Peat moss in brooder box - GREAT

[joebryant]

I have ten blue Orpington chicks (gave away the five splashes) in a four-foot- x eighteen-inch x two-foot-high brooder box. I've spent ten days changing their kitchen paper towels; it was like having to change their dirty diapers. After reading so many favorable comments on here about peat moss, about an hour ago I put in two inches of peat moss and put their feeder and waterer up on short pieces of 2x4's. IT'S GREAT, AND THEY LOVE IT. I scattered some of their food granules on the top, and they're enjoying having something to do while scratching to find it; plus, when they poop, it's immediately covered/absorbed. WHY would anyone use anything but peat moss. I'm building their coop now, and it's for sure that peat moss is going to be their only litter. To heck with straw and wood shavings.
BTW, I would still keep them on kitchen paper towels until they have learned to use the waterer and feeder, but that'd be the last time I bothered to change their diapers; dang those papers get filthy dirty in just a couple of hours.

 

[funonahonda]

Can you post some pictures of the peatmoss floor? How much would that be to cover a good sized coop?

 

[ibpboo]

Great idea! I suppose it would work for the nest box too?!

 

[LilRalphieRoosmama]

What a great idea! I've used newspaper and wood shavings and you're right - what a mess. Will definitely try the peat moss!!

 

[tygab]

This may be a dumb question but what is the cost of peat moss vs shavings?

Anyway, as of now I am planning to put peat moss in the run once the grass is destroyed. I was thinking shavings for coop still. But that's at least 6-8 weeks off...

In about 20 minutes I'm going to go paper toweless (shavings) cause I am sick of going thru towels too, on the non food half of the brooder. If that goes ok, I'll stop on the other side in another day or so. They are now 5 days old. They've been eating and drinking from the feeder and waterer since Wednesday (arrival) and it didn't seem like there was "learning" involved.

 

[Davaroo]

What sort of peat are you talking about. The stuff intended for gardens and soil amendment?

 

[joebryant]

Quote:

Yep!

 

[LynneP]

I agree, we have 6 bales put aside for the day we move the chicks to the coop. I've used it for two horses that were irritated by shavings, it makes a huge difference in the barn too and when you sweep up the concrete floor is extra clean. It mixes well with DE or Stable Boy, too.

 

[CityChook]

Great information! Thanks!

My FIL recommended peat moss for the brooder and the coop and wondered why I was using pine shavings in my brooder. I have to admit, the dust from the shavings is kind of a bummer. Especially in the house. How is the dust level with the peat?

My babies are dying to get scratching. I've been keeping them on the paper towel to keep the dust down, but it gets grody almost immediately and I keep catching them pulling up the edges to get to the shavings underneath. Naughtly little chickies. I'm flying through the paper towels right now.

Thanks a million for the reply!

 

[MissPrissy]

Somewhere in the archives is a thread about peat moss in the brooder.

The peat moss is higly flammable when dry.

This member had problems over night from the dust of the dry peat moss. The heat lamps caused the peat moss to combust and the garage nearly burned down.

If I remember correctly some of the 100 chicks burned in the fire. Peat moss and heat lamps is a very bad idea.