Raising Chickens Near Growing Mushroom

[junglechef]

We have a 300 sq mt chicken house w/10 layers and on the back of it with a bamboo wall between them is a small mushroom grow room. Seem to be growing ok as we are just learning and for sure are making some mistakes but I was told this was really bad, given the reason because of bacteria. Was interested in others opinions as I can not find anything on my internet searches and would like an explanation opposed to just a statement before I make any changes if necessary. It is just a hobby (not selling) and we are not growing from spores (we buy the logs) but would like to have the best output and healthy conditions for my families eating pleasure.

[Pond Life]

In my experience, most Thai farming "wisdom" is nothing more than superstition or someone stupid trying to look knowledgeable.

Experimentation is the best way to find what works in your situation/location.

[junglechef]

Supposably the word of some expert from BKK and also told by an Agriculture Grad from CMU but might make sense but not exactly for reason they said. So many factors and one thing I have observed is the experimenting here is they change so many things if something does not work, not having a real constant to compare with, that no one knows really what's going on.

[RedBullHorn]

In my opinion, it is better safe than sorry... i wouldn't want chicken shit bacteria to contaminate a perfectly edible mushroom. In my village, there's an old timer who insist on his old school way of integrating his pig sty next to his chicken shed and chickens freely access the sty contaminating drinking water and food feeder while the pigs lick on droppings like ice cream on floor. Why bother, pigs are dirty naturally he said as he has been practicing raising them this way for decades and not worry about cross contamination... even when 11 of his pigs and 7 of his chickens died he is still in denial.

The viruses and germs present days are not the same decades ago, unlike their host they've evolve and develop resistance. Hardly anyone would drink rain water anymore this days compare to 30 40 years ago especially when it is man-made rain or worst... acid rain.

I'd advise that you separate them to within a convenient distance...

[ozzydom]

A quick solution may be to seal the bamboo dividing wall with black plastic sheeting.

[Pacificperson]

Can you spell Samonella? Do you want to always have to cook your mushrooms?

[oldestswinger]

Yes,.....salmonella

[junglechef]

Actually we do cook the mushrooms but never really considered the salmonella aspect, very good point. But the question I was asking was if it will effect the growing. Since then we have had a mushroom farmer look and say that the logs would be full of bugs so I opened one up and no bugs and then, you know how it goes, just saying more unsubstantiated "facts' to cover their, well you know what too. Anyways I've moved some of the logs to compare the difference. Another point they said it was too dark, perhaps another reason, not sure, but will test that theory too. I'm enjoying learning and eating when they do produce so any more words of wisdom would be appreciated.

[RedBullHorn]

There's a Chinese phrase... Translated means " illness finds its way in by the mouth " (or open wound)... be safe~

Edited July 24, 2012 by RedBullHorn

[junglechef]

Thanks for your concern, I am quite careful but have gotten sick a few times from being too adventurous. Being a chef in my past life I am trained (and licensed) in food sanitation and continue to education myself of many aspects of food, health and safety esp. that I now have three young children. I am finding my happy place between living sanitized and dangerous.

Edited July 24, 2012 by junglechef

[oyster]

Actually we do cook the mushrooms but never really considered the salmonella aspect, very good point. But the question I was asking was if it will effect the growing. Since then we have had a mushroom farmer look and say that the logs would be full of bugs so I opened one up and no bugs and then, you know how it goes, just saying more unsubstantiated "facts' to cover their, well you know what too. Anyways I've moved some of the logs to compare the difference. Another point they said it was too dark, perhaps another reason, not sure, but will test that theory too. I'm enjoying learning and eating when they do produce so any more words of wisdom would be appreciated.

Actually we do cook the mushrooms but never really considered the salmonella aspect, very good point. But the question I was asking was if it will effect the growing. Since then we have had a mushroom farmer look and say that the logs would be full of bugs so I opened one up and no bugs and then, you know how it goes, just saying more unsubstantiated "facts' to cover their, well you know what too. Anyways I've moved some of the logs to compare the difference. Another point they said it was too dark, perhaps another reason, not sure, but will test that theory too. I'm enjoying learning and eating when they do produce so any more words of wisdom would be appreciated.

I will assume you are growing Oysters - they do like daylight - and will grow toward it. With regard to bugs - when they smell the mushrooms, they think food!!! which is why commercial growers have purpose built sheds - stay with it-

[junglechef]

Thanks Oyster, actually in the last year since my OP we have expanded to grow up to 6 different varieties at a time. I found that in my old mushroom room I was missing a cross breeze and now grow inside the sala where I grow orchids which is in the organic veggie plot. Well you have good timing as it's about time to grow again and I'm looking to buy "logs" of any kind. Any leads anyone?

[ad61]

Hi junglechef!

is there any chance to see a picture or two of your chicken house? i'am in the process of building one and would love to see yours.

thanks a lot!

[zeichen]

Place your mushroom huts far from your chicken coops. As stated before salmonella can be transferred through the feces and would make anyone sick eating the raw mushrooms.

oyster mushrooms (I like the thai name angel mushrooms better) can be grown on straw logs stuffed inside clear poly bags. For fruiting the straw mushrooms like low levels of light and slightly more air. there are so many techniques for growing and the easiest is the small bags stacked horizontally with a small opening in the front.(see mushroom farming thread)

http://www.mushroomvideos.com/BRF-Pf-Tek

this will give you an idea on how to clone your own mushrooms and how easy it is to do small scale crops with using a pressure cooker. Packdee shows a technique using coconut water and food grade agar to make spore clones. (I use petri dishes but he recommends sterilzed whisky bottles.

You then take slices of your spore plates that have no contamination, and put little segments into a jar of prepared grains (soaked and pressure cooked, can be a bag or mason jar) After leaving the jar in a warm dark environment for 1-2 weeks depending on species the white spores mycillia will cover the entire area. You can either place on your substrate or do a grain to grain transfer making more bags. I make 10 1qt jars then do gtg transfer to 10-1, giving me 100 jars of grain spawn that covers quite a few square meters of growing surface.

If you don't want to get involved in creating your own spawn. and only need a few bags of grain spawn, Packdee has a few varieties that he could ems to you. Locally go to the agricultural department at CMU or MAejo. both have mycology departments. There is also a guy named mario in CM that has some threads about mushroom farming and he sells bags ready to go.

[oyster]

Thanks Oyster, actually in the last year since my OP we have expanded to grow up to 6 different varieties at a time. I found that in my old mushroom room I was missing a cross breeze and now grow inside the sala where I grow orchids which is in the organic veggie plot. Well you have good timing as it's about time to grow again and I'm looking to buy "logs" of any kind. Any leads anyone?

Talk to me, we started by buying logs at 7 Tbt, just about broke even - but that was because we had the set up all wrong - so did some (a lot!) of reading Paul Stametts, and built a purpose made mushroom shed, stocked with 3000 pots - now at 8Tbt. better but not fantastic. Looked at several large mushroom farms,all selling pots, but upon inspecting their sheds - not really growing any mushrooms. So had a rethink - again -..... we now make our own pots - the latest flush over three days produced 76 kilos. It's taken four years and a lot of time and effort; but what else do you do if you don't want to live in a bar.

I have come to the conclusion that the average mushroom farm is more interested in selling pots at 8 now up to 10 Tbt a pot than growing mushrooms.

I'm of to France for a week, so may miss the thread, but you can reach me on [email protected] Chok Dee