Anthracite Coal Ashes--A Substitute for Many More Expensive Necessities
The feather of a bird is composed almost entirely of phosphorous, and
phosphorous is a great aid to the bird in digesting food. In fact,
there are manufactured “grits” offered on the market, which base their
efficiency on the amount of phosphorous they carry.
Anthracite, or hard, coal ashes, carry a considerable quantity of
phosphorous, and this is the reason chickens in all stages of their
existence are so fond of them. Our attention was first called to this
fact by observing the large number of pullets on the Colony Range,
where some loads of ashes had been used the previous season in mixing
with the fertilizer for the growing of potatoes. It was noticed that
these small heaps of ashes were very soon consumed, and when they
were replenished the pullets were never absent from the piles. The
experiment was then made of placing a small heap at the extreme end of
the chick runs from the Brooder House, and to our surprise we found one
was unable to see the ashes because of the moving mass of yellow which
covered them. It was necessary to replenish these heaps almost daily.
As ashes are perfectly sanitary we decided to cover the entire chick
run with them, which we did, and every few days, through the brooding
season, a fresh coating is necessary, as the youngsters consume so much
of the surface constantly.
Better Than Charcoal
Next, we sifted ashes and filled the hoppers in the Laying Houses with
them. The layers ate them in the same way in which they consumed wheat.
For an experiment we stopped feeding charcoal entirely, and found that
the ashes supplied everything that the charcoal did, with none of the
dangers, for there seems to be no doubt that where hens consume large
quantities of charcoal they are very susceptible to colds.
Large heaps of Anthracite ashes are now kept within a short distance
of every Colony House on the Range, and the use of these ashes has
very materially reduced the quantity of Grit and Shell consumed, thus
representing a considerable economy.
Until the use of Anthracite ashes came in on the Range we placed Grit
in receptacles near each Colony House, and the amount consumed was
really remarkable. As soon as the ashes were placed there the Grit was
deserted, and there practically was no consumption of it at all, and
after a few weeks we ceased to supply it and have not done so now for
years.
Since the use of the sifted ashes in the Laying Houses a soft shelled
egg is almost a curiosity on the Farm.
In the Brooder House runs, beside supplying the phosphorus to the
youngsters for their digestion, and the making of their feathers, it
does away with the fear of contamination of soil, of which so much is
now written, and it presents a surface which dries almost before the
rain storm is over, and there is no possibility of the youngsters being
let out into a muddy run.