Di I need to 'activate' these pellet thingies then?

[lensmith7]

I've bought some wood pellets to deep litter Josie on while she's on box rest. I'm going to put them under straw to absorb all the we. she only wees in one spot, so hopping t'll be easy

Do I still need to do the water activate thingie? Or as it's under straw let her 'activate' it herself?

Thankies x

 

[jodixie]

yes water it to fluff it up

 

[ESH]

I put them in a wheel barrow, then add water and leave for about 20 mins then put down.

 

[Chico Mio]

Why the soaking in water? I maybe being a bit thick here but surely if you use all the pellets' absorbency up by soaking them in water they will absorb less wee?

This is said in a non-critical, just puzzled way

 

[martlin]

They need to be soaked a bit in order to 'activate' them - the water swells them up and breaks them a bit.

 

[Chico Mio]

Oh! I just opened the bags and chucked them down.

They have broken down just fine without any pre soaking. Do the manufacturers recommend that you 'activate' them? My skinflinty suspicious mind would think that they like you to start with slightly dampened pellets so they don't last as long and you use more. No one suggested it to me when I bought mine. I must say they don't look that nice when still pellets but the neds didn't care and now it's just a lovely thick bed.

 

[martlin]

Well, if you add them to a damp bed the result should be the same as soaking in water
Actually, they last a bit longer when they are soaked beforehand, also if you use them as a full/half bed with nothing else, putting them in dry is a bad idea as they are very slippery before breaking up.