I have heard that coal ash for chickens with lice works, but will wood ash do the same? If it works on chickens, can one dust pygmy goats with wood ash for lice as well? Thanx for any help.

-- Sharon (Thegsf@ccnmail.com), March 03, 2000

Answers

I have used wood ashes for my chickens very successfully, I use an old tire tucked under the nest boxes, and keep it full from the woodstove. I haven't tried it for goats though.

-- Connie (Connie@lunehaven.com), March 03, 2000.

Wood-ashes work fine as a dust-bath for chickens. However, ashes are potentially caustic - after all, that's where the original pot-ash (potassium) lye for making soap came from. I've seen chickens dust- bathing often, so I guess they're built to take it; but I've never seen an animal with solid fur or hair dust-bathing - dirt, yes; dust, no. I'd be extremely doubtful about packing something caustic into an animal's fur, hair or wool coat. If you really want to try, I'd suggest a small test patch first, then a single test animal; but I wouldn't do it.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), March 04, 2000.

Perhaps using diatomaceous earth (D.E.) instead of the ashes? or a mix (test 1st) of D.E. and ashes?

-- judi (jeddfd91789@aol.com), March 04, 2000.

I have 5 pygmy goats that I bought recently. They all had lice..ugh..I was letting them free roam in the yard and found them all laying in the ash pile from the black oak trees. I didn't know why they were doing this. They did it for a couple of days, even eating some of the ashes, they are now lice free...could it be the ashes?

Cindy

-- Cindy Cluck (ldsmomof6@yahoo.com), August 13, 2000.