Best bedding material?

[Patchworkpony]

What are the best options? For various reasons I would now not use straw, shaving, paper and wood pellets. Does anyone have experience of other types of bedding that can be used with manure to use on the garden eventually? Any advice would be most welcome - thank you.

 

[JillA]

Miscanthus if you can get it - I have just swapped onto it from chopped rape straw(almost as good), both biodegrade well but the miscanthus I get locally is dense, chopped short and seems to make a really good base, the droppings sit on top, even from my messy chap.
Mine is done locally, by IEC poultry bedding but there are a few proprietory makes

 

[MotherOfChickens]

chopped rape or miscanthus rots down very quickly.

 

[Patchworkpony]

Thanks - I just need to find out if people think these alternatives are good.

 

[Cecile]

I like shavings now but I was an absolute fan of Aubiose for years, it was lovely to work with, looked good and I only had a small dung heap which gardeners queued up for.
I think availability or adding water to the bed made me go back to shavings but this was many years ago

 

[JillA]

Aubiose is hemp isn't it?

 

[Cecile]

Aubiose is hemp isn't it?

Yes it is, I saw it for sale locally recently and wondered whether to go back to it

http://www.aubiose.co.uk/

 

[spotty_pony]

Megazorb is great. Very absorbent and easy to muck out.

 

[poiuytrewq]

I found magazorb very very dusty as in my water bucket was vile by morning. It was however really nice and clean to muck out etc. Dust was my priority so had to stop using it.
Does anyone have a brand name for a miscanthus bedding? I'd like to try but am struggling to find a stockist

 

[JillA]

Cavianthus is one I used to buy, ours is produced by IEC, a local grower so not sure how far afield they sell. Otherwise Google it, I used to buy a different brand locally but can't remember what it was called

 

[Chinchilla]

I found magazorb very very dusty as in my water bucket was vile by morning. It was however really nice and clean to muck out etc. Dust was my priority so had to stop using it.
Does anyone have a brand name for a miscanthus bedding? I'd like to try but am struggling to find a stockist

There's one called fennington fibres I think. They have a website under that name. Also there's cavianthus or the one called burleybed. I haven't used them myself but am curious about the miscanthus bedding - let us know if it's any good please!?

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I've used Cavianthus (miscanthus) before and liked it. Currently use Nedzbedz Pro which is rape straw -the latter is easier for me to get but actually they do ok mixed together unlike auboise which you are better off just using that. on balance I probably preferred cavianthus for vfm or auboise for the really mucky horse.

 

[Wagtail]

I have used virtually every bedding going and miscanthus is my overall favourite and the one I am sticking with.