Peat moss for chicken coop bedding: Amazing or dangerous?
Many chicken keepers have wondered about peat moss as chicken coop bedding. Perhaps you live in an area where peat moss is readily available and low in cost, and you’re hoping you may be able to use it in your coop.
But, of course, you want to make sure it’s safe and effective first.
Does peat moss make good chicken coop bedding? Peat moss has some characteristics of good bedding as it’s highly absorbent, doesn’t readily clump, and may prevent the buildup of ammonia in the coop. However, peat moss is incredibly dusty, may harbor dangerous bacteria and fungi, and may cause serious respiratory problems in your chickens.
To me, the cons far outweigh the pros, and I don’t recommend peat moss for use in the coop, brooder, or run. However, if you do decide you want to use peat, you’ll learn in this article what type of peat to buy, where to buy it, and how to manage peat once you’ve got it in the coop.
Here’s a sneak peak into the article:
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What is Peat Moss?
The Oxford Dictionary gives the following definition for peat:
A brown deposit resembling soil, formed by the partial decomposition of vegetable matter in the wet acidic conditions of bogs and fens, and often cut out and dried for use as fuel and in gardening.
And Oxford Dictionary gives the following definition for peat moss:
A large absorbent moss which grows in dense masses on boggy ground, where the lower parts decay slowly to form peat deposits
So, according to the dictionary, peat moss describes both the living moss and the long-dead, decaying moss that eventually forms peat.
However, in the vernacular, the words “peat” and “peat moss” are used interchangeably to describe peat. This means that in the vernacular, “peat moss” refers only to “peat,” the decay product, not the living moss.
You also may see products labeled “sphangnum moss” and “sphagnum peat moss.”
“Sphagnum moss,” which is one type of moss that decays to form peat, is commonly used to describe the live moss, the living plant, on top of the soil – although it can be dried and sold for purchase.
“Sphagnum peat moss,” on the other hand, is commonly used to describe the peat, that is, the decay product of sphagnum moss.
This means that on garden bags, you will often find peat labeled as “Sphagnum peat moss.” Be aware that this refers to what the Oxford dictionary is calling “peat” not “peat moss.”
For more on peat moss and sphagnum moss, check out this gardening article here.
It’s all a bit confusing. Isn’t it?
All you need to remember are these 3 things:
The words “peat moss” and “peat” are used interchangeably to mean peat, the decay product of certain bog mosses, like sphagnum moss
Peat moss is often labeled as “sphagnum peat moss”
Sphagnum peat moss is the peat most commonly used as bedding material
Another type of peat that is less commonly used for bedding material is sedge peat. This peat does not come from sphagnum moss, although people still often refer to it as “peat moss.” Sedge peat comes from the decomposed pieces of sedges, a type of marsh plant, and sedge peat is generally less acidic than sphagnum peat moss.
This article summarizes the research done on both sphagnum peat moss and sedge peat moss. Both of these are referred to as “peat” and “peat moss” interchangeably.
The pros: The amazing properties of peat moss as bedding in the chicken coop
There are many reasons peat moss is used as bedding for chicken coops. Peat moss:
Is absorbent
Has a low pH, which may reduce ammonia in the coop
Is free flowing (i.e., resists compaction)
Is great for your garden beds
Is low in cost in some areas
Pro #1: Peat moss bedding has high absorbency
Perhaps the best quality of peat moss as a chicken coop bedding is its absorbency. You want a bedding material that will absorb as much moisture as possible, otherwise your coop will be wet, slimy, and disgusting.
Peat is amazing at absorbing moisture. When tested against 8 other types of chicken coop bedding, including pine wood shavings and straw, peat had the highest absorbency of all (Shepherd et al., 2017). The peat moss bedding absorbed almost 8 times its own weight in water!
Peat has commonly been used for horse bedding because it so easily absorbs horse urine. Peat used as chicken coop bedding absorbs the high moisture from chicken feces just as well.
Pro #2: Peat moss bedding may reduce the ammonia concentration in your chicken coop
As most chicken keepers know, ammonia is a nasty gas that can build up in chicken coops if good bedding conditions aren’t maintained. Ammonia can cause major respiratory, sinus, and eye problems in chickens, including blindness. The fact that peat moss may reduce ammonia in the coop is a major plus.
