Breeder Bin Managing to Success - Module 4: Breeder Cycle Length 21 Days or ??!

Summary

In this video, Jayne from Rock and Worms delves into the 21-day breeder bin cycle for red wigglers, discussing its effectiveness compared to other composting worms like African night crawlers and Indian blues. Jayne questions the standard 21-day cycle, suggesting a 16-17 day cycle may be more efficient for her bins. She emphasizes the importance of timing to manage worm hatching and optimize casting quality, offering practical insights into maintaining breeder bins and improving worm breeding outcomes. Jayne encourages viewers to adapt worm-keeping practices to their specific needs and invites feedback on breeder bin management.

Takeaways

• 🐛 The video is part of a series on managing red wiggler worm breeder bins for success.
• 📅 The standard 21-day breeder bin cycle is discussed, but the presenter suggests that it may not be the optimal cycle for all worm species.
• 🔍 Jayne, the presenter, questions the 21-day cycle, sharing her thoughts on whether it's the best practice for red wigglers.
• 🕊 Jayne observes that other worm species, like African nightcrawlers and Indian blues, may have different breeding cycles.
• 📝 The importance of a flat surface in the breeder bin is highlighted, indicating a healthy worm population.
• 🧐 Jayne shares her experience that hatchlings appear earlier than the 21-day mark, sometimes as early as 14-15 days.
• 🌱 The hatching cycle of cocoons is mentioned to be around 20-27 days, but Jayne finds variations in her bins.
• 📦 The process of resetting the breeder bin is discussed, including the removal of breeders and the drying down of the bedding.
• 🌿 The presenter prefers to sift castings without many juvenile worms to avoid them ending up in the garden.
• 🤔 Jayne suggests considering a shorter or longer breeder bin cycle based on the specific conditions and behaviors of the worms.
• 🌳 The video encourages viewers to share their experiences and thoughts on managing breeder bins, emphasizing the value of shared knowledge.

Q & A

What is the main focus of Jayne's worm channel?

Jayne's worm channel primarily focuses on red wigglers, a type of composting worm, and shares information about managing breeder bins for success.

What is the significance of the 21 Day breeder bin cycle mentioned in the script?

The 21 Day breeder bin cycle is a standard practice for managing red wiggler breeder bins, but the script suggests that it might not be the optimal cycle for all situations.

Why does Jayne believe the 21 Day cycle might not be the best for her situation?

Jayne observes that in her breeder bins, there is a fair amount of hatching happening before the 21 days are up, suggesting that the cycle might be too long for her specific conditions.

What are 'red wigglers' in the context of the script?

Red wigglers are a type of composting worm that Jayne focuses on in her channel. They are known for their ability to efficiently break down organic matter.

How does Jayne manage the bedding in her breeder bins?

Jayne manages the bedding by ensuring it is moist, which is conducive to breeding, and then drying it down after resetting the breeder bin to make sifting more efficient.

What is the purpose of the 'piling up' procedure Jayne mentions?

The 'piling up' procedure helps Jayne to remove most of the cocoons from the old breeder bin cycle, starting the new cycle with as few cocoons as possible.

How does Jayne differentiate between worms that are breeders and those that are not?

Jayne looks for certain characteristics such as size and developmental stage. She gently picks out juveniles and places them in a holding bin.

What is the term used for the waste product of worm composting?

The term used for the waste product of worm composting is 'castings'.

Why might someone choose to extend the breeder bin cycle beyond 21 days?

One might choose to extend the cycle if the bedding is not breaking down quickly, as it gives the worms more time to breed without negatively affecting cocoon production.

What does Jayne suggest for managing the castings after sifting?

Jayne suggests sifting the castings and putting them directly into the garden or plants as soon as possible to avoid having to store them for an extended period.

What is the term 'finishing castings' referring to in the script?

Finishing castings refers to the process of allowing the castings to sit for a few months, typically three, to give any remaining worms and cocoons time to hatch and grow before being used in the garden.

Outlines

00:00

🐛 Introduction to Red Wiggler Breeder Bin Management

In this introductory paragraph, Jayne from Rock and Worms introduces the topic of the 21-day breeder bin cycle for red wigglers, a type of composting worm. She mentions that other worm species may have different cycles, but the 21-day cycle is considered the standard for red wigglers. Jayne expresses her thoughts on whether this cycle is truly optimal and sets the stage for a discussion on breeder bin management for success.

