Using ashes for dust bathing

[brooster]

I want to give my chickens something to dust bathe in, we have a lot of ashes, and i read you can use them. Does anyone do this?

 

[brooster]

anyone?

 

[sunnychooks]

I do. We put a large pile of ashes from our wood stove out specifically for the chickens. They LOVE it!!!

 

[brooster]

does it make white chickens discolored?

 

[moduckman]

My late father-in-law heated their house with a wood stove and nothing else. So he had a lot of ashes. I'd take them to the chicken yard and within a few minutes it was a dust storm. The birds really loved it.

 

[Chicken Woman]

I have an old brake drum and I put the ashes in it and some DE mixed in. My girls love it when I bring out fresh ashes !

 

[sunnychooks]

Quote:
Not at all. The feathers will shed the dust and the chickens stay white.

 

[crzychicken]

I have no idea if it's good or not, What if they eat it is that OK or will they get sick.

 

[Chicken Woman]

Mine love it and don't eat it as it is not solid. They
are very healthy and have never had a sick chicken.
Nor have I had a chicken with mites or fleas.

 

[bigzio]

Yep, it works fine. I save 5 gal pails of sand in the fall so I can mix the sand with the wood ashes. The sand helps to keep the ashes from blowing away in the wind.

Chickens don't become ill from the ashes.

bigzio