Dust bath

[TwoCrows]

Nope. Just straight ashes from the wood stove will work. Charcoal ash is actually good for them occasionally as when they eat it, it absorbs toxins in the body. It also contains Vitamin K, Calcium and Magnesium. Wood ashes however are pretty dirty to use, but if you have a fireplace or stove full of them, the dust bath area is a good place to get rid of the ashes.

 

[bfrancis]

Quote:
You've peaked my interest...I have to admit, I've never heard of using wood stove ashes...but, we do heat using wood..so have a ton of ashes (in the winter time). You said that it contains Vitamin K, Calcium and Magnesium, where did you find that info out? So you don't mix anything in with the ashes when you put them in the pens?

We have a sandy soil here, so what I've typically done in the past is just get out a shovel and loosen a "bath" area by turning a 18" diameter hole about 6-8" deep. It's funny to see several birds bathing at once and digging down to create little nest pockets for them selves. I do add just a bit of food grade DE when I'm turning the bath...seems to work fine. But tossing ashes into that mix too might even be better.

Always interested in doing things that improve the lifestyle of the quail. Healthy birds equals more eggs, higher hatch rates, and better growth...so regardless of going to sale or just my own freezer camp...want them happy!

 

[TwoCrows]

Bfrancis, I have always known about the absorbing of the toxins and the vitamins, as I have used charcoal on myself over the years and it is good for everybody. But here is a link to making dust baths and it does include a section about wood ashes.

http://www.darkbrownegglayers.com/tag/using-wood-ash-for-chickens/

We also have a wood stove and far too much ashes for a person to have to deal with over the winter. But I think they are just too dirty and dusty to use. But many folks do use them. We used to dump our wood ashes in the old garden here and now that I have chickens in there, they are bathing in some of the old dusty soil and eating the charcoal bits. I can tell when they have been eating them as their poo is black.

As for my quail, I will occasionally dump some regular dirt in the there for them. It is pretty sandy also, and they really love when it is slightly damp for some reason. They just come running.

 

[Eyeheartquail]

Very cool. Thank you.

 

[bfrancis]

Quote:
Awesome article! Thanks for sharing. guess this winter I'll be adding my wood ashes to all my birds...not just the quail. You are correct the ashes are pretty dusty...but once its starts getting pretty cold here..I have a can of ashes that gets pulled from the stove daily anyway...already in a bucket...might as well dump it in a run

 

[Sybadd]

I was just about to start a thread on "can i use wood ash for a dust bath" as my two found what i just threw on the compost heap and had what appeared to be a wonderful time playing in it. I thought id google it first.. The google search brought me right back here great now i have somewhere useful to put it.

I suppose its common sense for most but just in case be careful what you're burning. Regular logs from deciduous trees are fine but avoid using any pines / coniferous as the stuffs full of resins that can block up your stove and sometimes toxins that don't burn away. that includes most pallets too. If you burn scrap wood from from the workshop be carful what its treated with.

 

[kristin07035]

I'm new to this...Getting my first 4 pullets in two weeks. I have hard clay like dirt & its February in NJ so ground frozen. Does anywhere sell pre mixed dust bath? I dont have a fireplace or wood stove & not sure if anywhere local sells sand this time of year?

 

[Nadeerah]

I have been using some left over aquarium sand.

 

[Gracedby3]

Sorry to bump this but do they have to have baths. And at what age?

 

[DaisyQ12]

Sorry to bump this but do they have to have baths. And at what age?

Once they are fully mature (6 weeks) they'll know how to most likely, probably younger would be able to too. And they don't have to but it makes a happy bird and can keep them entertIned and healthier.