Can Goats Eat Bamboo? Are There Any Benefits and Risks?

Not just goats, but a lot of animals really like eating Bamboo. It is not only very nutritious and a great source of vitamins for a goat, but a very palatable feed as well. So short answer is yes, goats can eat Bamboo and it presents no dangers to their health.

However, goats will love it even more if you try to season it with either beer, wine, or salt, or mix it with some types of grain feeds like a type of hay.

You can also use Bamboo as a type of fodder in areas with intense drought if you can’t find other sources of food for your livestock. Or, if you do live in a place that enables you to create a complex diet for your goat, then you can give it Bamboo from time to time as a snack.

Is Bamboo Good for Goats?

Bamboo is great for goats. It is a very sustainable source of food and it has a great number of nutrients.

The International Bamboo and Rattan Organization has carried out some studies that have shown that Bamboo is very productive in an animal’s diet. The research has also shown that Bamboo can even become a source of animal fodder that can be used all around the year, regardless of the season.

It has also been concluded by Cambridge University through its research that Bamboo is a great source of food for all kinds of herbivores, especially due to its ability to stay green regardless of the season and weather changes. This plant can also save goats from gastrointestinal parasites if added to their diet.

Can Goats Eat Bamboo Plants? What about their leaves?

Bamboo plants, as said before, are not only very tasty for goats, but they are also packed with nutrients and perfectly edible.

You might also like my articles on whether goats can eat Brussels sprouts, strawberries, or peaches.

Goats can also eat bamboo leaves without any issues. The only thing you should worry about when picking the Bamboo leaves for your goats is that they come from plants that have no chemicals in them. The most common bamboo plants you will find in the US are the Red Bamboos and the Moso Bamboos.

You can even replace your usual maize silage with bamboo leaves in your cattle’s diet without issues, according to a study made by Madagascar.

This was a story that was thought to offer a solution for the feed shortage season and was conducted by the International Bamboo and Rattan Organization.

This study ended up having only positive results which encouraged goat owners to use bamboo leaves in their animals’ diets with no worries about side effects.

Is Bamboo Toxic for Goats?

No, Bamboo in general is in no way toxic to goats. This plant has been used for ages as an alternative feed not only for goats but other livestock as well, especially in places where it is found in abundance.

However, if we were to get into even more detail, there are some species of bamboo that can pose a potential threat to some animals.

There are a few species, specifically Arundinaria Gigantea, Semiarundinaria Fastuosa, or Phyllostachys spp that can be included in a goat’s diet with no issues. They are edible for most livestock and offer all the necessary nutrients for their growth.

On the other hand, the species known as either Nandina or Heavenly Bamboo is known to be very toxic for ruminants. An animal might die in just a few hours if it eats this plant. If you want to save the animal’s life you will have to get help from a veterinary as soon as possible. But even if you save it, the animal will have life-long negative effects from eating the plant.

You can read more about the effects of this species of Bamboo in a study done by Colorado State University. The study is called “Guide to Poisonous Plants.”

How much would a goat eat?

Although goats will munch on whatever food you give them, it is best not to overfeed them. You shouldn’t give them more than 10% of their body weight in food. This would mean that you should give them approximately 9 pounds of feed per every 100 pounds of goat. You should also try to give them slightly less food if the diet is comprised only of bamboo leaves, as they have more calcium than the average grass. Bamboo can become a goat’s entire diet all year round.

You should also set the amount of feed depending on the goat’s gender, weight, and age.

How long can goats eat bamboo leaves?

Even though it is always best to feed your animals with only fresh bamboo leaves, you can keep them over the winter as a part of their diet.

Can Nigerian dwarf goats eat bamboo?

Yes, Nigerian dwarf goats will have no issues consuming bamboo leaves but try to remember the same rule as with normal goats: give them no more than 10% of the total body weight of the goat as food per day.

Nigerian dwarf goats can eat a considerable amount of bamboo leaves each and every day but a great trick to keep their digestive system working properly is to start the day by feeding them with grass.

As soon as they finish eating a batch of grass, they can go ahead and continue eating any other type of food that they like.

Bamboo leaves, if they are the only feed in your goat’s diet, can make it get bloated and in some extreme cases, it can even lead to its death. This is why, if you notice that your goat is bloated a lot, then you should add some other types of feed to its diet along with the bamboo leaves. You don’t have to eliminate the leaves completely.

Summary

There really isn’t any reason why you should avoid feeding your goat with Bamboo and it can become an important source of the goat’s fodder. These plants are considered a sustainable food source with a lot of nutrients, that can become a year-round part of the animal’s diet.

Most types of Bamboo are completely safe for goats and other livestock, but you should avoid feeding them with Chinese Bamboo or Heavenly Bamboo, as these two species are very toxic for the animals.