05:01

📅 The 21-Day Breeder Bin Cycle and Hatching Observations

Jayne discusses the typical 21-day breeder bin cycle, which is based on the hatching cycle of most worm cocoons. However, she notes that in her experience, hatchlings often appear earlier, around the 14th or 15th day. She explains that while the 21-day cycle is a rule of thumb, it may not be ideal for all situations. Jayne also describes her process of resetting the breeder bin and her preference for doing so before many hatchlings appear.

10:04

🔍 Identifying and Handling Juvenile Worms in Breeder Bins

In this paragraph, Jayne focuses on the presence of juvenile worms in the breeder bin, which can come from early-hatched cocoons or previous cycles. She explains her method of gently removing these juveniles and placing them into a holding bin with cocoons and unprocessed bedding. Jayne emphasizes the importance of finding a 'sweet spot' in the breeding cycle to minimize the presence of juveniles in the final castings.

15:04

🌱 Adjusting Breeder Bin Cycle Length for Different Bedding Conditions

Jayne explores the idea of adjusting the breeder bin cycle length based on the type of bedding used. If the bedding takes longer to break down, a longer cycle might be beneficial without negatively affecting cocoon production. She advises worm keepers to consider their specific circumstances and adjust the cycle accordingly to optimize worm breeding and bedding processing.

20:05

🤔 Reflecting on Breeder Bin Cycle Practices and Encouraging Discussion

In the concluding paragraph, Jayne invites viewers to share their thoughts and experiences with managing breeder bins and cycle lengths. She emphasizes the importance of learning from one another and adjusting practices based on individual worm keeping conditions. Jayne also encourages viewers to like, subscribe, and share the channel to support its growth.

Keywords

💡Red Wigglers

Red Wigglers are a type of composting worm, scientifically known as Eisenia fetida, which are commonly used in vermicomposting due to their ability to efficiently break down organic matter. In the video, the focus is on managing red wiggler breeder bins, emphasizing the 21-day cycle as a standard for their breeding and composting processes.

💡Breeder Bin

A breeder bin is a specific type of container used in vermicomposting to house worms that are intended for breeding. The script discusses managing a breeder bin for red wigglers, highlighting the importance of the 21-day cycle in the context of worm reproduction and composting efficiency.

💡21-Day Breeder Bin Cycle

The 21-Day Breeder Bin Cycle refers to the standard period of time recommended for managing a red wiggler worm bin, which is believed to be optimal for their breeding and the health of the composting process. The video questions the rigidity of this cycle, suggesting that it may not be universally applicable and that adjustments might be necessary based on specific conditions.

💡Cocoon

A cocoon is a protective casing spun by worms, in this case, red wigglers, in which they undergo the process of metamorphosis. The script mentions that most cocoons hatch between 20 to 27 days, but the presenter finds that hatchings often occur earlier, impacting the breeder bin management strategy.

💡Hatchlings

Hatchlings are the young worms that emerge from cocoons. The video discusses the observation of hatchlings appearing before the end of the 21-day cycle, which challenges the conventional wisdom and suggests a need to adjust the breeder bin reset timing to minimize their presence in the castings.

💡Worm Chow

Worm chow refers to the food provided to composting worms. In the script, it is mentioned that the presenter eyeballs the amount of worm chow given, which can affect the health and productivity of the worms in the breeder bin.

💡Bedding

Bedding in vermicomposting is the material that provides a habitat for the worms and helps in the composting process. The script discusses the moisture level of the bedding and its importance for the breeding of worms, as well as the need to dry down the bedding for efficient sifting.

💡Sifting

Sifting is the process of separating the composted material (castings) from the unprocessed bedding and cocoons in a worm bin. The video emphasizes the importance of sifting to avoid mixing hatchlings with the castings, which can be detrimental to the health of the garden when applied.

💡Casting

Casting, in the context of vermicomposting, refers to the nutrient-rich waste material produced by worms as they consume and process organic matter. The script discusses the desire to send castings to the garden as quickly as possible, rather than storing them for a longer period to allow for additional hatchings.

