Deep littering - doesn't it smell?

[horsegirl]

I muck out fully every day (straw) and the patch where he wees stinks at the end of one day, does deep litter not stink and cause thrush?

I'm not trying to be horrid, genuinely interested to know.

 

[Cobnut1]

If it's maintained properly it doesn't smell too bad...yes there are times it does get too much, but i simply take out the excess wet, and use a product (forget it's name) that smells lovely and also absorbs any lingering smell. The horse I ride is stabled in the winter months, on semi deep litter shavings. The base it usually arounf 5inches thick, solid and because it's rotting down, it creates heat for him. on top there is around 2 inches of nice clean loose shavings for him to lie on.

Hope this answers your question.

 

[riotgirl]

Oooh, if you find the name of it, could you let me know?

 

[SSM]

Can you find the name of the product please as I will be moving over to deep litter?

 

[riotgirl]

PMSL! Snap SSM

 

[SSM]

Great minds think alike.......but fools seldom differ

 

[flyingfeet]

Our deep littering doesn't smell, but its probably exceptional!

We keep a herd of horses in a large indoor barn with outdoor sand coral - its actually where we used to over winter 30 cows.

This gets mucked out once a year with the tractor, and whilst in use we chuck in new straw around every other day. However being perfectionists we generally take a fork and bury the poo every night.

Provides a very warm bed and is minimal effort for keeping horses!

 

[eekmon]

Ive deep littered ( many years ago) My horse is very clean, only wees in one patch and poos only in one side of his box. I was on shavings then and no it didn't smell too bad as top layer always was kept clean! I am now on straw an know what you mean even with a small wet patch it can be a bit smelly!

I suppose if your horse is clean an you keep the bed thick so the wet stays well under the top clean layer it should not be too bad?

 

[wiglet]

Done properly ie: lots of clean fresh bedding added as and when necessary, it isn't too bad. When I was last on full livery all the stables were deep littered... I called it a dirty bed though - not enough shavings added and it was smelly and wet. Not good.

 

[riotgirl]

Just to post hijack a minute (sorry horsegirl!), but how do you deep litter so that the bed doesn't get really high!! ? I am trying to deep litter with my girl for the first time, but cannot see how it'll last all winter without getting higher and higher

 

[Tia]

I am not a fan of deep-littering on shavings but all of our barns are deep-littered over the winter. We run a number of horses who have access to the barns and I bed them all down with straw and reed bedding. I put loads down!! The bed is vast but is always dry. This is then cleared out once a year in the Spring.

No it never ever smells and it really shouldn't if you are using plenty/the right sort of bedding.

 

[Tia]

It does get higher and higher.....if it is done properly.

 

[flyingfeet]

It does get higher - with the cows the bed moved from zero to around 2ft 6" high at the back

With the horse there is less of them, so rarely creeps above 2ft. This is in an open barn, so headroom is not an issue.

 

[Tia]

Exactly the same with mine. We usually have about a 2ft height to take out of each barn. Headroom is not an issue for us either so works great. Like you, ours is mucked out in the spring mechanically.......don't think anyone could ever tackle it manually!!

 

[hollyandivy123]

hi part deep litter a straw bed to save time in the week, just poos out and clean on top. then i clean out the wet stuff at the weekend and start again, works great. If the weather is cold then i don't do the weekly clean out, as the wet compacts i find that it is only 2 wheel barrows to clean it out, leaving the dry stuff which goes on the bottom and clean ontop.
doesn't smell any more than normal bed

 

[riotgirl]

Ahh, that's ok then! I was just worrying that she would end up whacking her head on the roof

 

[Weezy]

I will deep litter over the winter - simply taking out droppings daily (not many people bother tho!) and putting fresh straw down every other day - like Tia and CostwoldSJ this is in a barn situation and it works very well

 

[Kelly1982]

I deep litter on my shavings bed, i still take the poos out everyday though and add a clean bale every week and my stable doesn't smell at all. I also muck it out properly and leave it to air about every 3 weeks.

I wouldn't deep litter if i was on straw though as i think that smells bad enuogh when its mucked out everyday anyway!!