How does this work? Ammonia volatilization tends to occur as bacteria break down feces and organic bedding. Many of these bacteria fail to thrive in an acidic environment. Peat moss, with its low pH of 4.5 to 6.4, is just such an acidic environment (Shepherd et al., 2017).
Some researchers have even suggested that peat moss should be added to other types of poultry litter to help reduce the bacteria content in the litter. Early experiments suggest that the addition of peat bedding to pine shavings bedding may help to reduce the bacterial population in the pine shavings, and, therefore, may reduce the ammonia levels in the chicken coop (Everett et al., 2013).
However, before you get too excited about this, a couple of studies have been done indicating that the pH of peat moss bedding doesn’t stay acidic permanently.
One study looked at the pH of peat moss and pine wood shavings in chicken coops (Shepherd et al., 2017). Although the initial pH of peat moss was low, the pH rose to ~7.3 after 42 days. This wasn’t that much lower than the pH of the pine shavings, which ranged from 7.5 to 7.9.
Similarly, another study looked at the pH of three different bedding types (peat, wood shavings, and straw) that were used for broiler production (Kaukonen et al., 2017). By the end of a broiler production period, the pH of the peat bedding was the same as the pH of the wood shavings bedding. And, in fact, the pH of the peat bedding was actually higher than the pH of the straw bedding.
It’s really not that surprising that the pH of peat bedding would increase over time. Chicken poop has a neutral to moderately alkaline pH of 6.5-8.0, so when it mixes with peat, the overall pH would be expected to change.
What does this mean for peat in your chicken coop? This means that initially, your peat bedding should help to reduce the amount of ammonia in your coop.
Although the pH of your peat bedding may increase over time, you can help counteract this by removing some of the chicken poop from your bedding. See the section below on how to use peat in your coop to see how to keep your peat bedding clean, and, hopefully, keep the pH as low as possible.
Pro #3: Peat moss bedding is free flowing
Peat moss bedding has been described in the scientific literature as “free flowing” (Enueme and Waibel, 1987). This means that it doesn’t easily clump up and compact (unlike straw, for example).
In the video further below (see how to use peat in your coop), the horseman describes his peat bedding as having a “memory foam” texture. The peat stays fluffy and mobile, which is a great characteristic for chicken coop bedding.
Bedding that clumps up and compacts tends to stay moist and not dry out. Bedding that is clumped up with droppings is very unsanitary in a chicken coop.
Pro #4: Peat moss bedding is great for compost piles and garden beds
Many chicken keepers use their spent peat moss bedding on their garden beds. You can add your spent bedding to your compost pile and watch your pile compost quickly.
Pro #5: Peat moss bedding may be low in cost
Peat moss bedding can be very low in cost in areas where peat moss is plentiful, such as parts of Canada and western Europe.
Even if you don’t live in one of these areas, you can buy a packaged bale of peat moss at your local farm supply store, such as Tractor Supply or D&B, for a relatively low cost. You may also find it at home and garden stores, including big box chains, like Home Depot and Lowes. You can even buy peat moss here on Amazon.
If you live in an area where peat moss isn’t plentiful, peat moss bales tend to be more expensive than pine wood shavings and straw. However, if you have a small coop, the price difference may not be major.
Just a little FYI here (since pine shavings just came up)—I absolutely do not recommend pine shavings for the chicken coop—check out my article, Pine shavings in the coop: The secret chicken killer?, for more information.
The cons: The dangerous properties of peat moss as bedding in the chicken coop
There are some major cons with using peat moss for chicken coop bedding. For instance, peat moss:
Does not release moisture very well
Is incredibly dusty and may cause serious respiratory illnesses
May contain microorganisms, such as bacteria and fungi, that could kill your chickens or make them very ill
May contain fertilizers or other chemicals that may be toxic to your chickens
Con #1: Peat moss bedding does not release moisture well
Although peat moss bedding is excellent at absorbing moisture, it unfortunately doesn’t release moisture very well. When peat bedding was compared to eight other bedding types, it was one of the worst bedding types for releasing water, second only to straw (Shepherd et al., 2017).
You always want your coop to be as dry as possible, so it’s important that the moisture that gets absorbed into your chicken coop bedding is released and evaporated quickly. Dry coops harbor fewer pathogens, prevent foot lesions from forming on your chickens, and prevent or reduce frostbite in your chickens during the cold months.
