Can chickens eat bamboo?

[jeremy]

I have 3 large clumps of bamboo (unknown variety) growing in my backyard... don't ask me how, they were here when I bought the place.

Can my chickens eat it? I thought about hacking it down and feeding it to them as a green treat, the only other thing that's really green here right now is all the ivy I've got covering my property... and they won't touch that...

Anyways, experts? Does anybody know what type of bamboo this is, if it's toxic and if it'll be okay for me to feed to my chickens?

(Sorry about the blurred images, the photos were taken with my phone.)

 

[jeremy]

This is not a bump.

 

[sgtmom52]

Bamboo is a type of grass and is eaten by people so I would think that your chickens could eat it if they like it.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Young and tender sprout and leaf tips they might eat, but bamboo gets to be pretty woody fairly fast. I don't think they'd be interested in that unless they were starving.

 

[Imp]

My chickens do not eat my bamboo, just play in it. I use the leaves in the run.

But I sometime cut a branch and bring it inside for the cats. It gives them a case of the kitty crazies. And they will bing and purge on it.

Imp

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Its a grass so yes they can eat it. It is feed for cows all over the world. You may have to run it threw a chipper/shredder an wet it to get them to eat it.

Humans eat the sprouts before the break the ground.

 

[jeremy]

Thanks guys! I wasn't really thinking they could eat the stalks...

But the leafy parts of the plants. It seems like it grows insanely fast, so I figure if I cut it to the ground, throw it to the chickens, then let it replenish itself it could be a great treat for them each time it grows!

 

[PepsNick]

I have some bamboo in my yard similar to yours and my chickens will peck at it a little and then ignore it. They don't really like it... they prefer leaves from bushes and such. And you shouldn't assume they'll like it because you feed it to them... picky chickens.

 

[Country Parson]

It would be a shame to hack it down or feed it to your chickens. Bamboo is such a wonderful and useful plant. I would LOVE to grow it up here in Ohio (but in the North it is very difficult to get established).

I say leave it, learn to appreciate it, and enjoy it! (but I'm jealous, so my opinion is biased).

 

[elmo]

By the time it gets as large as that in the picture, I don't think your chickens are going to care for it much. We have bamboo growing all around our yard and unless the shoot is only a few inches tall, my chickens don't bother with it. The leaves on the taller boles must not be to their liking.

I do cut some bamboo branches to hang in the cage of our indoor parrots. They do enjoy chewing on the leaves but don't really seem to be eating ...just chewing and dropping the leaves.