Controlling Litter Moisture and Ammonia

Why is it that new or recently cleaned out houses tend to have more litter caking problems than houses with built-up litter? Is it because the floor is not quite as dry in a new or recently cleaned out house? Or, could it be that the litter is deeper in a house with built-up litter, and therefore capable of holding more moisture? Or, maybe it’s a combination of the two? The answer to this mystery could lie in observations made on a new broiler farm last winter.