Find this plant = hours of foraging fun?

[Dbeguy]

Because of trolling the net for foraging ideas, I've been looking at the world a little differently lately. I've begun to see the potential of Japanese Knotweed Stems (a lot of people think that its bamboo). This hideous invasive pest is all over the US (And apparently Britain too). It probably will be just as valuable as pinecones, and like pinecones FREE! posted below are a few pics:




If you can get them from an uncontaminated source the hollow spaces are just begging to be filled with food. I know that it isn't toxic. in fact its edible and nutritious to humans (like asparagus).
It is important to note however that:
I cannot guarantee that its non-toxic to birds (is there any place to find that out?)I would also caution not to use it UNLESS you are absolutely sure what it is (just like with mushroom hunters).

[GreenWing]

Because of trolling the net for foraging ideas

First sentence and I imagined this


Lol. But Imma bite and say that your concerns are correct; unless you find an Avian vet whose background/hobby is also botany and can confirm if the plant is edible for parrots, I have a haunch the vet would suggest another plant source you can hollow out and that's edible for foraging (like squash).

(But I do understand where you're coming from, my partner studied botany and whenever he sees ivy covered all over native trees, he cringes. ^^ Ivy might be pretty it but so useless and kills trees)

[Dbeguy]

Lol. But Imma bite and say that your concerns are correct; unless you find an Avian vet whose background/hobby is also botany and can confirm if the plant is edible for parrots, I have a haunch the vet would suggest another plant source

.

I've been researching this question and the only substance of concern in Japanese knotweed seems to be oxalic acid. This is found in many foods at various low levels including many that we feed to birds. The worst that can be said of it (at the levels found in vegetables) seems to be that it is an antinutrient See this link: http://www.eatthatweed.com/oxalic-acid/.
This helpful site recommends limiting foods rich in the stuff to our birds and especially laying henshttp://caiquesite.com/Foods/dangerous_human_foods.htm
I've always imagined that only the dry, dead, fibrous stems at the end of the season (usually stripped by the plant of everything but the cellulose) would be used for foraging. Even then, it would be rotated with other more familiar materials. I guess all of this hinges for me on scientific studies of levels of oxalic acid in knotweed.

This begs a bigger question doesn't it? Who found that the levels of turpentine and the pitch from pinecones are safe for birds? Can anyone point to actual studies? I don't recommend that anyone tries this plant right now willy-nilly. Nevertheless there are possibilities here that warrant further investigation.