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Peat moss has been found to be useful as a plant growth substance, fertilizer, and soil solution. It is not known, however, whether dietary peat moss affects performance in broilers. In the present study, we investigated the effects of dietary peat moss as a feed ingredient in broilers. Experimental diets were prepared by mixing basal feed with PM at 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.8, and 1.6%. In experiment 1, 150 14-day-old Ross broiler chicks were housed for 2 weeks in 15 pens that were randomly assigned into five groups (0.0%, 0.2%, 0.4%, 0.8% and 1.6% PM). Dietary peat moss at 0.2% and 0.4% significantly increased the water intake, body weight, weight gain and feed efficiency compared with the control (0.0% PM, P<0.05) but did not affect feed intake. Higher levels of PM (0.8 and 1.6%) significantly decreased feed intake, body weight and weight gain. In experiment 2, 198 7-day-old Ross chicks were housed for 3 weeks in nine pens that were randomly assigned into three groups (0.0%, 0.2% and 0.4% PM). When the broilers were fed with dietary peat moss for 3 weeks, the peat moss effects disappeared. The results of the current study show that low amounts of dietary peat moss may exert beneficial effects on performance in broilers.

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