Too much peat moss?

[Scarlet fever]

We live in a small town where sand is not really an option to fill our huge run so we filled the whole thing with peat moss. They’re just going in their run now after being inside the house and they’re eating and digging through it (as predicted). Our run is covered and doesn’t get wet so I’m not worried about it going moldy, but can they eat too much peat moss since its the only thing they have? We do have a small bowl of grit for them beside their food.

Our grass was not suitable for them to go on (fertilizers, snow mold, super muddy area). The top soils all had fertilizer (this has perlite but it’s not the white dots).

Any suggestions or advice?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If it's 100% peat moss it should be fine for now, chickens love the stuff. I don't know how it'll hold up as litter over time as I've never tried it before (I use it for dirt baths, if it gets wet it can start getting clumpy). If they're chicks being out for the first time I'd expect them to eat some of it, because that's just what they do when they're exploring the space.

 

[Scarlet fever]

If it's 100% peat moss it should be fine for now, chickens love the stuff. I don't know how it'll hold up as litter over time as I've never tried it before (I use it for dirt baths, if it gets wet it can start getting clumpy). If they're chicks being out for the first time I'd expect them to eat some of it, because that's just what they do when they're exploring the space.

I thought it said it’s one part peat moss and one part perlite, but that was instructions for a mixture for a certain plant- pretty sure it’s 100% peat moss- we’re gonna go out to get a few buckets of concrete sand to dump on top

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought it said it’s one part peat moss and one part perlite, but that was instructions for a mixture for a certain plant- pretty sure it’s 100% peat moss- we’re gonna go out to get a few buckets of concrete sand to dump on top

I would check to know for sure, I don't see perlite in the photo though.

I don't have experience with sand in a run or a run that's not on soil, so not sure if that's a good advisable or not.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I don't have experience with sand in a run or a run that's not on soil, so not sure if that's a good advisable or not.

By adding sand to peat you're making the same soil that I have as I live on a River, Forest. You just want to make sure to get course river sand it will be safe for chickens. My chickens love the dust bath factor.