Bird bones for structure
Can WCP(structure) be made with bird bones? Does it need a change in ratios? I know they have a different structure to mammal bones, are hollow and lighter to allow birds to fly and mammal bones are what I see everyone use online
Top answer
Bird bones are not recommended because of their frailty. By the time they are properly charred, they tend to burn and turn to ash, which is not what you want. There may also be chemical differences, but I do not have scientific confirmation of that. I have talked about the use of bird bones for KNF Structure on the Office Hours at the 43 minute mark of this episode.
From the KNF library
From the KNF library
Drafted by Claude from Office Hours and the books
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Sep 2026
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3 sources
Drake recommends against bird bones for WCP. The book says not to use them because they are too frail and light. (Office Hours Mar 2026, 47:48)
The Hawaii recipe sheet agrees. It says to char bones of land or water animals, and it flags birds as excluded. (Cho's Solutions, p. 13)
Use these instead:
- Land-based, weight-bearing animal bones, like deer, or fish bones. (Office Hours Ep. 54, 27:06)
- The ratio is 1 part charred bones to 10 parts brown rice vinegar by weight. (Cho's Solutions, p. 13)
The library gives no adjusted ratio for bird bones. It gives one ratio and one reason to skip them.
Sources
- 47:48 Office Hours (Mar 2026) — Seawater Microbe Dilution, Kombucha Uses, Composting Hair · “The book specifically says not to use bird bones because they are too frail and light.”
- 27:06 Office Hours Ep. 54 (Oct 2022) — Water-Soluble Phosphoric Acid, Chitin, Bare-Root Tree Planting · “Any land-based, weight-bearing animal bone works, like deer, plus fish bones — but not bird bones.”
- p. 13 Cho's Solutions · “Char bones of terrestrial or aquatic animals (not birds!) to a blackened state”
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