Muddy feet!

ksguy said:

I think a huge factor to be considered about wood chips is your climate. In a climate that sees a low relative humidity between rainfall, the chips can dry out and mold will not be able to set in. In a more warm, humid climate - such as what we see around here (NE Kansas), mold is a certainty. We keep wood mulch in our flower beds out front, and it's only 2-3" deep. Guaranteed every year when I rake it up to replace it, down about 1.5" we'll have white mold. I can't imagine the moldy mess I'd have if I kept 8-10" of wood chips anywhere around here.

Personally, I'd never use deep litter wood chips in the run for that very reason - especially not a covered run that gets minimal sunlight to contribute to drying. But, if it works for somebody else, I won't argue with them.

In my climate, I'd use coarse construction sand. It won't dry all the way through, but it also won't mold.

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RonP said:

Interesting...

Is that white mold you see identified as Aspergillus fungus, or another type considered harmful?

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ksguy said:

Couldn't tell you. I'm not a mycologist nor have I sent the stuff to a lab. I'll tell you this, though - I'm not about to snort a line of the stuff or eat it on a sandwich. The only mold I'm OK with comes on high quality cheese.

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