Con #2: Peat moss bedding is dusty and can cause respiratory diseases in your chickens
Peat Moss tends to be incredibly dusty. One research team noted that peat moss dust was “noticeably higher than [pine] shavings,” and that this dust “may be an issue” for chickens (Shepherd et al., 2017, p. 523, 527). The research team notes that the dust lessens some as the birds add more and more moisture to the bedding.
Many chicken keepers who have tried peat moss in their coops have said they would never use it again because of all the dust. They said there was always a thick layer of grime on everything, and, for those who kept water in the coop, the water was always filthy.
A bigger concern about the dust is not just the grime, but the major detrimental effects it may have on your chickens' health. Chronic exposure to peat bedding may cause serious respiratory problems for animals. Research has shown that peat bedding has resulted in chronic pulmonary diseases in both horses and the farmers working with them (Airaksinen et al., 2005).
Chickens, having very sensitive respiratory systems, are very likely susceptible to these diseases as well. Keep in mind that your chickens are getting way more exposure to dust in the coop than you are as they live very close to the ground. With every step they take in the coop, they are kicking up peat moss bedding and inhaling it.
Although your chickens may not have respiratory problems immediately, the dust is most likely having a negative effect on them. Respiratory problems may pop up after long-term exposure (months or years), and you may not realize that the bedding you’ve been using is the problem.
At the very least, your chickens will suffer a lower quality of life, having to inhale all the dust every day.
Con #3: Peat bedding may contain bacteria and mold that can cause illness or death in your chickens
One of the scariest things about peat moss bedding is that it often harbors dangerous bacteria and molds that you aren’t able to see with your naked eye. This means that when your chickens inevitably inhale the peat dust, they may not be just inhaling respiratory irritants. They may also be inhaling toxic bacteria and molds.
Similarly, if your chickens eat some of the peat bedding, which many chicken keepers who have used peat attest that they do, they are eating these dangerous microorganisms.
Many livestock exposed to peat bedding have suffered serious illnesses from molds and/or bacteria that came from the peat. For example, large numbers of swine in Europe have been infected with Mycobacterium avium, which presumably came from the peat bedding they were using (Johansen et al., 2014).
This illness caused major economic losses for farmers, and major discomfort or pain for the pigs. When many of the European farmers discontinued using peat bedding, the infection occurrence in their stock went back down to normal levels.
The authors of this study concluded that:
The authors continued that “low pH, low oxygen content, and high organic matter are factors that have been correlated with increased levels of mycobacteria in soil samples, suggesting that peat might provide excellent conditions for M. avium” (p. 5).
Notably, Mycobacterium avium can cause avian tuberculosis in chickens, a respiratory disease that can result in your birds wasting away and becoming lame (Damerow, 2015). This disease has a 100% mortality rate.
Another study found the mold, Aspergillus fumigatus, in peat bedding (Airiksinen et al., 2005). This mold can cause acute Aspergillosis, or Brooder Pneumonia, in chicks, sometimes causing death (Damerow, 2015). In older chickens, this mold can cause chronic Aspergillosis, which may cause difficulty breathing, bluish combs, darkened skin, and twisted necks.
Airiksinen et al. (2005) also noted that horses who suffer from chronic bronchitis are more sensitive to Aspergillus fumigatus. This is important in regards to chickens as well.
If your chickens’ respiratory systems are weakened by illness, they will likely be more susceptible to the pathogens they are inhaling in peat moss. Similarly, if your chickens’ respiratory systems are weakened by the pathogens or dust irritants in peat moss, they will likely be more susceptible to outside respiratory infections.
One last study you should be aware of was conducted in a peat moss processing plant (Cayer et al., 2007). The authors wondered if the plant workers were inhaling mycobacteria in the peat moss dust that could potentially make them ill. To test this, they measured mycobacteria from peat samples and from air samples collected at the peat processing plant. The results of this study are frightening.
The authors found that the workers at the peat moss processing plant were inhaling many dangerous kinds of bacteria that were being released from the peat. When they tested workers’ IgG levels (i.e., antibodies), they found that the workers had experienced significant exposure to Mycobacterium avium and other mycobacteria pathogens.
