi]

I can't think of any down side, except perhaps that they'll rot fairly quickly because they are thin and high carbon. Basically, very similar in profile to straw, since both are grasses. If you have it, use it. I have a lot of bamboo, too, but the groves seem too thick to rake up the dropped foliage. Makes ..a nice, relatively self-mulching bed that keeps most weeds out.

Gee, I never tried feeding it to them -- I should give it a whirl, I've got some growing where its annoying anyway.

 

[Farmer_Dan]

Quote:
I had run out of pine shavings and had a big pile of cones next to the teenager coop. I thought what the heck and threw a nice lay of them down in there. 21 weeks later, I scraped them out and put a new layer in there and mixed the cones back into the pile. All the poop seems to vanish! I like it for teens who poop and stink SOOOOO much. It's just on the plywood floor of the actual coop, they free range all day and so it's really just absorbing whatever they drop during the night.

Also, with the maple leaves, we don't give them green, we rake them up off the ground after they've fallen and put huge piles in for them to play with all winter long.

 

[ll]

Thank you both.

I use a child size rake to get between the bamboo, or just gloved hands.

Definitely will try pinecones in my run too

 

[Imp]

I have bamboo in the yard. I don't see any trouble using it in the run. I doubt chickens would eat it. The dry out fairly rapidly. I occasionally bring a branch, into the house for the cats. Within a few hours it's dry and withered. Here in the rainy PNW it does get spotty- moldy/fungal fairly quickly, but doesn't break down fast.

Imp