Cardboard bedding and deep litter?

[Mince Pie]

Hi guys, just after some advice if possible? I have a COPD horse who is struggling a little at the moment, he is already on soaked hay and dust free shavings and tomorrow he will probably go on Ventipulmin. My YO mentioned cardboard bedding which my local merchants do so is easy to get hold of, however my lad is deep littered (with wood pellets on the bottom layer) and I don't know how well cardboard would get on with this system?

Any other things I should know about cardboard?


Thanks

 

[poiuytrewq]

Would you still use the pellets layer on the bottom? If so and your horse didn't disturb the bed too much I'd say it would work well. I used card for an old pony with a serious dust allergy and dust wise its great. This particular pony wee'd constantly and it didn't cope with that very well. I wish I'd thought of pellets underneath!

 

[JillA]

I tried cardboard last winter and didn't like it at all. It was TOO absorbent - I ended up having to take out loads of soggy cardboard every day and each bed was taking almost half a bale to top up, so it was costing a fortune. I prefer chopped rape straw (Bliss, or Nedzbed, or Alto which is local to here) as a base - I don't use wood products because of the disposal problem - and it works well for a whole bed too. I'm not sure what you would gain from cardboard, exxcept maybe a little warmth.

 

[Perissa]

I've got two of mine on cardboard and I love it. I would not say that it is suitable for deep litter though. It is very absorbant and soaks up the pee into a patch that is easily shovelled out in the morning.