💡Worm Keepers

Worm keepers are individuals who maintain worm bins for composting purposes. The video script suggests that worm keepers have various practices and周期s for managing their breeder bins, indicating that there is no one-size-fits-all approach and that personal adjustments may be necessary.

💡Rules of Thumb

Rules of thumb are general guidelines or principles based on experience or practice. In the script, the 21-day breeder bin cycle is referred to as a rule of thumb, indicating that while it is a common practice, it may not be the best approach for every situation, and worm keepers should consider their specific circumstances.

Highlights

Introduction to the 21 Day Breeder Bin Cycle for Red Wigglers, a standard practice in worm composting.

Different composting worms, such as African Night Crawlers and Indian Blues, may have different breeding bin cycles.

The importance of a flat surface in breeder bins for optimal worm activity.

The discovery that hatchlings appear earlier than the 21-day cycle in breeder bins.

The challenge of separating cocoons from breeders to avoid early hatchlings in new bins.

The suggestion that the 21-day cycle may not be optimal for all conditions and setups.

The personal preference for resetting breeder bins around day 17 or 18 to avoid too many hatchlings.

The explanation of the 'piling up' procedure to remove most cocoons from old breeder bins.

The observation of juvenile worms in breeder bins, indicating early hatching from current cycle cocoons.

The practical approach of picking out juvenile worms and placing them in a holding bin.

The strategy to find a 'sweet spot' in the breeding cycle to maximize efficiency and minimize hatchlings in castings.

The consideration of drying down bedding before sifting to improve the process and reduce the inclusion of juveniles in castings.

The concept of 'finishing castings' and its role in allowing for additional hatching and growth of worms before use in gardens.

The option to extend the breeder bin cycle beyond 21 days if bedding takes longer to break down.

The emphasis on adapting the breeder bin cycle to individual worm-keeping circumstances for optimal results.

A call to action for worm keepers to share their experiences and learn from each other's practices.

