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Claim: Facebook user urges farmers to feed charcoal to birds occasionally.
Verdict: Partially True! Studies show that birds fed with charcoal increased significantly and were healthier. However, experts advised farmers to check in with doctors before feeding birds with such.
Full Text
Historically, wood charcoal was used as a constituent of gunpowder and as a reducing agent in the extraction of metals. In parts of the world where petroleum was scarce, automobiles and buses were converted to burn wood gas, obtained by burning charcoal or wood in a wood gas generator.
Energy Education describes charcoal as a solid fuel obtained when complex carbon substances such as wood or other biomass are broken down into carbon and other chemical compounds through a slow heating process.
Feeding charcoal to birds has been debated among avian enthusiasts and experts. Still, Michael Temmy, a member of the Poultry Farmers Forum of Nigeria, believes it offers them various health benefits.
In the post, he noted that farmers should occasionally normalise feeding charcoals to birds. Consequently, people in the comments wanted to know the health benefits.
Adeola Abiodun asked, “What is the benefit, please, sir?”
Another user, Afam Chibuzo, unconvinced, stated, “I thought you guys said that if you can’t eat them, don’t feed them to your birds.”
The post has garnered 1,300 likes, 821 comments, and 36 shares since it was posted on Feb 6, 2023.
Verification
Charcoal can help support a healthy digestive system. It helps flush out toxins, reduce acidity, maintain a healthy microflora, and possibly even help fight against internal parasites. All these benefits allow your hens to get the most nutritional benefit from their feed and support their natural defences against infections. Maintaining a healthy gut is key to maintaining a healthy hen.
According to research done by Research Gate, an experiment was carried out with materials comprising 800 Cobb 500 broiler chickens.
One-day-old chickens of both sexes were randomly allocated to two feeding groups, each with four replicates of 100 birds. The chickens were reared for six weeks on deep litter and were fed standard pelleted diets in a three-stage system (starter, grower, and finisher). Control group (I) birds received basal diets, and experimental group (II) birds received identical diets supplemented with charcoal in the amount of 0.3%.
Charcoal was added to diets at the feed mill. Dietary supplementation with charcoal was found to have a beneficial effect on the performance results of broilers. After a six-week rearing period, the body weights of chickens in the experimental group (fed charcoal-supplemented diets) increased significantly by 3.5%, and their feed conversion ratio improved by 2.0%, compared with the control group.
The research showed that the number of chickens fed with charcoal increased significantly compared to those not provided with it.
Activated charcoal, in particular, is known for its ability to absorb toxins and impurities in the digestive tract, potentially reducing the risk of poisoning from ingested toxins or contaminated food.
Another research was conducted in the poultry field of the Department of Animals Production, University of Mosul. l. The duration of the research was 42 days, from Nov. 13, 2021, to Dec 24, 2021.
One old broiler chick was reared in the litter initially. In the second week, chicks were randomly distributed into four treatments, with three replicates for each treatment.
A significant increase in feed consumption was also observed for the treatment of added charcoal by 7% compared to the control treatment.
We spoke to Ms Felicia, a veterinary doctor with Vetland, and she explained the use of charcoal in feeding birds.
Ms Felicia noted that charcoals are used for absorption, occasionally to treat birds with a poisonous substance in their system.
She also stated that it benefits deep-littered birds because ammonia can affect their lungs and breathing. Also, reducing ammonia creates a better quality fertiliser for the garden. The added charcoal helps to encourage the natural microbes on the compost heap and in the soil.
She finally advised that farmers speak to a doctor for proper consultation before going ahead because of complications like interference with digestion.
DUBAWA also contacted Bimbo Dayo, an expert veterinarian, who explained that charcoal is not a feed and belongs to the organic carbon compound. Charcoal has the advantage of increasing body weight and feed conversion, stopping toxins from affecting the birds.
“So while it has an antioxidant effect and deed conversion rate, the question is what impact it will have on humans that consume them? Also, what will be the long-term effects on the birds themselves or even on animals that consume the birds? These are some of the gaps.”
Ultimately, prioritising the bird’s overall well-being and consulting with avian experts are crucial in making informed decisions about dietary supplements and health interventions.
Conclusion
Feeding charcoal to birds remains a contentious issue within the avian community, with proponents and studies advocating for its potential health benefits. Studies show that birds fed with charcoal were healthier than those provided without it.
