The effects of biochar added in the feed on certain blod and production parameters of calves

Coal is produced by heating organic matter under reduced oxygen supply, during this process, volatile components are formulated in the form of gas and the base of coal remains a constant component. This process is called pyrolysis. Coal is used in agriculture, medicine, cosmetics, and feed preparation where it is added for the prevention of toxin absorption. The aim of this study was to determine if and to what extent the addition of biochar in the nutrient mixture influenced the increase, the intake and feed conversion, as well as the concentration of glucose, total proteins and albumin in blood serum. The experiment included a total of 12 female calves, divided into two equal groups, control (C) and experimental (E), and lasted for 24 days. The C group beside milk consumed the concentrated feed without the addition of biochar, while the E group was fed milk plus concentrated feed supplemented with biochar in the amount of 0.25%. Body weight was measured at the beginning and at the end of the study. Blood samples were taken at the beginning and at the end of the study, for the determination of the concentration of total blood serum proteins and albumin at the beginning and at the end of the study, and for the determination of glucose at the end of the trial. The amount of the concentrated feed consumed was weighed at the end of the study. The addition of biochar in feed significantly increased the concentration of total blood serum proteins and albumin concentrations and lowered the blood serum glucose of the calves.