Bedding options?

[Jingleballs]

Can anyone suggest a good, cheap alternative to shavings that works well on rubber mats?

Shavings are quite expensive these days and are getting hard to come by. My yard currently uses paper bedding which is pretty good and reasonably cheap but the supplier has advised that the price is going to go pu b around £1 a bale.

Can anyone recommend any alternatives - we don't deep litter and still give the hores a reasonably sized beds.

 

[3Beasties]

I use Straw with my Rubber Mats. Works quite well and is a lot cheaper then Shavings. I pay £1.50 a bale.

 

[kerilli]

Ecobed cardboard bedding on top of matting works really well, it is as absorbent as shavings, cleaner, doesn't break down to dust with use. i've used it for years and really rate it.

 

[Natassia]

I've just changed to straw from shavings and I have rubber mats, is works well and I find it easier to muck out, and its 1/2 the price! I would only say that if your horse is really wet maybe put a v thin layer of shavings at the bottom to absorb it. I tend to leave my bed up every day though, because I'm worried about the smell and the mats seem to get a bit wetter with straw so I like to let them dry out every day.
If your horse is allergic you could try Megazorb, I used this at my old yard and its about £5-6 a bag, which I guess is slightly smaller than a normal bale of shavings (I used 1 bag a week) and its really absorbant, good for a messy horse. The textures a bit wierd but great once you're used to it!

 

[Ottinmeg]

i use liverpool wood pellets, looks like sand when first activated, 1 bag equals approx 1 bale of shavings and its very absorbant. you don't get any amonia smell with it and how much your order depends on the price. I've just ordered 500kg and it works out just over 3 quid a bag.

 

[toffeesmarty]

Bliss. (chopped straw with dust extracted). Costs me £6.20 a bale and I use it on rubber mats and even use a shavings fork when mucking out.

 

[longtalltilly]

I like paper, although its a pain to sweep on a wet yard and does blow everywhere in the wind!

 

[chestnutcob]

I have rubber matting and use a thin shaving layer with a thick straw bed. The stables are on a slight slant and without the shaving the wee runs through the water channel.
I think I'm gonna have a look at these liverpool wood pellets, and put them down as the base and still use the straw.
I love nothing more than doing a straw bed, it looks so fluffy like you could just jump and bounce on it ! Sad I know !!

 

[LadyRascasse]

flax love it, its more absorbant than shavings, it doesn't smell and you can deep litter it and no wee would come through for ages, best change i ever made for my messy horses.

 

[Emma27]

Natures Best is a good option.

They are wood pellets that you activate by wetting them. 1 bag is approx 1 bale of shavings when activated but is half the size before so much easier to store and handle. They are the same idea as Aquamax but cheaper.

I can't remember off the top of my head how much they are but give us a call for a quote if you think they would do the job.

 

[henryhorn]

I'm looking to change our system as it has just got ridiculously silly paying so much for bedding.
We currently use a mix of miscanthus and shavings, but am considering wood pellets or small wood chips like pine.
Anyone know any manufacturers in Devon, I will buy a load at a time.
Or can you recommend anything else? (no rubber mats used, they are planned for later)

 

[tikino]

i have just went on to a newspapper bedding and it is easy to work with and cheaper than shaving dust free and very good at saving on much heap
animal-bedding.co.uk
or email roddiegreig@btinternet.com for more information be has been very helpful with me.

 

[TrueColours]

henryhorn - you are the first person I have seen that uses miscanthus - what are your thoughts on it and the pros and cons with it? How does it come - in bales?

I sell a pelleted, compressed straw bedding here in North America which can be seen at:

www.angelfire.com/on3/TrueColoursFarm/EcoStraw.html

Does no one do anything similar there in the UK?

It is a really brilliant bedding - very absorbent and because the pellets are compressed and not dehydrated like all of the wood pellets are, you dont add water to mine - the horses break them down in a day or two just by walking around on them. Plus the huge factor is decompostability. The EcoStraw breaks down and can be spread in fields in 2-4 WEEKS, whereas the pelleted wood bedding takes 6-8 months, straw is about 2 years and large flakes shavings are 2-3 years before you no longer have the issues of nitrogen leaching from the soil if you put the used bedding on your fields or gadens

So - all huge factors with the Manure Management laws that are coming into play here in North America and I am sure you are all faced with as well

 

[StaceyTanglewood]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm looking to change our system as it has just got ridiculously silly paying so much for bedding.
We currently use a mix of miscanthus and shavings, but am considering wood pellets or small wood chips like pine.
Anyone know any manufacturers in Devon, I will buy a load at a time.
Or can you recommend anything else? (no rubber mats used, they are planned for later)

[/ QUOTE ]

I think Woodypet is based in devon (wood pellets) so that would be good for you x

 

[martlin]

[ QUOTE ]
henryhorn - you are the first person I have seen that uses miscanthus - what are your thoughts on it and the pros and cons with it? How does it come - in bales?

I sell a pelleted, compressed straw bedding here in North America which can be seen at:

www.angelfire.com/on3/TrueColoursFarm/EcoStraw.html
Does no one do anything similar there in the UK?

It is a really brilliant bedding - very absorbent and because the pellets are compressed and not dehydrated like all of the wood pellets are, you dont add water to mine - the horses break them down in a day or two just by walking around on them. Plus the huge factor is decompostability. The EcoStraw breaks down and can be spread in fields in 2-4 WEEKS, whereas the pelleted wood bedding takes 6-8 months, straw is about 2 years and large flakes shavings are 2-3 years before you no longer have the issues of nitrogen leaching from the soil if you put the used bedding on your fields or gadens

So - all huge factors with the Manure Management laws that are coming into play here in North America and I am sure you are all faced with as well

[/ QUOTE ]
That sounds like Nedz Bedz Advanced

 

[henryhorn]

We've used miscanthus for a while but unless you mix it with shavings it feels a bit slippery on it's own, it's the cost of the shavings I'm balking at..
Daughter has ruled out wood pellets (well she mucks out so I have to listen) so am investigating other options.
I can apparently buy a huge dumpy sack of miscanthus for £25 but am not sure how many bales that equates to, does anyone know?
It is more inconvenient as you have to handle it twice but I am just not happy to keep paying the high price for shavings anymore.
The best deal we used to have was buying the shavings in bags delivered straight from the mill, but they closed down.
I'm about to email a few suppliers for a bulk buy, I'll post the best price I find..