I use wood ash but I pour it slowly back and forth between two cans for a bit to get all the powdery bits out. It's an old prospecting trick but it works with ashes too.
I had one year about 4 years back where most of my hens just did not lay. It happened to everyone and we never figured out what happened that people's birds just weren't laying. I still have those birds and the next year they laid as if nothing had happened at all.
yes, they also do not often let themselves be herded indoors if they would rather be outside. They are much better fliers than turkeys and they often prefer sleeping in trees. They are only loud a few months out of the year but it is piercing and throughout the day and night
I think it depends on the bird species in question. If say you have goldens or amhersts and you're not able to keep them without blinders it might be worth re-evaluating your practices.
The lophurans, green peafowl, tragopans, and junglefowl though I'd be a bit more hesitant to judge if...
Feeding nutrient dense foods is more important than water soluble vitamins at least initially. I use Farmers helper chick crumble mixed with regular chick starter and dusted with some roasted mealworms.
The worms seem to kick some innate instinct in the chicks and they begin to peck at them...