 

[Rizz1a]

I deep litter. Always find the first 7-10 days the worst then it settles into a really nice bed with no smell. Am able to go to work without my hair and clothes stinking. Then find after about ten weeks I have to restart again. Give it a go but don't give up - wait until you're fourteen days into it before you decide.

 

[horsegirl]

but you are supposed to remove the droppings everyday? My boy likes to mix them well in with the straw so I suppose there would be no benefit for us.

 

[Skhosu]

I deep litter on shavings, taking poos out every day and leaving the rest. Our beds generally get taken out once every 6 months or so and don't seem to smell/get too wet, except little sisters who doesn't use enough shavings. (she believes pony only needs a foot to lie down in!)
Out of curiousity, does anyone deep litter in a stable, and not take out droppings, just add new straw\/shavings?

 

[Kelly1982]

Not sure is you was asking me that?? I get confused with quick reply

You are supposed to take the droppings out everyday but i just stated it as Weezy's post suggested that some people dont.

 

[Skhosu]

No, just general, sorry! ( get confused with all the rply, quick reply too!)

 

[flyingfeet]

[ QUOTE ]
Out of curiousity, does anyone deep litter in a stable, and not take out droppings, just add new straw\/shavings?

[/ QUOTE ]

I tried - as per other posts I have earth floors and actually whole front of stable (in a barn) is a stockboarded gate, with a stable door & removable post, so I could open up to get tractor in there.

However I cannot do it, in a small space (but big stable by any standards) I just cannot leave the poos! Probably becuase my horses are disgusting and would dig them up and lie in them.

 

[sojeph]

Not if its done well and its not disturbed, and poo taken out everyday.

 

[Ginn]

If done correctly then no. Imo deep littering has many benifits when done correctly however, if it isn't then it can be disgusting! It also depends on your horse as a horse which digs up and trashes even the deepest of beds will be near impossible to deep litter as he'll dig up the wet!

ETS: I also always remove the poo daily, twice daily if the horse is in day and night. I also find straw much better than shavings or for best results a bag of shavings at the very bottom of a straw bed. However, I rarely find shavings on their own have a deep enough top clean layer.

 

[madabout2]

We have moved yards and taken over a deep litter bed and I cannot recommend it highly enough for my horse.
Previously my horse was on rubber matting with about 2 - 4 inches of shavings he was fully mucked out each day and the beds lifted. He regularly smelt of wee and also had stable stains (not attractive on a grey). Now he is immaculate not mark on him and no smelly rugs. The bed is about 8 - 10 inches deep with a good covering of clean shiny shavings. We are adding half a bale every 3/4 days, removing the poo and worst of the wet bits - provided they are in the top 3 inches.
It does not smell and we are finding the bottom (dug into it for interest!!) is like good compost.

However I will say it depends on the horse as a friends horse is DISGUSTING on any bed and digs so deep litter wouldn't work with him.

 

[chestnut cob]

I deep litter when on shavings and I love it! It doesn't smell as long as you take the poo off the top and the loose wet. I personally don't touch the wet base but I do muck out the clean stuff on top like I would normally. I take the poo off, sort through as though I was doing a full muck out, take any wet patches off the top out but just don't touch the wet base. As soon as I get as far as the top of the base I pull the clean back down. Don't take my base out until the end of the winter either, and it doesn't smell.

Just started on straw instead this winter and have deep littered (as in no wet taken out) for a max of 5 days. I don't find that it smells until I dig through it. Once I get to the bottom it's vile!! I wouldn't deep litter for any longer than just mon-fri on straw.

 

[Parkranger]

OMG - I LOVE deep litter. As long as you don't fuss with it too much, just take out the poos and have large banks so you can always draw a little down. If we get a really wet patch at the top, I just take that out and then sprinkle new on top of it.

Means that during the week it takes about 15 mins to muck out! I clean out the very wet stuff on a Saturday/Sunday though as he is very wet and I'm not sure he'd last 2 weeks or more!

 

[debbielinder]

time isnt an issue for me as i work evenings so i prefer to muck the whole thing out, our are on shavings, we always keep our beds big so i think it keeps them cleaner any way takes me about 10 mins to muck out she has an automatic water bowl and i fill her haynets before i go home the day before