Wood Ashes

[Hon-cheeky]

Are these safe for hens to dust in??

 

[BoundlessLove]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens!
Happy to have you here.
I’ve never used wood ashes for chicken dust-bathing, but maybe someone else on here has info on it.

 

[saysfaa]

I used them mixed in large amounts with sand or a mixture of sand and soil for a year or so then stopped. I used up to half ashes by volume , maybe, but mostly about a third wood ashes when I used them.

I don't think they harmed my chickens. I did a lot of looking into it and didn't find anything to indicate they are harmful.

I stopped because I concluded they weren't more effective than the soil by itself. This is based on what I found printed about how dust bathing works. There is a lot mentioning ashes work but it seemed very makes-sense,-sounds-good to me vs having more solid basis. My decision was also based on observing where my chickens went to dust bath when they had choices. They foraged where there were wood ashes in many concentrations but didn't bath there. It wasn't because of other factors that I could see - like how sheltered the area was or how damp - because they did bath in very similar settings.

Also, my ashes included a lot of fly ash. I didn't like them breathing that although I don't remember seeing much about that in the sources I found.

After I stopped using them, I still put a shovelful of ashes containing large amounts of charred wood in with them to forage if they wanted to. Sometimes in their bathtub and sometimes in their bedding.

For what it is worth, my soil is sandy. I don't know if or how much difference that might make.

 

[Crazy Chicken Keeper]

Are these safe for hens to dust in??

I usually use dust, as the name of the activity suggests. Wood ashes would be a fun experiment tho!Maybe i should give it a go. I'd just make sure not to use ash from treated wood

 

[Debbie292d]

Hi, and welcome to BYC!

Plain old dirt is the best base, and if you happen to have a wood-burning stove or fireplace, a little ash added can help as a mite preventative, as it's highly alkaline and bugs don't like it. I just wouldn't use too much.

In the summer, they make their own wherever and I don't add anything, but in the winter, some kittie litter boxes full of dirt and a handful of ashes and sprinkle of DE.

We're glad you're here!

 

[Perris]

Wood ashes are often recommended in old poultry handbooks as components of a dust bath. My birds sometimes choose to dustbathe where I've had a bonfire, so vote for wood ash with their feet and their plumage e.g.

 

[N F C]

Hi, I've never tried it but that's some interesting feedback already received from other members.

 

[muddy75]

 

[Jenbirdee]

Mostly dirt, a little ash added is ok. I used to mix dirt with sand and ash and just a little diatomaceous earth but they didn’t care for it and then I added Peet Moss, and they loved it. Now they just make their own in the Earth wherever they please.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.

I add wood ash to the dust bathing holes the chickens have already dug but they mix it up with dirt and decomposing wood chips.