Transcripts

hi everyone I'm Jayne at Rock and worms welcome to my worm Channel where we

focus mostly on red wigglers what I'm going to be talking to you about today

is the fourth module in my breeder bin managing for Success little series

and specifically this topic is going to talk about the 21 Day breeder bin cycle

that is practically carved and stone for managing your red Wiggler

breeder bins and I want to say red wiggler because other composting worms

use a different length of breeder bin cycling for example my understanding is

the African night crawlers use more of a fort 14 day cycle and even the Indian

Blues use a slightly shorter cycle than 21 days but red wigglers 21 days that's

the Canon except should it be and that's what I want to talk to you about today

because I have some thoughts on whether that 21 day cycle is really what I

should be using and what you should be using Okay so let's get into a breeder

bin that I do have to reset so you can have something better than me

to look at pulling back the newspaper they didn't eat the

newspaper a lot this time um I don't know if it's because I just

gave them a little bit more you know worm Chow because although I gave you

um you know my brooder bin feeding recipe so to speak I do eyeball it more

times than not but I am in that ballpark so sometimes I could you know give them

more warm chow or more vegetable powder than I do on other times also I do not

know exactly how many worms are in this breeder bin it should be somewhere

around 882 but I haven't counted them for uh

two cycles okay so first off uh before I get into the cycle length question you

can see this nice flat surface this is what you you should be seeing in your

breeder bins and even your girl out bins when you you know leave them alone for

at least a sub you know several days because they're worm action of you know

you know squiggling and wiggling and Diving down and Diving up tends to

flatten out the surface of your bin so if you ever go in into your bin and you

see that your top is all you know wonky woodled you know like this you know just

kind of all up and stuff and you think you've got worms in there be concerned

okay just as a heads up something's going on all right but anyways back to

today's topic so what I'm going to do is uh you know start pulling out

breeders out of this bin and talk to you about

the 21 Day breeder cycle now I will say that this specific bin is actually on

day 21 but I would prefer it to be more on day

17 or 18. um and let me tell you why

now the 21 Day cycle is the norm because

the hatching cycle for most cocoons not all cocoons but most cocoons is

somewhere around 20 3 to 27 days I've I've read you know

both numbers I don't know if again it's just that range for most of them because

cocoons will hatch when cocoons hatch okay so

um so 21 days however what I have found in my breeder

bins is that I get a fair amount of hatching AKA little you know wisps and

hatchlings way earlier than 21 days

um they start more at 14 15 you know that type of time frame and that's not

from cocoons that I think inadvertently became uh you know introduced to the new

breeder bin by you know sticking to the body of a breeder like for example you

can see right there there's a cocoon and it's kind of stuck to the breeder body

and also or simultaneously you know the little bit of bedding right and here's

some more okay so sometimes you know old older cocoons or cocoons from your

previous cycle do come along with your breeders

and you know so you're gonna get some hatching some Wisps in your breeder

bin you know it's almost unavoidable unless you're like really gonna spend a

lot of time making sure each and every cocoon does not go into your breeder bin

frankly I don't think it's worth your time to do that certainly not worth my

time a few little wisps um are not going to slow down the

breeding ability the meet and greet of your breeders to any significant amount

of time to be worth you know your time making sure all the cocoons absolutely

come out okay um and then of course I do this pile up

uh procedure now when I put my breeders in the new bin because

um that does help me get most of the cocoons out

you know out of the old breeder cycle and uh so the new breeder bin

cycle starts with as few cocoons as possible but anyways back to the um yeah

the 21 Day cycle so I find that I get a fair amount of hatchings before the 21

days is up even from newly laid cocoons and

I think one the uh cocoon hatching cycle isn't as well known as we

like to think it is here is a juvenile right here can you see that

let me uh put them out okay so this juvenile can either be from a cocoon

that hatched very early on in the 21 Day breeder bin cycle or it could be what I

was just talking about a a a wisp that hatched

early in the bin cycle but it came from a cocoon from the previous cycle if you

follow that and what I'm going to do with this little guy

is I'm just gonna pick them out let me pick them out

gently gently oh he's longer than I thought he was okay

and I'm going to put him into this holding bin here which is uh you know

cocoons and unprocessed bedding that I sifted out of a a different breeder bit

okay and uh so anyway so that's an example of

uh you know what you can find in your breeder bins that aren't breeders right

and I'm sure I will come across some much smaller hatchlings as I go through

this because when I reset my other bins I certainly did but all right so cocoons

hatch when they hatch right and it's you know 21 days 23 days 27 days but

sometimes I think it is less because I am you know seeing

really small young babies in my bins that have to be

from I'm just looking to see if I can find any right off the top that have to

be from cocoons from this current cycle so since I want to

have as few as these wisps

and hatching cocoons in my new breeder bin as possible I want to do the breeder

bin reset in that sweet spot between having the

Breeders have enough time to you know breed and and also process the uh the

bedding so I get a good casting call out of it as well but before I get a lot of

babies because sifting with babies is not you

know not the greatest thing to do because

those little babies oh that's not one these little babies will go through

the uh you know the screening of the 1 8 and then sometimes you know

through the 112th as well here's another juvenile

that is from an older cocoon okay

again I'm just going to put that in there

I'm thinking this bin was set up right before I started this new process of of

piling up my breeders so I could better

take off their tacumes that do stick to their body

and that's why I'm getting a you know a few more older worms now what I'm hoping

for again is to come across some babies to show you in this bin now I will admit

that it's a little bit harder for me to find things when I'm talking to you

