Is used coconut oil suitable for birds (1 Viewer)

Hi, i wonder if someone can help me with this. I have quite a lot of used coconut oil (raw, organic, cold-pressed - the good stuff). I'm using it for oil pulling (swishing in my mouth for 15 mins, a hygiene procedure). It will contain bacteria from the mouth (although they might be dead as it is supposed to be antibacterial). I'm currently feeding wild birds with nuts and seeds (some of the tits actually eat out of my hand where i am now), so i was wondering if that will be suitable food for them or it is better to dispose of it. Any thoughts on this? Thanks

Hi Alex and a warm welcome to you from all the Staff and Moderators.

I've moved your post to a more suitable forum for your question. Which I can't answer directly myself as I've no experience of feeding this oil either to myself (can't stand the taste of coconut), or the birds. However, a word of caution. Last week, on the BBC programme Food: Truth or Scare they investigated the claims for this oil and discovered that the properties in it were worse for us than good old lard! Found a link if you want to see it for yourself: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08f066n Episode three.

I hope you enjoy your time here with us.

Birds don't normally encounter liquid oils as foods, so I'd suspect not a good idea, unless possibly if soaked into something absorbent like breadcrumbs. But even then, it could be a risk if they get the oil on their feathers at all. So on balance, not.

Thanks Delia,
i'm aware of various research on the subject, unfortunately a lot of them come out according to the bias of the researchers, so i take it with a pinch of salt (there are numerous studies that say otherwise). Besides lard isnt an option for me anyway being vegan Thanks for the advice though.

Nutcracker, thank you for your feedback. It is - 10C outside at the moment, everything is covered with a foot of snow and even at home where the temperature is +18C it is currently rock solid. That's the nature of that oil, i think it melts around +24C. I have researched it a bit, and it seems it is fine for birds when fresh, i'm just worried about the bacteria content from my mouth (sorry it sounds gross but i have no better way to describe it .

Don't give them salt ... (even a pinch )

Guess that's a little different. Not sure if you can give them Man Flu (as oppose to Bird Flu) but I'm guessing it woudn't really be a problem.

Especially if you were to heat it first (there are figures out there for length of time at lower temps than 100c) - unless it's safe, fire risk wise to heat it up higher. Otherwise pre-cooling in feezer overnight may do - are the bacteria in the human mouth good at remaining dormant at subzero??

Otherwise just extra protein/amino acids I guess!

Thank you, great advice Dantheman, i'll heat it up and then freeze it overnight just to be on the safe side I have quite a lot of it and the birds are really hungry over here (Carpathian Mountains, Ukraine) as everything was covered with snow for the past few months. Much appreciated.

Might be being over-cautious but no harm if so. No worries. Was in Ukraine a few years back (the east, and in the spring) but it was a tad warmer! Probably have an interesting garden bird list?!

Yes, i prefer to be overcautious when someone else is involved, not so much when it is just myself (might need to work on that a bit
That is quite a coincidence about Ukraine! May i ask if it was business or pleasure?
My interest in birds is quite recent (about 2 years). I started watching and feeding birds in Leeds where i lived near Rodley Nature reserve, so i can only compare with that part of UK, besides i have been moving around a lot over the last few years so i haven't had a chance to properly observe birds in Ukraine either. I would say it is very similar to UK, a lot of Blackbirds and other thrushes, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Marsh Tits (these almost always try to take several grains when landing on the palm, other Tits usually take one at a time, apart from one brave Great who landed and feasted on my palm for more than a miniute !). Nuthatches, Common Chaffinch, Goldfinches, Eurasian Blackcap, Collared Flycatcher, Common and Black Redstart ( i haven't seen these in UK), quite a lot of different woodpeckers, Robins are not as widespread as in the UK. Pied Wagtails. Tits and Nuthatches eat out of hand here in Truskavec (this is my first time hand-feeding wild birds), Chaffinches come close but are more afraid. Off to the market to buy some provisions for the birds and moi.

Suet and specially made seed impregnated suet cakes are common at feeders here in Canada, providing what I am sure are some much needed calories in the winter. Coconut oil would not be liquid at low temperatures, I don't think, and if I had a big supply of it I might offer it to see what would happen. My belief is that, unlike people, birds basically know what's good for them. They certainly are not eager to try anything new and I do suspect the stuff would be ignored anyway.

Oil I would definitely stay away from as far as the birds go.

Ruff said:

Oil I would definitely stay away from as far as the birds go.

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The OP has already stated that it's solid at room up to 24C, so essentially it's like suet or 'fat' I guess, just not an animal product ... should be ok.

AlexPl said:

That is quite a coincidence about Ukraine! May i ask if it was business or pleasure?
My interest in birds is quite recent (about 2 years). I started watching and feeding birds in Leeds where i lived near Rodley Nature reserve, so i can only compare with that part of UK, besides i have been moving around a lot over the last few years so i haven't had a chance to properly observe birds in Ukraine either. I would say it is very similar to UK, a lot of Blackbirds and other thrushes, Great Tits, Blue Tits, Coal Tits, Marsh Tits (these almost always try to take several grains when landing on the palm, other Tits usually take one at a time, apart from one brave Great who landed and feasted on my palm for more than a miniute !). Nuthatches, Common Chaffinch, Goldfinches, Eurasian Blackcap, Collared Flycatcher, Common and Black Redstart ( i haven't seen these in UK), quite a lot of different woodpeckers, Robins are not as widespread as in the UK. Pied Wagtails. Tits and Nuthatches eat out of hand here in Truskavec (this is my first time hand-feeding wild birds), Chaffinches come close but are more afraid. Off to the market to buy some provisions for the birds and moi.

Click to expand...

Yes, not many people have been to Ukraine from W Europe I guess (I started typing that not many people had been to Ukraine, but that would be wrong ). It was partly personal/partly birding - a close relative was getting married to a Ukrainian (in Donetsk), so took the opportunity to go for the Demoiselle Cranes in Crimea ... nice (shame about things since).

Did start a trip report on here which I never actually finished though ( http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=259996 ) one day maybe ...

What was going to say, if you get the urge, there's a garden listing thread on here -

http://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=337223