Deep litter method

[joan1708]

Some strains of E coli are taken up into the roots of the plant, so washing the vegetable will not get rid of it because the contamination is inside. This has been on the news. Cooking the vegetable would get rid of it. But who cooks their lettuce?

 

[joan1708]

This is an excerpt from "Food Safety News - Take care to avoid risk with backyard chickens" dated 6-13-11

Brad Henderson said there is some risk of pathogen contamination if fresh chicken manure is put directly on food gardens. However, if given enough sun, heat and time, chicken manure that goes through the composting process will be stripped of any harmful bacteria. Chicken manure should be cured for 45-60 days before adding it to a vegetable bed, according to a report compiled by Judy Duncan, King County Master Gardener and WSU Cooperative Extension livestock advisor (http://seattletilth.org/learn/resources-1/city-chickens/compostingchickenmanure). During the curing process, no more chicken manure should be added. Since chicken manure is so nitrogen-rich, the compost heats up more quickly, killing any harmful bacteria in a shorter amount of time than most other types of manures, said Sheri Hinshaw, environmental educator for the Seattle Tilth Garden Hotline.

“When you add compost to your garden it should be dark, crumbly, and sweet-smelling,” Hinshaw said. “But Salmonella is very rare in composted chicken manure.”

According to Duncan’s report, fresh chicken manure has the highest chance of contaminating crops such as carrots, radishes, beets, lettuce and spinach. However, appropriately composting the manure should kill any potentially harmful bacteria. A compost temperature gauge can be purchased to see if the compost is between 130-150 degrees Fahrenheit, which is the temperature required to kill harmful bacteria. However, if a temperature gauge isn’t handy, then letting the compost cure for 45-60 days will do the trick.

People who are especially at risk if exposed to Salmonella should avoid eating uncooked vegetables from gardens that use any type of manure. These at-risk groups include pregnant women, young children, and people with chronic diseases. Chicken manure can also be used without risk of food-contamination by adding it to a flower garden instead.

 

[Arielle]

So now I am curious as to how much E coli the body can handle. THe state allows swimming at lakes and rivers if the count is below 104, which is certainly not zero. THese are the same swimming holes that uare most often used by families, inclding young children and pregnant women. Children often gulp down water while playing, while this is less likely by the adults.

I'm all for reducing unnnecessary contamination of the food supply. ANyone know how long after the hens drop their poo that it is safe-- as in the E coli and samonella are dead? Does the sun and exposure to the elements kills these?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Most of that was answered in the post above yours

 

[Hokum Coco]

Let us put things into prospective.
Things have changed over the generations our immune systems have deteriorated over the years. People reach for an antibiotic now without once thinking of the consequences.

If you were to roll a ball of cat hair, peanut butter, tuna, or shell fish, chalk dust, and God knows what other ingredients that are banned through schools today it would cause a hospital emergency and a shortage on EpiPens.

When I was going to school no thought was given to any of this.

Is this progress???.

 

[Baygirl]

I am new to the group. I have been reading about the deep method of keeping the coops. I keep seeing everyone saying I throw in DE in the bedding. Can someone tell me what DE is?

Thanks!!! Baygirl

 

[Beekissed]

I've got news for you all...e.coli is being ingested by you pretty much on a daily basis and it lives in pretty much every single bowel on this planet. The e.coli that has become a danger is derived from commercial ag manure sources wherein the animals have been fed broad spectrum antibiotics to keep them alive and growing in a CAFO environment. That e.coli is resistant to medication due to this repeated medication of the livestock...they've labeled it E. coli ST131 and it is growing and growing in our commercial food sources. When you read those news stories about deaths from unwashed vegetables they rarely mention the strain of e.coli that is the culprit, but this is the one. It's strong, it's lethal and they have little resources to battle it because it has grown resistant to many antibiotics.

Regular, run of the mill e.coli from your bowels, the dog's bowels, the cat's and the chicken's is not going to be the one that sickens you unless you are already immunocompromised. You eat those every single day from the surfaces in your home, the store, the public restrooms, doctor's offices, school, etc. It's seriously not likely that you are going to ingest a e.coli strain sucked from the soil by your lettuce, derived from your own chickens, that will sicken you unto death....unless, of course, you keep dosing your flock with antibiotics and other meds every time they have a sniffle or a runny butt.

That's something to consider when you decide on your flock management in regards to your food supply.

 

[lahaskell]

I have read that when you do the deep litter method you should add a thin layer of diamaceous earth (DE) to the little to help keep the litter dry & fresh. I went to buy it & there were so many warnings on the packaging that I left it in the store & decided to do a little more research before adding it to the litter. Any advice on this?

Also, I just cleaned my coop out to add the dry little for the winter months. Can I apply the stuff I cleaned out directly to my garden that i just cleaned out?

 

[Beekissed]

I have read that when you do the deep litter method you should add a thin layer of diamaceous earth (DE) to the little to help keep the litter dry & fresh. I went to buy it & there were so many warnings on the packaging that I left it in the store & decided to do a little more research before adding it to the litter. Any advice on this?

Also, I just cleaned my coop out to add the dry little for the winter months. Can I apply the stuff I cleaned out directly to my garden that i just cleaned out?

You seriously do not need DE in your litter to keep it dry or fresh. I've never used DE and my coop smells of nothing...literally..just earthy but no smells of manure or chicken, even after it rains and the bedding is wet from it. DL can be managed quite simply with the use of ventilation and judicious addition of the right materials...these can be found cheaply or even free, depending upon where you live.

DE is nonspecific in its action and can kill beneficial bugs you may be wanting in your DL to help break down the manure there so that it binds more easily with your carbonaceous materials.

 

[Lacy Blues]

I've got news for you all...e.coli is being ingested by you pretty much on a daily basis and it lives in pretty much every single bowel on this planet. The e.coli that has become a danger is derived from commercial ag manure sources wherein the animals have been fed broad spectrum antibiotics to keep them alive and growing in a CAFO environment. That e.coli is resistant to medication due to this repeated medication of the livestock...they've labeled it E. coli ST131 and it is growing and growing in our commercial food sources. When you read those news stories about deaths from unwashed vegetables they rarely mention the strain of e.coli that is the culprit, but this is the one. It's strong, it's lethal and they have little resources to battle it because it has grown resistant to many antibiotics.

Regular, run of the mill e.coli from your bowels, the dog's bowels, the cat's and the chicken's is not going to be the one that sickens you unless you are already immunocompromised. You eat those every single day from the surfaces in your home, the store, the public restrooms, doctor's offices, school, etc. It's seriously not likely that you are going to ingest a e.coli strain sucked from the soil by your lettuce, derived from your own chickens, that will sicken you unto death....unless, of course, you keep dosing your flock with antibiotics and other meds every time they have a sniffle or a runny butt.

That's something to consider when you decide on your flock management in regards to your food supply.

Definitely! If I had the ability to form an "intelligent" response, I would have said the same thing!