Charcoal

[isobea]

Hi everyone,
I have a question regarding charcoal for my birds. Is 'granulated charcoal for birds' different from the charcoal that is used in aquarium filters? Could I use it interchangeably?
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea


The charcoal I use for my birds is almost a powder, but not quite.
If it's granulated, then it's in bigger pieces, probably meant for bigger birds.
As for the fish stuff, I'm not at all sure that it's the same stuff, and personally I wouldn't take a chance with it.

I'd show it to you, but I just dumbed the bag into my grit bucket darn it.

I always add it to my grit, along with other stuff, and all the birds seem to enjoy it. I think it helps to settle their tummies.

[wildbird]

Lovezebs: What else do you add to your grit, and what kind of grit do you use? Thanks in advance.

[lovezebs]

wildbird

Well, it's a combination of bird grit, oyster shell grit, grated cuttlebone, grated iodine block, grated mineral block, bird charcoal, crushed eggshells, bird clay, and fortified oystershell grit. Then I mix it all together in a big bucket.

I think that's all if I remember right.

The birdies get about a Tbs of it , scattered over the floors of flights and cages.

[lovezebs]

...

[isobea]

lovezebs - Elana, that's quite an impressive combination. You know, sometimes I wish I was a bird an lived at your house...
Iso

[lovezebs]

isobea

Hi Iso,

Hah ha hahh...

Honestly, it's not a big deal to throw it all together, and it really is all useful stuff to them.

I figure, that this way it's all there, and they can pick and choose whatever their bodies tell them they need.

[isobea]

lovezebs - Did you have to order most everything online? Our pet stores sell nothing but cuttlebone and grit. A long time ago we used to have a bird store that sold seed in bulk and you could put together your own mix. Didn't appreciate it enough at the time.

[lovezebs]

isobea

Good morning Iso,

Actually all of this stuff was bought locally, with many of the items just picked up at Walmart in the Pet dept.

[Sojourner]

wildbird

I just offer them ABBA mineral mix which I get from GlamGouldians. I've seen other mineral mixes but the oyster shell pieces in at least one other brand looked too big to me. I can't remember what brand that was so I stick to the ABBA mineral mix because I am sure that is OK size-wise and it has a good mixture of trace minerals in addition to the calcium from the oyster shell.

I do not put charcoal in the mineral mix. Charcoal will filter out not only bad stuff but also good stuff - such as the vitamins and minerals you are trying to give them. I keep it on hand "in case of emergency". I cannot imagine what could cause such an emergency, but I have it anyway since I bought it thinking it was a necessary supplement. It is not. Quite the contrary - it should not be offered without good reason, such as your bird having accidentally been poisoned somehow.

Do not use anything labeled "gravel" or "sand". They don't need actual grit, they need soluble minerals such as egg shell or oyster shell. Actual grit is insoluble rock. Birds that rely on gizzards to grind up their food - such as chickens - need that, but not our caged birds such as finches, parakeets, cockatiels, canaries, etc.

I use Oasis Vita Drops in their water for vitamin supplementation. It has D3 in it which they cannot produce on their own without access to 4 to 6 hours of full sunlight per day (not through a window as window glass filters out a lot of the spectrum needed). Special lighting is chancy as various parts of the spectrum burn out long before you can see any change in the light. D3 supplementation for indoor birds is a must.

I keep multiple sources of calcium in their cages at ALL times. I keep a cuttlebone, mineral block, crushed egg shell in the cage all the time, plus the mineral mix. Mineral blocks for finches need to be scored or have the edges knocked off so their finchly beaks can get a start to it. My guys use theirs regularly but at a much slower rate than the parakeets use theirs. They go off and on the crushed egg shell and the cuttlebone but its there if they need it. They utilize the ABBA mineral mix every single day. They love that stuff! But when they need more calcium, they need it right away, and trying to get it from the mineral mix is a no-no because then they could OD on some of the trace minerals. Thus the multiple other sources for calcium. I lost a bird to egg-binding so I'm very careful now to make sure there is never a shortage of calcium in the cage.

Complicated home-made mixes are not necessary. Just get a good mineral mix - I always recommend the ABBA as I am most familiar with it. Keep multiple sources of other forms of calcium in the cage, and supplement with vitamins in the water for D3. You can keep the charcoal around for emergencies but do not put it in a mineral mix or offer it prophylactically (eg just in case). It will interfere with the uptake of other needed supplements.