charcoal for birds

[crimson]

In another thread I posted, I just came home with a 1 year old male gouldian finch.
He gave his birds charcoal in a dish, along with their regular seed, etc...
I asked him where he got the charcoal from and he said it's the burqetts(sp?) you use on a barbeque.

Ok, I know charcoal is good for some birds, particularly finches, but it sounded funny to me that it came straight from a bag intended for barbequeing, and not specialized for birds.

I also read to give small amounts of charcoal and you can add it to the grit, rather than open in a dish. If they eat too much of it, it can cause problems.
I'm not too concerned about that so much, I just want to know is there different types of charcoal for birds, or is it all the same???

He gave me some to take home, but I'm not giving it to my birds until I check it out first:52:

 

[weco]

Crimson, I would check with an avian veterinarian before giving my bird charcoal. I do know that activated charcoal (different than bar-b-que charcoal) can be used to remove some types of poison from the body. I have read of canary owners giving their birds charcoal, but have no idea why.

The reason you want to be very careful about giving charcoal to any pet is that what is used in a grill is not made for consumption/edible and may contain toxic substances, especially if it is a quick-light variety.

 

[aliray]

years ago they used to say that little bits of charcole would help the canary sing better.it used to be found in the grit. They did not use the type of charcole brickeets they have now as they have petroleum in them and that would be toxic.definatley check with an avian vet first

 

[BillsBirds]

As everyone has said, check with your vet if it's necessary. And, if it is, there are a few brands of charcoal sold specifically for birds to eat. It is more like the charcoal you'd use in aquariums than a barbecue. I offer some occasionally to my birds, and my cockatiel seems to love it. It's used to take toxins & heavy metals out of their systems.

 

[crimson]

good, that's what I thought to
I will call the vet today, thanks for the advice.