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Bamboo

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Lady Kelly

Lady Kelly

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Well you learn something new everyday!

So this weekend my OH decides to tell me that the guinea pigs love eating bamboo, I immediately panicked... how could he feed my babies something without checking that it's ok! So google it is... and I find a facebook post by Australian Cavy Sanctuary Brisbane Shelter confirming that it is actually fine for them to eat! Phew!

Did you know that guinea pigs can eat Bamboo leaves/shoots?

Bamboo nutritional level is low which is one reason why Panda's eat so much of it! But it is high in fiber. It has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. The grass is about 50%+ water and is low in calories. Bamboo shoots are rich in vitamin C and certain other vitamins.

My piggies love Bamboo leaves as a treat! If you have any Bamboo in your yard it is surely safe to give your piggies a taste test:).

We have quite a bit of bamboo in the garden and once it gets growing it spreads a bit like a weed but slower so I'm now looking forward to years of free food for the pigs to enjoy :)) Oh and I might forgive the OH and be nice to him about it lol
 
Thanks for that info. I will give it a try (in moderation at first). Pretty sure the tough leaves would be good for their teeth and digestion. One of the things I like about guineas is their varied veg diet. They pretty much like everything I grow in my garden apart from courgettes!
 
I dug out all of ours. I had no idea it had any use whatsoever.
 
Does the variety matter at all? We have pots of black bamboo and then a more common variety in pots.
We dug the main plant out last summer - it was as high as the roof! If only i'd known....
 
I'm not sure whether variety matters, our black bamboo seems to grow the best and thats what my OH has been feeding them behind my back for the past year lol! No wonder they always squeak at him :))
 
Ours have munched black bamboo, green bamboo & golden. Don't think it matters what sort it is x
 
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