Deep litter??

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TheBayHorse1210

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Hi everyone,
As those who have read my previous posts know I was debating whether or not to go back from shavings to straw. We'll as my mum doesn't like straw (even though I muck out *rolls eyes*) she suggested matting. Our friend gave us her old Quattro mats as her 17.2hh is going down from 3 layers (big boy!) to 2 across his stable. We lay them across half the stable where the bed is and after clearing out all the old, sodden, reddish brown shavings we put 3 bales of crispy white ones in. It has been 3 days now, and I'm at a loss with this horse :( most people on the yard deep litter, but when I tried previously his whole bed got soaked. (This was also my fault for delibaretly searching for wet bits instead of leaving it all alone mixing it all up in the process. As we all know youngsters are unsettled and love to play "Hide-the-poop" so far with the mats he has had very big thick banks with about 2cm of bedding. Hand picked poop and most of the wee although some was left as it was drying out. By the morning everything was all over the place and his haylage mixed in to the lot.
I am on the outside wall side of the barn (were old cow sheds so slight downward slope) and the damp comes through. Now the YO is moving all matted horses to the inside wall side where hopefully it will be drier. However, my question is: should I try deep littering again or continue daily mucking out (usually 40 minutes :( ) one girl who deep litters succesfully hasn't taken her base out for 2 years and the bed it deep and extremely dry (although she has a 16 year old gelding who poos and leaves it alone, no mixing or kicking. He also pees in one corner and doesn't touch his banks so her bed is virtually spotless!) If anyone has any suggestions with this please help. And tips on deep littering if recommended would be help full.
Thank you all so much and once again sorry for the essay, trying to give as much info as poss. Will try to get a picture up of the bed soon.
 
My deep litter has been down 5 years with no attention other than daily poo picking, tidying up and adding fresh from the back bank by pulling it down bit by bit. Still as fragrant as the day it was laid and the envy of the yard! Sunny has mats taking up the 1st 3rd of his stable, deep litter shavings over the last 2/3rds, with an overlap of a few inches. Sunny is in for about 6 hrs a day, usually no more than 2 poos. Sometimes messes up the very front of the deep litter but I just take the wet messy stuff at the front (if any) + poos, scrape down clean shavings from the bank at the back. Bang it all down with the back of the shavings fork, bob's your uncle. Takes 10 mins with one of those mini rake + scoop things from Robinsons. I started a new deep litter shavings bed for my 2 shetties about 3 months ago and it does take time to be established. Don't take the wet out. Just poo pick and remove the top of any obvious churn ups or bang them securely back down. Scrape new down, bang with fork. This system isn't so easy if your horse is in overnight, ie for 18 hours a day rather than just 6hrs as there's more poo and more churning up. Friend at the yard has a box walker and tbh if he was mine I wouldn't do deep litter. I'd mat 2/3rds of the stable and put a reasonable depth of shavings at the back 1/3rd.
 
I too deep litter, and reading your post I thought I'd just stick my oar in! Three bales of shavings is not a lot for starting a deep litter, and if you've got a horse that moves about a lot in his stable you need to cover almost the whole box, not just half. Where you've got the "damp" wall build up a big bank and leave well alone or resign yourself to losing a lot of bed keeping that side clean! My 12 x 12 stables start with 10 bales to deep litter, and the amount you top up with is dependant on the individual horse. My beds run from 0ctober until May, then I dig out, and what's still dry in the box will last me another 6/8 weeks on a weekly deep litter without needing topping up.

ps, sorry, I just re-read that you aren't deep littering at the moment, but hopefully that's given you some ideas anyway!!
 
You need more than 3 bales to start a deep litter bed. I would start with at least 10 to be honest. You are aiming not to see the wet at all, it should all be at the bottom with the clean on top. If you get any wet coming through to the top (of a decent thickness bed) then take it out but don't disturb the base. You need to have enough clean to soak it up and prevent the wet coming to the top. Deep litter shouldn't be a load of filth and mushy shavings.

I deep litter and recently moved to wood chip which has been much better than shavings for it. I do level the wet base once a week otherwise it ends up a bit wonky but otherwise, rarely take any wet out as I have enough on top to stop it from coming through. Just make sure you take all of the muck out.
 
I think deep littering is great. I only started mine this winter, used ten bales & wacked it on a daily basis to firm it down. Initially my youngster made a mess of it but i kept at it & now its so easy. I just poo pick on a daily basis & level up the base once a week/fortnight. Cetainly wouldn't change to any other method now. It doesn't smell and works really well. Just wish i could stop Jack from chewing up his companions rugs but that could be a new thread....
 
Thanks guys, you have given me hope! Hopefully this time the bugger wont be such a little piglet :) if poss cold you get some photos up for me to have a comparison as to what "soping wet" is. Were moving to the other side of the barn next weekend as I have exams this week so will start fresh from then :D
 
Hi,
My deep litter beds have been down for 10 years!
I use Easibed and my boxes are 15 ft x 18 ft, concrete base and ...are you sitting down?......I used 12 bales of Easibed to start them. (The big bales before they changed the size).
You have to go OTT with the bedding whatever it is, to start deep litter.
Bets wishes
Bryndu
 
Bryndu: next door uses Easibed on her mare, she put 10 bales down to start and adds about 2 per week, she deep litters, but her bed is soaking! Its all turned redish brown and the whole place is damp and wet..or it that what a deep littered Easibed is meant to look like? I've only used it on my rabbits so wouldn't know haha! Mind you the owner doesn't seem to take a lot of the poo out either... :/


Shavings people: Okay so my plan is put 10 bales in, poo pick daily and bang down the base adding from the side banks whenever, the back damp wall bank will be left alone for drying purposes. Cover most of the box and add a fresh bale weekly yes? If once again it get too much could I deep litter a smaller bed I.e: make a large ish square in one of the corners and just deep litter that but then as its a smaller bed there's less to take out? If none of you know what I mean think pony sized bed but slightly bigger to match a lanky 15.1hh...
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 7 Re: Deep litter??

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Bryndu: next door uses Easibed on her mare, she put 10 bales down to start and adds about 2 per week, she deep litters, but her bed is soaking! Its all turned redish brown and the whole place is damp and wet..or it that what a deep littered Easibed is meant to look like? I've only used it on my rabbits so wouldn't know haha! Mind you the owner doesn't seem to take a lot of the poo out either... :/

Gosh... might I suggest there is a problem with the damp coming through the floor? I used to have a horse who would have been a gold medalist at peeing and he was deep littered and we didn't have the problem your friend seemed to have.
Deep litter beds should look dry and should not smell at all. Sorry to not be of more help.
Bryndu
 
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