Deep littering straw?

tallyho!

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This is how we bed at the farm. Depends on the horse whether it's better than shavings.

A clean bale goes on mucked out "base" every few days. It's probably only 6" deep but is a very stable surface and stops any slippage when horses get up or down. It's not smelly but it will be when clean out time comes!

I must add, our stables have drainage and is on a slight slope which helps.
 

HeresHoping

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I mixed shavings and straw to build up my deep litter bed. However, I have a slightly different notion, it seems, than the norm in the UK as I am very much for taking the wet out daily.

I did find that it was easiest to build the deep litter in the summer months - better for drying out the poo. My last deep litter bed was good for 2 years. I went back to straw when I got the boy.
 

siennamum

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I never move my banks. I periodically clear the middle of the bed to the concrete, but generally I deep litter on straw with my gelding. He is pretty clean, doesn't stir the bed up and doesn't hide his dropping. I lift the droppings and any dirty straw which is evident, thrown the top layer of straw back to make sure the bed on top of the deep litter is clean, and add a new bale approx once a week.

Works really well with my boy, bed is never smelly and he loves to lie on it.

My mare would be a nightmare, she would dig it up and spread her poo through it. I think you must take all poo out, otherwise they may as well be sleeping on the muck heap.
 

Twinkley Lights

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I think if you do it with straw its more a deep comfy bed than true deep litter method as the theory behind that is that it takes time for the wet to pentrate enabling the top layer to be scooped off and refreshed.

I don't have a problem with either method, I do like to see a nice big bed but cant do this as my mare will eat it so she has mats and shavings.
 

Polos Mum

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When I'm busy at work I do just skip out poos and put clean straw on top in the week then dig out the wet at the weekend, it seems to work well and there's no reason to dig out the wet everyweek (other than a fear of having to do the major end of winter deep litter dig out having done the rotten egg smell too much as a child!)
Lots of clean on the top is the key to sucess
 

Bright_Spark

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Thanks everyone.

Sounds doable then. I did wonder if it would be more stable- experience of straw beds before is that they seem to a) flatten down and b) slip about more so leaving bare bits, this should work out better.

This would be taking poo out daily (should have mentioned that).
 

MrsNorris

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I used to muck out 2 on deep litter straw, the beds never had wet out, only poos, and were built up for year before starting from scratch again. They used to get very high, to the point where you had to step up about 2' to get in the stables! They were always clean and dry on top and seemed comfy, but had to be removed by using a mini digger for their yearly clean-outs. Never witnessed this, but I expect it was a foul and smelly job! Horses seemed fine on it, no hoof problems etc
 

Ginger_2002

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yes very doable - i used to use 2 bales in a 10x12 stable and bed half of it. Had lovely high banks. To test the fluffiness one day a friend and i fell backwards into the fresh bed ...its was comfy :D .. i know i need to get out more :eek:
 

scarymare

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Go for it. Its uber cheap and very easy. My new yard which I'm hopefully building next spring will be exclusively this. Can't do it now as have normal sized stables and you really do need to be able to get in with machinery once a year.
 

tallyho!

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My filly munches the straw but, meh, cheaper than hay!!! It just means I have to put bed down more often. It's all roughage to me no matter what she eats... I still have muck the mucky ****** out!
 

ester

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we deep litter weekly and skip in the week, it works well for us and the horses end up with deeper beds than they likely would otherwise.
 

kiteman0

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I deep litter with straw, my horses are loose in a barn and I just skip out everyday and then in the summer I'll muck the whole barn out.

Not by hand,

With a loadall.
 

Hippona

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When I'm busy at work I do just skip out poos and put clean straw on top in the week then dig out the wet at the weekend, it seems to work well and there's no reason to dig out the wet everyweek (other than a fear of having to do the major end of winter deep litter dig out having done the rotten egg smell too much as a child!)
Lots of clean on the top is the key to sucess

I do this...it works well for me. saves time and money, good clear out on a weekend. Sorted.
 

Tnavas

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To start a deep litter bed
First wash and disinfect floor
When dry cover with a good layer of garden lime - neutralises the ammonia
Next a deep layer of sawdust - find it more absorbant than shavings.
Then a good deep layer of straw, well packed down.

Daily Care
Remove only droppings whenever possible
DO NOT under any circumstances dig out the wet - urine exposed to air will immediately give off an ammonia smell

Maintenance
A slab or two of clean straw daily.
We used to have beds down for months at a time. IF well maintained they are the most economical comfy beds for any horse.
 

