Bedmax or snowflake shavings?

[Perfectpony07]

Hi,
As title really. Bedmax is about £2.50 more expensive here. But wondering if it goes further with the larger flakes?
Any opinions on both? Thanks

 

[Tiddlypom]

IME smaller flakes are more absorbent and last longer. I was initially delighted with Bedmax, but rapidly changed my mind. The Bedmax bales are not very waterproof either if you store them outside as I found out to my cost. I can store other brands outside fine.

I use Thoroughbred when I can get them.

 

[Goldenstar]

I won’t use anything except bedmax I am near a factory so it’s not expensive when you consider its quality .

 

[ihatework]

I don’t particularly like shavings but have used them plenty in the past and can categorically say I hated Bedmax! They seem to be a real marmite brand.

 

[TPO]

I'm a big fan of Little Max but the price has gone through the roof.

Currently using generic large flake, which is the size of Little Max rather than Bedmax, dust extracted shavings that's over £3 cheaper per bale

 

[Horseysheepy]

My experience of Bedmax is it that it makes a lovely fluffy bed but it seems to lack absorbency compared to wood shavings.

 

[Tiddlypom]

My experience of Bedmax is it that it makes a lovely fluffy bed but it seems to lack absorbency compared to wood shavings.

Snap.

Looks fab when put down but Bedmax doesn’t absorb the wee at all.

That’s fine if your stables have drains to cope with the run off, but mine don’t. On Bedmax the wee was flooding out of the stables onto the yard, it’s the only brand I’ve used that has done that.

 

[TPO]

My experience of Bedmax is it that it makes a lovely fluffy bed but it seems to lack absorbency compared to wood shavings.

I found that with bedmax so trialled littlemax and it was the best of both worlds for fluffiness and, most of all, absorbency

 

[poiuytrewq]

I love Bedmax, but when working on a big yard we trialed several types of shavings and bedding, The bedmax which I'd raved about and really wanted us to settle on really was actually the worst. They needed bedding up far more often then smaller flake shavings and the beds got lower and dirtier looking way faster, thus making it quite an expensive option.

 

[Horseysheepy]

It's interesting, at a recent farm event, the Bedmax rep actually recommended their Littlemax for horses over the Bedmax.

We can't use Bedmax in our livestock trailer either as the big flakes clog up the drainage pipes (sorry a bit irrelevant to this post)

 

[IrishMilo]

My experience of Bedmax is it that it makes a lovely fluffy bed but it seems to lack absorbency compared to wood shavings.

This, and it’s also difficult to muck out as you take a lot of clean stuff too!

 

[Barton Bounty]

Hi,
As title really. Bedmax is about £2.50 more expensive here. But wondering if it goes further with the larger flakes?
Any opinions on both? Thanks

Snowflake definitely, I dont find bedmax is not absorbent at all

 

[Red-1]

I've only used Bedmax at competitions but hated them! I'd be there Wed to Sun, and in that time a bog fluffy bed would be made awful. It was mucked out several times a day too. The pee just wasn't absorbed so spread.

I used Snowflake for years and found them good.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I hated bedmax and littlemax, I found them to be equally unabsorbant, and with Bedmax it's harder to muck out as you can't kig the poo to get the good shavings to fall through the fork so easily (if that makes any sense!)

 

[EnduroRider]

I love Bedmax but I think you need to have the bed down for a while before it becomes stable and absorbent. Over time the flakes reduce in size so you get smaller on the bottom which are more absorbent and big fluffy on top to drain through. Also find you have to skip out by hand with rubber gloves to avoid wastage.

 

[Birker2020]

I hate Bedmax.

I used to use Stable Choice and then went onto Woburn which are quite similar. I prefer smaller flakes, Bedmax can go quite heavy IMHO.

 

[Alibear]

Had bedmax in the stable at a show at the weekend. It is horrible to muck out; my normal shavings fork was pretty useless on it. I needed a more traditional 4-tine.

