Pellet stove ashes?

[missmychicks]

I saw a previous post about using ash from wood burning stoves, but I want to ask about pellet stove in particular. Is it safe for dust bathing? They appear to be only compressed wood, but wonder if they burn differently and may pose any danger to the girls. TYIA!

 

[nuthatched]

Should be safe as any ashes, which, are not necessarily good for dust bathes.

 

[Loving my girls]

We hardly get any ash from our wood pellet heating boiler but what we get goes straight into their dust bath.
Hubby is a heating geek and says that the residue is mainly minerals and carbon although it depends on various factors which went straight over my head
The ash can be used on gardens and is environmentally sound.

 

[awagnon]

I have heard and read in several places that wood ash turns to lye when it gets wet and that can be 'burning' at skin contact. Is that true? If so, do any of y'all have chickens that seem to like being out in the pouring rain, jumping in puddles and generally act like they think they are ducks? I am wondering if I added the ash to their dust bath and they happened to go out in the rain afterwards, would the dust on them 'burn' them if they got wet enough? Sometimes when I go out to get the eggs in the evenings on rainy days my girls look like drowned rats! Anyone have an issue with this when adding ash to their dust baths?

 

[Alley Cat on a Homestead]

I have heard and read in several places that wood ash turns to lye when it gets wet and that can be 'burning' at skin contact. Is that true? If so, do any of y'all have chickens that seem to like being out in the pouring rain, jumping in puddles and generally act like they think they are ducks? I am wondering if I added the ash to their dust bath and they happened to go out in the rain afterwards, would the dust on them 'burn' them if they got wet enough? Sometimes when I go out to get the eggs in the evenings on rainy days my girls look like drowned rats! Anyone have an issue with this when adding ash to their dust baths?

Wood ash contains potassium carbonate and calcium carbonate, and when it gets wet—especially with rainwater (which is slightly acidic)—it can form potassium hydroxide, also known as caustic potash, a very alkaline compound. This is one of the basic steps in traditional lye making. The resulting wet ash slurry can have a high pH, making it potentially irritating or even damaging to skin with prolonged contact. It's essentially a very MILD form of lye.

You can still use it mixed in small amounts with other things if you really want the benefits, but it sounds like you might have some particularly adventurous chooks, and it might be better to avoid it completely since it's really not necessary. But for the most part keeping the dust bath in a dry location, lots of chooks do just fine with wood ash mixed in, even in wet locations.