wood ashes for odour.????

[Yukonchick]

Does anybody or has anybody ever used wood ashes on the floor of their chicken house to absorb moisture and smell. My husband said to mix the ashes with the wood shavings but I'm worried about them maybe getting poisoned. Are wood ashes poisonous? Help, so far I've been using diatomeceous earth but its hard to get up here.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Wood ashes are about 50% calcium. My hens dust bathe in them and eat them (and the charcoal, too, which turns their poo black). They have trace minerals in them too.

It is a wonderful idea, only I wouldn't do it on account of having read that even one month later, a spark can exist in ashes. So what I do is put the ashes into a fire pit bowl, and let the chickens have at it! The wood ashes also help to keep away mites/lice I have read.

Sand is excellent on the floor of the coop (play sand that isn't as dusty)- I rake it and then scoop out the solids with a kitty litter scoop. They dust bathe in the sand too.