Old Wood Ashes... safe for dust bathing?

[Dianemarie]

This was an interesting thread. My chickens have just hollowed out a small hole under their coop to bathe. I have 2 burn barrels and one is dedicated to fallen branches, leaves and pine cone. I was thinking of filling a 5 gal bucket of ash and just dumping a little in their hole occasionally. A lot of contradiction here. I still may try just a little here and there and keep an eye on them.

Use the science to come to a conclusion. It is all here, people have provided links and plenty of scientific information.