Ensuring poultry units are cost effective and healthy for the crop is the primary concern for all Laying Hen, broiler chickens, duck, and turkey and farmers.
Bedding your poultry in comfort and cleanliness is a key factor in the health and productivity of your crop. Beddings are not just there to absorb moisture and excrements from your birds but also to maintain comfort and health in their housed environment. So, Why is Peat Bedding a better choice than Straw or Wood Shavings?
The Facts:
Moisture Absorption
With wood chips and wood shavings, (depending on the tree type and particle size) there is an absorption rate between 2.5 and 4.0. So, even the best Wood Shavings (if they are sized correctly for bedding) will hold 4 times their own weight in moisture. Chopped Straw does not do well in the absorption to weight ration clocking at best 2.5 time’s it’s own weight in moisture absorption. Wood Chips ddings can cause knock on effects such as additional layers of bedding, which can harbor and promote dirt and smell. Peat Bedding Holds 10 times it’s own Weight in water. So I KG of Peat will hold 10 Liters of Water or moisture. In average conditions a single application of Peat Bedding will maintain a Clean Dry and healthy environment for your crop throughout its housed lifetime
PH Value
Why is the PH Value of you bedding Important? Poultry urine has a high content ratio of active ammonia which has a PH Value of 11.6. When bedding is left untreated ammonia has a strong odor. Straw has an average PH Value between 8.5 and 9.5 which does very little to counter the ammonia PH level. Wood shavings (Douglas Fir for Instance) has a Ph Value of 6 which will only marginally counter the negative environmental effects of the Ammonia. But Peat bedding is the winner again with a VERY LOW PH value of 4, which, will totally neutralize the High alkaline Value of the Ammonia in Poultry Urine promoting a healthier environment for your poultry to grow in.
PH and Bacteria
Laboratory Research has shown that foul dirt and smells have severe negative health effects on your poultry. Your poultry crop will not thrive in high PH environments. Chopped Straw’s relatively neutral Ph value does very little to stop dirt and foul smells. While wood shavings do have a low ph value, most shavings available on the market are of mixed woods and have varying and undependable PH values Peat bedding’s consistent value of 4 gives a safer, more dependable way of bedding
Poultry Comfort
Every farmer knows the more comfortable and healthy any farmed animal is, the better it will thrive and the more profit it will make. Chickens natural habitat is to scrape, scratch and dust them selves. Peat Bedding promotes this natural animal habit and with it’s high moisture absorption rate eliminates caking often found in traditional bedding underneath your drinkers and at the edges of your unit. With the extended House time for laying Hens Using peat bedding gives you 10 – 1 moisture absorbency. That means less scratch bedding change. Peat Bedding is the best choice call +353 (0)47 51557 Ext. 5