Again, Mycobacterium avium can cause Avian Tuberculosis in chickens, which has a 100% mortality rate. These bacteria can survive for more than 6 months in bedding and up to 4 years in soil. This means that if all your chickens die and you bring new chickens in, they will likely die too if exposed to the same run.
The table below summarizes the bacterial data from the air samples (collected and analyzed by Cayer et al., 2007). The table includes the illnesses that are historically associated with each bacterial species, which is information provided by the authors. It also includes the sources they cited for these associations.
This data is significant because many of the airborne bacteria that were found at the peat moss plant are known to cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) and lung infections (Cayer et al., 2007). Whereas an older study attributed HP in some peat moss workers to mold infections (Cormier et al., 1998), this study suggests that mycobacteria may also be a culprit.
All of this information is pretty scary when considering using peat moss for bedding in your chicken coop. When studies document both dangerous bacteria and molds in at least some peat bedding (Cayer et al., 2007; Airiksinen et al., 2005), these are major red flags.
These studies are enough for me to swear off peat bedding altogether. I don’t want my chickens anywhere near these types of pathogens.
If You Still Want to Use Peat Moss in Your Coop…
Well, you now know the dangers of using peat moss bedding in your coop, and why this type of bedding is not safe for your chickens. If you still, for whatever reason, are intent on using peat moss, take some precautions.
What kind of peat moss to buy
First of all, make sure you are buying a supply of peat moss that doesn’t contain fertilizers or other chemicals. These substances are often toxic for chickens.
You’ll also want to decide if you want to buy less decomposed or more decomposed peat. One study found that weakly decomposed sphagnum peat contained more endotoxins than better decomposed peat (Airaksinen et al., 2005). However, the better decomposed peat had more fungi – i.e., mold. Apparently, you can’t win.
You do want to try to avoid peat that contains larger grained particles (4+ cm) as these can lead to swollen foot pads in your birds (Enueme et al., 1987; Enueme and Waibel, 1987).
How to use peat moss in your chicken coop
For your own safety, use a dust mask and safety glasses whenever you add, remove, or stir up peat moss bedding. You can use a heavy duty shovel or snow shovel to move spent peat moss out of the coop.
You can use either a shovel with holes in the blade or a fine tine pitchfork to remove droppings or other wet patches from the bedding. This will hopefully keep the pH of the peat moss low, and therefore, prevent ammonia build up.
The video below shows a horseman explaining how to maintain peat bedding:
For your chickens’ safety, make sure their coop has excellent ventilation. This won’t prevent them from getting sick, but it should slow it down and improve their quality of life.
For ideas on how to add more ventilation to your coop, check out my article, Chicken coop ventilation: 21 design ideas with pictures.
And please, check out my articles on Using straw for chicken coop bedding and Using sand for chicken coop bedding for much safer alternatives to peat moss. These bedding types are much better for your chickens’ health and happiness!
Peat Moss in the Brooder
Many factory farms use peat moss as brooder bedding, particularly those in Europe. You can see an example of one of these brooders below:
The chickens in the video above are factory farm broilers, which means they will only live a month or two before going to slaughter. Most of the problems that are caused by peat bedding won’t be seen in chickens this quickly, which is why factory farms can afford to disregard the dangers.
However, these farmers are taking a grave risk with Brooder Pneumonia, as one of the molds known to thrive in peat, Aspergillus fumigatus, can cause this illness in chicks (Airaksinen et al., 2005; Damerow, 2015).
Regardless, for those of us who love our chickens, and want them to live long and happy lives, peat moss is a horrible idea for brooder bedding.
One study noted that “young animals have a weak immune system and are more at risk of infections” (Johansen et al., 2014, p. 5). This particular study focused on peat moss and pigs, but this is very true for chicks as well. If you brood your chicks on peat moss that contains pathogenic bacteria or molds, you may have dead or sickly animals as a result.
Peat Moss Bedding in the Chicken Run
The truth is peat moss bedding in the chicken run has all the same problems as peat moss bedding in the chicken coop. You may be able to help counteract the high amount of peat moss dust if your run also contains leaves and a little moisture. However, the wet leaves and moisture will only help molds and bacteria to thrive, so you really can’t win.
Some chicken keepers sing the praises of peat moss in the run. Because peat moss is so absorbent, it can really help dry out a muddy run. Below is a YouTube video of one of these chicken keepers who happily uses peat moss in her run:
While it’s true that the peat moss will sponge up a lot of the water, which should help out the mud problem, this comes at a price. The high amount of moisture in the peat moss may be a breeding ground for pathogens. So be very careful if you decide to try peat moss in your run.