because you know I'm concentrating on what I'm saying and not quite as much as

what I'm seeing in the bin and uh you know or the activity that I'm doing

picking out these worms so let me see if I can find

some babies

yeah they're gonna they're gonna make a liar out of me

darn worms okay anyways the fact of the matter is

whether we find any in here right now while I'm you know working on this

they're there okay I can tell you 100 they're there I've seen them many times

so since I don't want to sift with a a lot of juveniles or babies in

my castings okay my my leftover bedding what I want to do again is find that

sweet spot where the Breeders have enough time to do their breeding job but

the cocoon's really really really don't have time to hatch

okay so what I'm figuring out is that for me The Sweet

Spot is right around day 16 day 17. now that also gives me a day or two

to dry down this bedding because the bedding in the

breeder bin is very moist because breeders do better breeding jobs when

their bedding is very moist but of course if it's very moist it's also very

very hard to sift so if I can reset my breeder bins say a day you know 16 and

by resetting I mean pull out the Breeders and put them in their new

breeder bin that means in the old breeder bin what I have is just process

bedding cocoons and whisks so I can then dry down that combination

much drier than I would if I still had the breeders

in it and because I can dry down the bedding with the the cocoons and with

some of the juveniles in it much drier that means I can sift it out much more

efficiently all right and again if I have less hatches

when I'm sifting I'm not getting a lot of babies into my castings because I

prefer to basically sift my castings and put

them in my castings bucket and get them out to the Garden get them out to the

plants as soon as I can okay um lots of worm keepers

will finish their castings which is just the term used

for putting your castings in your castings bucket but not

putting them out into your garden for several months usually about three

months seems to be the norm the average because that three-month time frame does

give any wisps and cocoons that are in your castings a chance to hatch and also

grow up enough that they can beat feet to a bait cup and then get captured in

that bait cup and easily pulled out of the castings put back into uh you know

grow out bin for example and then the quote cleaner castings can go out to the

Garden okay so that's just what finishing your castings means but again

I don't have a lot of extra storage space so if I have storage space I

actually want to be putting a worm bin in there and not a castings bucket so

those casting buckets I want to keep to a minimum

and that means I you know send my castings out to the Garden as quickly as

possible all right so here's another thing too uh you know

itself when you're thinking about gee do I you know want to go with a 21 day

cycle or do I want to make it shorter which is what I'm talking about but

maybe you can go with a longer breeder bin

cycle now why could you or would you want to do that

well if you're using bedding that perhaps your worms do not process and

break down into the uh you know massive amounts of castings in their breeder bin

right if your bedding is primarily unprocessed it just takes longer than a

21 day cycle then you know you can just leave your your breeders in there

there's plenty of bedding and food and they're already dealing with probably a

fair amount of quote obstacles in their way to meet and greet because if your

bedding isn't you know breaking down quickly into these finer particles your

worms when they're trying to find each other are kind of like bumping in to you

know your your your shred your leaves you know whatever is in your your straw

whatever is in your bedding that are larger particles and you know

working their way around that to find their mate so if they happen to be also

working around um you know baby worms or or cocoons you

know how much of a an additional hindrance is that really probably not

that much which means on the good side you know you can let that breeder bin go

a little bit longer maybe even a couple weeks longer than 21 days and not

negatively affect overall your cocoon production

all right and what the longer here here's a worm here's a baby right here

finally yay okay right here seam right there okay

so this is a a hatchling and he's you know I don't know what his

birth date is oh here's another one and here's another one okay so here I

found a pocket here let me get rid of this little handful of breeders there we

go all right so this is what I'm talking about this is a 21 day old breeder bin

and these are hatchlings that are you know at least the day or two days old

maybe even more you know like I said I don't know I don't know their lives

right I don't know their birthdays but this is what I'm talking about because

if I'm sifting these castings okay it's very

easy for these very small worms to be attached to a piece

of uh castings of batting and go through my sifts okay so if I can just you know

catch them before they're hatched and they're in those cocoons it's easier for

the sieves the sifters at the uh 112th level to catch these cocoons so they

don't go into your castings all right does that make some sense all

right what I'm going to do is just take a second here and gently get these guys

off of my gloves as best I can it's a little hard because they like to

stick and I gotta reach over the bed but all right that's fine it's fine I got it

okay thank you um all right so there is an example

of um you know hatching that goes on in

your bin before the 21 Day and like I said if you're in a position

where you know your bedding is lasting longer than 21 days

then you know Let it go longer than 21 days it's probably not going to make

much of a difference on your on your breeder production all right

so uh that's what I wanted you to just start thinking about just start

considering what works best for you um you know we have lots of rules of

thumb in Warren keeping the 21 Day breeder bin

cycle is one of them but you know it is a rule of thumb it shouldn't be taken as

again etched in stone you need to think about

what works best for you and your worms and what your specific circumstances are

and how things can and should be adjusted so the

outcome is the best you can get all right so that's what it is if you have

any questions or comments about how you run your Buddha bins and what you're

doing as far as your breeder bin cycle length I'd love to hear about it because

again we always can learn from each other all right so I hope you have a

good day oh don't forget to like And subscribe and share if you can the

channel is growing very nicely and of course I'd like to continue to have that

happen all right so I am yours in the dirt Jayne