Holzdweaver

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I deep litter my straw bed and clean it out at the end of winter. Never had smell problems or wet patches on rugs etc. Only tip i can give with straw is to actually shake the straw up and them compress it down, a foot of compacted straw wont move about much and make a lovely springy bed but a few feet of fluffed up straw will quickly flatten, move and expose underneath. :)
 

ester

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Daily Care
Remove only droppings whenever possible
DO NOT under any circumstances dig out the wet - urine exposed to air will immediately give off an ammonia smell

that's why we take it out when the horses go out first thing, floor allowed to dry and bed back down at teatime :)

even weekly I think it gives them their own underfloor heating :)
 

Tnavas

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that's why we take it out when the horses go out first thing, floor allowed to dry and bed back down at teatime :)

even weekly I think it gives them their own underfloor heating :)

Bit confused :confused: When I muck out a normal bed daily then yes - it allows the floor to dry while they are out but for deep litter you don't touch the wet - it is what helps to make the bed deep and comfortable.

Urine drains down through the straw and spreads through into the lower sawdust/shavings where it heats up and dries out BUT if you try to dig it out any of that lower bed it will end up smelling.

You can leave a properly made deeplitter bed down for months - even years so long as you don't disturb the bottom.
 

ester

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yes, I said earlier/the same as others we only semi-deep litter mucking out weekly/fortnightly but don't touch the underneath during the week. Just depends how long you plan to leave it :) Was just commenting that I wouldn't muck out our beds with the horses in as I don't think it would do them any good.
 

lula

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I did find that it was easiest to build the deep litter in the summer months - better for drying out the poo. My last deep litter bed was good for 2 years.

2 years really>?

im not a fan of deep litter simply cos im a bit OCD with my beds but when ive had to i always remove the droppings or as another poster said,. you might as well bed them on the muck heap. ;)
 

angel7

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If you have bare bits you arent putting in enough straw. Start off the bed with 5 or 6 small bales or half of a big bale. Shake it out and use the fork to lay it.
Stick your fork down in it, if it chinks against the floor you need more straw.
I like to use the straw from the top of the banks to add to the base daily and replace the banks as needed, otherwise the banks become dusty and cobwebby.
My banks are waist high and only poo removed daily, never disturb the base until you are digging it out.

Hereshoping I'm confused by your post- why would you leave the poo to "dry out"?? It would surely stink to high heaven in the summer, the point of deep littering is to leaving the base to rot without O2 and remove the poo daily- the top should stay perfectly clean and dry.
 
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Pipkin

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I only ever deep litter with straw always have done.
I put 10 bales for each stable. remove droppings daily, section of straw a day or one bale a week depending on the horse.
Leave it in for the year and muck out 4 stables with a trusty fork and barrow every summer :( Yes it takes hours but has never smelled to bad to be honest.
None of the horses have ever had foot problems.
Have 2 very messy mares and their beds always look great after a skip out.
 

FairyLights

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I have deep straw beds. I remove droppings all the time. I use shavings in one or 2 areas where they stale [urinate] under the straw. I remove the wet straw and shavings once a week. I've kept horses bedded like this for some 40 odd years. I find it to be cost and time effective.
 

dressedkez

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Depends on the overall drainage of the stable - I prefer deep littering shavings, but did staw last year on wet stable and a horse that was on box rest. We are finding that shavings is cheaper than straw this year......though the shavings that my husband is buying at MVF are terrible - but he is being mean, and buying the lowest, of the lowest grade......we are having words about this!
 

swintondesire

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this is the first year i have deep littered my stable. my horse is fairly clean and i top it up with straw every few days. i skip out poos daily and my horse seems to like it much better as he can lie all over and be warm. plus i find they dont make holes in there bed when getting up as its nice and compact together, come winter 2013 i will defo be doing this again. its been a such a time saver with work!
 

Ellen Durow

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Thanks everyone.

Sounds doable then. I did wonder if it would be more stable- experience of straw beds before is that they seem to a) flatten down and b) slip about more so leaving bare bits, this should work out better.

This would be taking poo out daily (should have mentioned that).
Done properly, deep litter is a deep, firm bed, dry, comfortable and not smelly (until you disturb it). Whilst it can save a lot of time on a daily basis, a lot of care must be taking over the skipping out of solids - it has to be spotless. Someone spoke about lifting the wet, but if the bed is deep enough and firm enough this will only disturb the deep litter and cause problems. In a properly made deep litter bed the liquid should sink to the bottom and in a properly designed stable it should drain away out of the stable.

I used to know a lady whose deep litter bed had been down for several years. It was nearly 2 feet deep and felt like a very expensive spring interior mattress when you walked on it. It was absolutely spotless and there wasn't the slightest hint of a smell. In fact it was so clean and comfortable that I would have been happy to sleep on it myself. The "tenant", who was a Welsh Section A, didn't seem in the least bit concerned about her elevated position. In fact it meant she could see out over her stable door!

Incidentally, a very useful implement for packing down the straw is one of those flat plastic snow shovels on a long wooden handle.

Oh and another thing which might swing it for you - once the full bed is down it's cheaper to maintain than daily mucking out! From the horse's point of view I've never known a horse which is kept on properly maintained deep litter to get thrush and in winter he or she is very warm and comfy.
 
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