Is Wood Ash Good For Chickens

[DogAndCat36]

There was this guy that came over to my house and he said that wood ash kills parasites and shine chickens feathers. Should the switch dirt into ash in this tire that I have for dust bathing.

 

[sourland]

A mixture of wood ash and soil MIGHT help.

 

[DogAndCat36]

A mixture of wood ash and soil MIGHT help.

So I should mix them together?

 

[Chickenhappy8708]

You can mash charcoal, not treated with chemicals, and put it on the dust bath. It does help. They can also eat it, and that may help to kill internal parasites also.

Note: I am not recommending if you have a brooder full of chicks with Coccidia you feed them charcoal FYI.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

I mix a mixture of dirt, wood ash, DE and sprinkle it with Poultry Dust. Overkill? Probably, but the chickens are happy, so there's that.

 

[3KillerBs]

A little ash might be good, but wood ash can be very irritating to the respiratory system.

 

[DogAndCat36]

You can mash charcoal, not treated with chemicals, and put it on the dust bath. It does help. They can also eat it, and that may help to kill internal parasites also.

Note: I am not recommending if you have a brooder full of chicks with Coccidia you feed them charcoal FYI.

You shouldn't use activated carcoal though because it will flaten the hairy thingys in the intestines. Or at least for humans.

 

[DogAndCat36]

A little ash might be good, but wood ash can be very irritating to the respiratory system.

So it is dangerous?

 

[RainbowHen]

I use wood ash underneath the bedding in my coop for bugs

 

[3KillerBs]

So it is dangerous?

Birds have delicate respiratory systems so I'd be wary of any known irritant.

I put a little lime and ash under the bedding in my coop to help balance the pH of the eventual compost but avoid exposing my chickens to it directly.