Bedding for new foal

[Marigold4]

Foal and mum are coming home ftom stud on Wednesday! I've taken out partition between two stables, so stable is now 12 x26 ft. Concrete floor with rubber mats on top. Foal will be one week old. Should I use straw or aubiose as bedding? I usually use aubiose but understand that new borns are usually kept on straw? Or is that just for first few days?

 

[gallopingby]

I always foal on straw, much the safest bedding to use but once a little older l move back to usual shavings or aubiose if l can get it. As long as the mare and foal are settled and going out to play l don’t think it matters too much. If you have access to good clean straw you could use that for the first month otherwise l wouldn’t worry.

 

[Marigold4]

I always foal on straw, much the safest bedding to use but once a little older l move back to usual shavings or aubiose if l can get it. As long as the mare and foal are settled and going out to play l don’t think it matters too much. If you have access to good clean straw you could use that for the first month otherwise l wouldn’t worry.

THank you for your reply. Foaling was on straw. I prefer to use aubiose just because I waste less and spend less on muck heap removal, so I'll go with aubiose then.

 

[eggs]

I found that straw on rubber mats could get a bit slippy and the wee runs through the straw and under the mats. I generally took the mats out and put a thick straw bed down. My understanding is that straw is always recommended for foaling as there is a chance the foal could i inhale small shavings particles.

As your foal is now safely on the ground it probably doesn't matter what bedding you use.

 

[Xmasha]

i always use straw until the foals umbilical cord has dried up and dropped off.

 

[Horseysheepy]

Straw, lots of it.