Any tips for pellet beds?

[Vickijay]

Hello,

I have swapped one of my stables over to pellets as a trial run to see how I get on with them.

I just wondered if people could tell me how you look after your beds so I can find out what's best for me.

Thank you

 

[soulfull]

I use a mix of pellets and shavings as I like bed to still be fluffy lol

I sprinkle pellets in areas where mare wets. Get them up every other day or when really wet.

 

[Sandstone1]

I'm I interested in this too as I'm changing to wood pellets for this winter. Never used before. I have bought some lwp to start and just wonder how many bags to use in a fully rubber matted 12x12. Only really want half bed. Very wet horse which is why I'm trying wood pellets.

 

[9tails]

About 10-12 bags to start Elliesmemory1. Lay them in their bags in the stable and make a cross on the front of the bag then tip a small bucket of water in. Wait an hour for them to fluff up then tip them out of the bag. Some parts will be solid but easily broken down with a shavings fork. Spread and rake then add horse overnight. I swirl and cover the wet with cleaner pellets and use a shavings fork to sift the poo out. Most important, don't let hay become mixed into the bedding as this will become a carrier for the wet. The bed will get bigger but also go darker over time as poo juice gets soaked in. I only scrape the top off the wet when I can no longer cover it up without creating a mound. The bottom of the bed becomes very solid even where the horse doesn't wee but I don't remove this.

 

[stilltrying]

I have the 15k bags and start with 6 or 8. Tip them out and then water the bed with a watering can. Probably about 1 watering can per bag of pellets. once watered fork through to activate, then leave. And you should end up with a nice pale fluffy bed, with a few whole pellets sprinkled through.

My horse is messy, so like to muck out properly every day. I take the poo out with a pooper scooper, and any little bits with a metal shavings fork (plastic forks break under the weight).

As for the week patches, i find the wee (usually in same spot), kick away the dry bedding surrounding it, then sweep away any loose / dry bedding from the top of week pile/sides and then just get rid of it. About twice a week i add a bag of whole dry pellets (without watering) and mix them through and they activate with the dampness in the bedding.

If you have a tidy horse you could probably get away with one bag a week, and your bed will stay relatively pale, but if you have stomper like me who makes a mess, the bed will darken over the winter as someone said above, the poo juice comes out and stains it. I dont worry about that.

I absolutely love wood pellets, they contain the smell so much better. I can actually muck out and stop at the supermarket after without fear of eviction!