If your chickens get infected with some kind of mycobacteria, peat may be the culprit. Similarly, if your chickens start dying unexpectedly, the cause may be microscopic mold from your peat moss.
You may also be interested in:
The BEST luxury coop you’ll ever buy: Spoil your chickens with Rita Marie's
Sand for chicken coop bedding: Pros, cons, and how to do it right
Straw for chicken coop bedding: Pros, cons, and how to do it right
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Sources for using peat moss as chicken coop bedding
Airaksinen, S., Heiskanen, M., Heinonen-Tanski, H., Laitinen, J., Laitinen, S., Linnainmaa, M., and Rautiala, S., “Variety in Dustiness and Hygiene Quality of Peat Bedding.” Annals of Agricultural and Environmental Medicine, v. 12, no. 1, 2005, p. 53-59.
Bollert, E., Watt, B., Greening, A., and Crompton, G., “Non-tuberculosis pulmonary infections in Scotland: A cluster in Lothian?” Thorax, v. 50, no. 2, 1995, p. 53-59.
Cayer, M., Veillette, M., Pageau, P., Hamelin, R., Bergeron, M., Mériaux, A., Cormier, Y., and Duchaine, C., “Identification of mycobacteria in peat moss processing plants: application of molecular biology approaches.” Canadian Journal of Microbiology, v. 53, no. 1, 2007, p. 92-99.
Chaloupka, G., Loyd, R., Gordy, J., and Greene, L., “Evaluation of litter materials for broiler production.” Poultry Science, v. 46 (Abstract), 1967, p. 1242.
Cormier, Y., Israel-Assayag, E., Bedard, G., and Ducahine, C., 1998, “Hypersensitivity pneumonitis in peat moss processing plant workers.” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, v. 158, no. 2, 1998, p. 412-417.
Damerow, G., The Chicken Health Handbook. North Adams: Storey Publishing, 2015.
Emler, S., Rochat, T., Rohner, P., Perrot, C., Auckenthaler, R., Perrin, L., and Hirschel, B., “Chronic destructive lung disease associated with a novel Mycobacterium.” American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care, v. 150, no. 1, 1994, p. 261-265.
Enueme, J. and Waibel, P., “Research note: Comparison of reed-sedge peat with wood shavings as bedding for turkeys.” Poultry Science, v. 66, no. 12, 1987, p. 2063-2065.
Enueme, J., Waibel, P., and Farnham, R., “Use of Peat as a Bedding Material and Dietary Component for Tom Turkeys.” Poultry Science, v. 66, no.9, 1987, p. 1508-1516.
Everett, D., Vizzier-Thaxton, Y., McDaniel, C., and Kiess, A., “The Impact of Peat Moss Amendments on the Microbial Load in Used Pine Shaving Poultry Litter.” International Journal of Poultry Science, v. 12, 2013, p. 202-205.
Grimes, J., Smith, J., Williams, C., “Some alternative litter materials used for growing broilers and turkeys.” World’s Poultry Science Journal, v. 58, 2002, p. 515-526.
Johansen, T., Agdestein, A., Lium, B., Jørgensen, A., Djønne, B., “Mycobacterium avium subsp. hominissuis infection in swine associated with peat used for bedding.” BioMed Research International, 2014, p. 1-8.
Kaukonen, E., Norring, M., Valros A., “Evaluating the effects of bedding materials and elevated platforms on contact dermatitis and plumage cleanliness of commercial broilers and on litter condition in broiler houses.” British Poultry Science, v. 58, no. 5, 2017, p. 480-489.
Reischl, U., Emler, S., Horak, Z., Kaustova, J., Kroppenstedt, R., Lehn, N., and Naumann, L., “Mycobacterium bohemicum sp. nov., a new slow-growing scotochromogenic mycobacterium.” International Journal of Systematic Bacteriology, v. 48, no. 4, 1998, p. 1349-1355.
Shepherd, E., Fairchild, B., and Ritz, C., “Alternative bedding materials and litter depth impact litter moisture and footpad dermatitis.” The Journal of Applied Poultry Research, V. 26, no. 4, 2017, P. 518–528.