Deep littering straw beds?

[charlie76]

Quick question.
I currently have 17 horses in on straw beds and mucking out takes forever! Does anyone deep litter straw? If so how do you manage it and how often do you take the bed out?
Thanks!

 

[whizzer]

I had one on box rest last year & deep littered on straw for about 10 weeks,just to make life easier. I did put a base of bliss under it as he was in 24/7. It's was skipped out several times daily,once or twice a week I had a dig about in the top layer of straw but didn't disturb the base. It was nice & stable,not smelly. I used to add 2-3 slices of straw daily. I dug the whole lot out when I was done with it as the horse went to another yard & I was swapping to a different stable at my yard,think it was ready to come out by then anyway.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

I wouldn't unless I put pellets/bliss or something underneath tbh.

 

[skint1]

My mare and her friend are on deep litter with straw, but they're not stabled as such, it's a walk in barn with a yard attached.

 

[Charlie007]

I deep litter my 17.1 wb on straw. He is in at night. I used to dig bed out every weekend but this year I have left it. I take the poo out everyday. I top up with straw as and when needed. The current bed has been in since sept/Oct 2015. I don't touch the wet as it only disturbs the bed. If you keep it topped up then you shouldn't have any problems with wet. I didn't put a base down. Whole bed is taken out in the spring, stable washed out and bedding replaced.

 

[honetpot]

I deep litter mine. I just take out the top poo anything that's underneath stays unless there is a lump and just add more straw. I does not smell.

 

[Luci07]

It is back breaking to get up though at the end of winter! I hated it so much I had one horse on semi deep litter. Current horse is just too wet and I have to out so much bedding in, I might as well do a full muck out daily.

 

[asmp]

The yard I was at in Germany used to deep litter on straw but they had designed the stables so that each internal partition swung to the side. The end side of the stable block also opened so the tractor could get down the whole length of the stables and remove the lot. I certainly wouldn't want to clear out 17 normal stables at the end of winter - it would be back breaking!

 

[Goldenstar]

I did this for years every winter when I lived with my parents it worked really well.
Every day I removed droppings and made any humps level once a week I drew back all the loose clean straw on top and took out some wet to stop the bed getting too deep .
It's not the best for their winds but it makes a warm comfy safe bed .
I always tidied the beds when the horses where turned out and left lots of time for the dust to settle .
Mt stable was large I think it was twenty by fourteen I only bedded half .

 

[Orca]

The yard I was at in Germany used to deep litter on straw but they had designed the stables so that each internal partition swung to the side. The end side of the stable block also opened so the tractor could get down the whole length of the stables and remove the lot. I certainly wouldn't want to clear out 17 normal stables at the end of winter - it would be back breaking!

This! I spent four hours removing just one semi deep litter bed yesterday and it brought to mind the time I took over a yard at which all horses had been deep littered. It took several weeks of back breaking slog to reform the beds. Unless there is access for a tractor or even a mini digger, there's no way that I'd consider deep littering seventeen.

 

[EventingMum]

It can work well if properly managed and provide a warm, comfortable bed which saves on time in the short term. That is until you have to remove the bed then it's a horrible, back breaking smelly, eye watering job - face masks are recommended! It's not good for any horse with respiratory issues and can harbour nasty spores etc. Definitely not recommended for any horse who digs up a bed either as disturbing the base will wreck the whole bed, smell appallingly and release all the nasty spores etc. I personally wouldn't do it.

 

[ihatework]

I find deep littering straw is only manageable if the stable base is draining (chalk/earth etc)

However my bedding method of choice is a semi deep litter system using a base of wood pellets and a full bed of straw over top. Skip 6 days a week then the 7th pull straw back, remove all wet pellets. Top up pellets.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I find deep littering straw is only manageable if the stable base is draining (chalk/earth etc)

However my bedding method of choice is a semi deep litter system using a base of wood pellets and a full bed of straw over top. Skip 6 days a week then the 7th pull straw back, remove all wet pellets. Top up pellets.

How much would you say this costs you? I get straw included in my livery, but the horse is pretty wet and was thinking of putting some pellets underneath... Although with a 16x14 stable I think it will be a fair layout just to save me some time...

 

[charlie76]

Thanks for the suggestions and thoughts
I'm tempted to do half on deep litter and half on full muck out as a trial

 

[WelshD]

I semi deep litter one stable and totally deep litter the other stable

Last year I reversed a trailer up to the stable door in Spring and emptied the whole stable with a fork straight in to the trailer, I couldn't have done it with barrows, it would have been backbreaking

This winter's deep litter bed is snowflake softchip covered with straw, I use a bale of straw a week and no softchip since that first day (think there were four bales to make the bed) it went down last Sept/Oct I think

The stable is wonderful, always noticeably warmer than the other one and it doesnt smell, mucking out takes well under five minutes and the pony has stayed very clean

Its deep now though, the pony towers above me when he stands at the window! It will be dug out at the end of feb

I dont deep litter in the summer, its beds up every day.