# What's in wood ash



## pettibone (Jul 18, 2015)

The other day I dumped a 4 gallon bucket of wood ash in the snow where my cattle are. After a few minutes there was a few lapping it up out of the snow. I was wondering if anybody knew what would be in wood ash that they need or want and maybe if I should throw more out there or not.

Thanks


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Mine go for ashes too. I'm guessing it's a little sweet and a little salty. There'd be K in it


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Wood ash is highly variable depending on where it comes from. We learned that when we spread it on fields.


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## pettibone (Jul 18, 2015)

We got ten trailer loads of ash one year and the cattle all were walking around with black noses when they were in the field where it was dumped, must be something they like in it.


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## Palmettokat (Jul 10, 2017)

No idea if this is true with the ashes or not but don't miss the wood of a tree has same flavor as the fruit or nut the tree produces. As does the leaves.


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## pettibone (Jul 18, 2015)

That would make sense, my cattle love tree leaves. When I first got them the fence got knocked down right next to a hay field with ten inches of nice green grass but they were in the woods eating leaves. But I have hairy cows with horns, they are a little different than the average angus.


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## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

10 Trailer Loads ????? Were you getting ash, or if its been thru the scrubber , the gypsum from a power plant ???? I burn wood and can't imagine getting 1 , not to mention 10 trailer loads of ash .


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## pettibone (Jul 18, 2015)

We got ten 30 ton loads from a paper mill that burns all their wood waste to make energy, I think the ten loads were probably a drop in the bucket for the amount of wood they burn.


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## pettibone (Jul 18, 2015)

We burn about 8 to 10 cords to heat our house maybe one of those 4 gallon buckets every 5 days if it's cold, which it has been all winter. Probably not even close to 1 ton nevermind 300.


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## Supa Dexta (May 28, 2014)

Large amounts of woodash are used similar to lime for increasing soil ph. Its faster acting, but also doesn't last as long. Bio fuel power generation supplies truck loads around here.


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## Ridgefarmer63 (Apr 5, 2017)

siscofarms said:


> 10 Trailer Loads ????? Were you getting ash, or if its been thru the scrubber , the gypsum from a power plant ???? I burn wood and can't imagine getting 1 , not to mention 10 trailer loads of ash .


We have wood fired power plants in New England. RMI is one. In Ashland NH believe it or not...


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