Bedding question

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Mari

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What is the best value for money dust extracted horse bedding? Must decompose quickly & be suitable for spreading on field when sufficiently rotted.
 
I'd say the same, or miscanthus depending on who supplies what near you. I suspect flax might rot down a bit quicker though- never had a long term heap to be able to check.
 
My muck heap is definitely a lot smaller than a wood shavings or straw heap and the flax rots down fast but I can't get flax locally so I have to buy it in bulk on pallets... My two horses are stabled all year round and one of the horses is a very wet messy boy!
 
I use wood pellets and find that i dont have the biggest muck heap going as it is mainly poo and the wet stuff. I have used the wet bedding to supress the weeds around the back of the stables prior to putting down membrane and gravel. The size of my muck heap has reduced considerably over the last couple of years but how quick it rots down i'm not sure as i have it taken away. I do plan next summer to spread it under the hedges round the fields rather than pay for it to me removed.

I do like the sound of flax bedding, esp for very wet ponies, of which we have one who wees for Britain. Will have to do some googling now.
 
Miscanthus every time - there is a huge grower nearby but even then one supplier has it at the right price and it comes from the south coast. Price wise comparable to chopped rape straw and/or shavings
 
I'm not sure it matters how long the woodpellets have been composting (talking years rather than 10s of years), they will still be nitrogen removers, so you can spread them obviously but not if you are wanting them to fertilise at the same time.
 
ester said:
I'm not sure it matters how long the woodpellets have been composting (talking years rather than 10s of years), they will still be nitrogen removers, so you can spread them obviously but not if you are wanting them to fertilise at the same time.
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I’m no longer allowed wood based bedding for this reason, well I could but I’m not allowed to put it on the muck heap and it won’t be removed!
 
ester said:
I'm not sure it matters how long the woodpellets have been composting (talking years rather than 10s of years), they will still be nitrogen removers, so you can spread them obviously but not if you are wanting them to fertilise at the same time.
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Damn I hadn't even considered this, was planning on changing to wood pellets this winter. That's buggered up my plans! I assume straw are ok?

I've used mainly straw and straw pellets so far, but probably about 8 bags of wood pellets, should I just get my muck heap removed rather than spread do you think?
 
I use chopped rape straw - cheapest bedding I can find anywhere at £4.50/20kg bag delivered.

It goes on my muck trailer and I tip it at a local farmer's, with his straw-based cattle muck. If I leave it more than two days on the trailer, it has started to decompose already - it's softened and dark brown - and that was even in the winter.
 
JennBags said:
Damn I hadn't even considered this, was planning on changing to wood pellets this winter. That's buggered up my plans! I assume straw are ok?

I've used mainly straw and straw pellets so far, but probably about 8 bags of wood pellets, should I just get my muck heap removed rather than spread do you think?
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yup straw are fine, I don't think it's something people realise until they get an issue, we could use a small amount of pellets as an under bed (essentially a 10kg bag in the wee patch once a week) but full beds not allowed.
 
spacefaer said:
I use chopped rape straw - cheapest bedding I can find anywhere at £4.50/20kg bag delivered.

It goes on my muck trailer and I tip it at a local farmer's, with his straw-based cattle muck. If I leave it more than two days on the trailer, it has started to decompose already - it's softened and dark brown - and that was even in the winter.
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Where do you get it at that price? I’m paying £6.50 for it.
 
Whaaat? Aubiouse is nearly £10 a bale down here and miscanthus is either £7.25 or 7.75 (can't quite remember which) I miss having wood pellets at under £5/bag but the bed just gets so dry and dusty in summer, even with being watered daily.
I tend to swap between wood pellets in winter and miscanthus or aubiose in summer.
I don't find it as absorbent as pellets though and the wet definitely smells more.
Not all wood pellets are equal though - I had a pallet of Liverpool wood pellets initially and they were fab.
Moved onto cheapo ones from the feed store when the pallet ran out and what a mistake, they really went dusty, didn't go as far and just weren't as nice a bed. Luckily don't have to worry about the muck heap/spreading here.
 
I recently tried straw pellets instead of wood pellets, work about the same, the bed is darker, and I think they hold moisture more, or maybe because you can't see the wet as clearly as with wood pellets i might leave more wet in
I think I'm going back to wood or might try miscanthus when this pallet is finished
 
I use wood pellets and as there is little wastage and mixed with manure and other bedding it’s never been an issue for spreading at our yard, but it is composted in field heaps for some time before it is ever spread. I wouldn’t say it wasn’t dusty though especially in summer. I hose my beds down as they’re out a lot and the beds get very dry.
 
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