Ok for dust bath?

[singswithravens]

Sorry if this has been asked, I didn't have time to go through ALL the dust bath questions

My chicks are about 6 weeks old. We BBQ often with charcoal, so we get lots of ash. This is a multi-question: is it OK for them to dust bathe in charcoal ash? I know wood ash is ok. If not, is the charcoal ash safe for them to be around? My husband dumps it in our fire pit where there's wood ash, and the chickens will hop in there sometimes. They don't seem terribly interested in it (either bathing or foraging), they're just curious little buggers. Should I keep them away from it?

 

[cavemanrich]

Dust baths in ash are just fine. My chickens do it often. Charcoal is just wood pressed into coal. If there is some cementing ingredient in it,,,, it is already burned up.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[CabritaChicks]

If the charcoal or wood was started with lighter fluid or any fire-starting chemicals, the ash is not entirely safe for chickens to bathe in. Those residues don’t just vanish—they can linger in the ash and be absorbed through the skin or inhaled, which can irritate their respiratory system or worse (I have treated chickens with respiratory illness from chemicals in ash before- not a fun process).

Some will argue that lighter fluid mostly burns off, but the key word is mostly. Here’s the real deal:

• Lighter fluid is made of volatile hydrocarbons—things like butane, propane, naphtha. These are designed to ignite easily, and yes, most of them burn off during combustion.
• But “burned off” doesn’t always mean “completely gone”. Incomplete combustion can leave chemical residues behind in the ash, especially if the fire was started and not sustained hot enough, or if the lighter fluid was doused repeatedly (we’ve all seen that guy at the BBQ).
• Chickens have extremely sensitive respiratory systems, and even trace residues in fine ash particles can irritate their air sacs, eyes, and skin. Plus, they dust bathe with enthusiasm—meaning they kick it up, inhale it, and sometimes even ingest a bit.

So while it might seem “all burned up” to us, it’s not worth the risk with birds IMO. Stick to dry dirt and if you must, add ash from untreated, chemical-free fires.It can also dry out/irritate the skin considerably...

Some may call me paranoid- however; I free range my birds- they get into everything, and I feed oodles of kitchen scraps. But my mini-flock are pets, not 'livestock' so to speak- so I don't risk it. When we have controlled burns- I use the ashes in the garden, but in birdie bellies.