 

[Dustygirl]

Use snowflake soft chip over pellets gives a lovely bed.

 

[TwixMum]

I'm a big fan of Little Max but the price has gone through the roof.

Currently using generic large flake, which is the size of Little Max rather than Bedmax, dust extracted shavings that's over £3 cheaper per bale

where do you get your generic large flake? I'm quite near you and currently trialling Bedmax but wasting quite a lot

 

[TPO]

where do you get your generic large flake? I'm quite near you and currently trialling Bedmax but wasting quite a lot

I switch between Fetch My Feed (they did have a special offer when buying 4 bags at a time but that's ended sadly) and JGS Equine. JGS are £25 delivery but when making a bulk order they sometimes work out cheaper.

Both of these places are cheaper than the local farm/horse supply places for bedding [& sometimes feed].

 

[darcip]

Recently had to put my pony on shavings, I find bedmax last longer but a nightmare to muck out. I have 2 ponies on snowflake and a bag lasts a week

 

[TwixMum]

I switch between Fetch My Feed (they did have a special offer when buying 4 bags at a time but that's ended sadly) and JGS Equine. JGS are £25 delivery but when making a bulk order they sometimes work out cheaper.

Both of these places are cheaper than the local farm/horse supply places for bedding [& sometimes feed].

thank you will check them out

 

[Patterdale]

So glad it’s not just me - bedded my pony on bedmax and it is literally piss wet through constantly, I’m going through 2-3 bales a week! I thought maybe this pony is just super wet but actually I think it just doesn’t absorb.

Just bought some miscanthus to try

 

[TPO]

thank you will check them out

If you're perth maybe a bit far out. Fetch My Feed is Dunfermline and jgs is cumbernauld.

 

[Goldenstar]

Bedmax is supposed to stay dry it’s designed to superior for the horse feet and better for the wind.
I find it very quick to muck out.
I never have a dark rank shaving in place .

 

[Tiddlypom]

Bedmax is supposed to stay dry it’s designed to superior for the horse feet and better for the wind.
I find it very quick to muck out.
I never have a dark rank shaving in place .

It stays dry because it doesn’t absorb anything, the wee runs right through it and out under the stable door.

Do you have drains in your stables, GS? I only have slightly sloped concrete in mine, no drains, so it’s essential that any bedding I use is absorbent.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I don't like bedmax I like small shavings with pellets where they wee with a very thick bed.

 

[Goldenstar]

Bedmax absorbs about the same as straw that’s what it’s designed to do .
It’s an extremely low dust low spore bedding that does not clump in the feet .
I am I will admit extremely fussy about my horses bedding .
No wet run out my stables because I remove wet bedding .
H ( bless him ) was an extremely wet horse so if he was stabled overnight we would put a very few straw max pellets under the Bedmax where he peed .
Doing that does however increase dust so I avoid it if I can .
I muck the Bedmax out like straw stacking it daily and airing the floors .
I hate with a passion deep litter and I think if you do deep litter then I would use a layer of straw max ot some sort of pellet as a base .
You will however get more dust but wind health is not your main priority if you are deep littering so it make little difference .

 

[P.forpony]

I can't stand bedmax!

Big flakes don't fall through the fork so wastage is huge. The flakes are much thicker so less absorbant for wee.
You get far less cushion for the same depth of shavings as a smaller flake.
If you have a messy horse or a box walker just give up trying to salvage anything and accept a boggy brown mess or chuck it all out every day!
Yard had 20 horses on it and it nearly broke me so basically anything else gets my vote.

 

[Smooshy]

I'm an odd one who prefers Bedmax. If the bed is deep enough the wet settles at the bottom, leaving the top dry. My shavings bed is always clean and dry but it is a big bed.

I have seen thin beds that go wet and brown very quickly and doesn't suit the very wet horses unless you put something underneath. Think it depends mostly on how much is in the stable to start.
I don't mind small flake shavings but find they go dusty very quickly.