Charcoal in place of "wood ash"?

[Chans Farm]

I was looking through the "brooders" members have built and posted on the site. We will have to build one very soon here. I have permission from my landlord. I have found a carpenter to do the work. (Trust me, you don't want me building your brooder - or anything else that requires hand / power tools - or cooking in the kitchen, while it is in mind. Thank God for my wife!) I just need to get an idea of what I want, and go buy the supplies for it. (In Cambodia, you never let the workers buy the materials for a job - ever.)

Anyway, while browsing through the list, I came across one particular article that had the following statement in it:

Quote:
This caused me to think, due to having learned that chickens like to bath themselves in wood ash. (I had watched the hens do this on our farm in the past. But, I have never seen the chicks do it.)

Here, they turn regular wood - planks, limbs, boards, blocks of wood, etc., into charcoal. They do not use coconut husks like other countries in SE Asia. They use this charcoal to cook with, rather than LPG or electricity, which would cost significantly more.




Anyway, I figured I could mix some good dirt in with broken / mashed up charcoal for the chicks. Would the made-from-wood charcoal serve to put in a brooder for the chicks, and later in the hen house for older birds to bath in?

Your comments, please, regarding using it for chicks and chickens?

Also, thank you, so very much, for the help and assistance I have received on this site.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

That's the exact same stuff that comes from my wood stove, it'll be fine.

If your brooder is going to be in your house or garage, I would NOT give the chicks ANYTHING to dust in. They'll make a huge mess with it. They'll make a dusty mess regardless, growing feathers make lots of dander and they'll dust themselves in the shavings if you use that for bedding, but they'll throw wood ash and dirt everywhere.

The dirt bath I made for my chickens, which contains the wood ash, is outside under a lean to that keeps it dry. I wouldn't think a bunch of dust floating around inside the coop or brooder would be too good for their lungs. Good luck with your new chicks!

 

[Chans Farm]

Thanks for replying.

The brooder will be outside. So, any mess won't be a bother to me. I just figured anything I could do to keep mites and such off them would be helpful.

Here in town, I only have an apartment. The brooder we will build is going to be mostly screened sides and screened flooring. Easier to keep clean and less risk of infection - I hope.

I imagine it will have partial wood sides. I haven't decided on a specific plan yet. Still looking online. But, it will be located in the corner of the property. Trees will provide a canopy to keep them out of the sun. The adjacent buildings will keep the wind off them, and a metal roof will keep them dry from the rains in upcoming months (April / May will get heavy).

 

[Chans Farm]

That's the exact same stuff that comes from my wood stove, it'll be fine.

I just realized what you posted. The image is actually what they use to cook with here. That is the charcoal before it is burned in the cook-stove-bucket-thingy they prepare meals on here.