Does anyone still actually use straw for bedding?!

[Mince Pie]

No one seems to have considered that there are different types of straw. Traditionally wheat straw was used for bedding. Barley straw was rejected as it caused skin problems and oat straw was too palatable (ie they ate it!)

Nowadays with modern combine harvesters the husk of barley straw that caused the skin problems is removed at harvest and it makes a fantastic bed - if it is eaten a little it is digestible and in moderate quantities should not cause colic. Oat straw is still very palatable and is used by many as a low calorie feed stuff - it actually is used in several proprietary chaff type feed products so is not really suitable for bedding. Wheat straw is less palatable, but is also non digestible so eaten in any great quantity could well cause colic.

There is no comparison in price between straw and any other bedding - straw is by far the cheapest. I have kept horses for over 45 years and apart from the odd top sport horse or the odd one with a dust allergy they have all lived on straw and touch wood I have never had a colic caused by the bedding.

The resulting muck heap is welcomed by my local farmers who hate shavings as they appear to harm plant growth unless left for several years.

However if you are all so wealthy that you can afford to throw your money on the muck heap .........!!

Good post!

 

[stencilface]

Ditto Puppy - going in my friends shaving stables I always feel grubby and smelly afterwards and always get shaving everywhere - they are so dusty!

Ours are on straw - lovely yelllow fluffy straw that they do occassionally munch probably. Can't have oat straw anymore as my horse thought that was delish and went a bit crazy on it

 

[littlemisslauren]

We use straw at work for 90% of the beasties, the others are shavings.

I much prefer straw. It only smells when you disturb it / if you dont go through the bed properly.

 

[Mlini]

I have straw Mainly because it is included in the price of my livery.. I much prefer it to shavings. I find it easier to muck out - takes me like 5 minutes to do my bed! It isn't smelly (until you get to the bottom of the bed!) It isn't as dusty as shavings. The horse stays clean on it (shavings get everywhere!). He will eat it if he runs out of haylage and he does like to dig his banks out lol - but I don't mind

 

[sammiea]

I use straw and love it...I'm very lucky that my husbands family have a farm so we just bale up enough straw for me and store it in the barn..I then take 20 at a time to the yard.

 

[aintgotnohay]

No one seems to have considered that there are different types of straw. Traditionally wheat straw was used for bedding. Barley straw was rejected as it caused skin problems and oat straw was too palatable (ie they ate it!)

Nowadays with modern combine harvesters the husk of barley straw that caused the skin problems is removed at harvest and it makes a fantastic bed - if it is eaten a little it is digestible and in moderate quantities should not cause colic. Oat straw is still very palatable and is used by many as a low calorie feed stuff - it actually is used in several proprietary chaff type feed products so is not really suitable for bedding. Wheat straw is less palatable, but is also non digestible so eaten in any great quantity could well cause colic.

There is no comparison in price between straw and any other bedding - straw is by far the cheapest. I have kept horses for over 45 years and apart from the odd top sport horse or the odd one with a dust allergy they have all lived on straw and touch wood I have never had a colic caused by the bedding.

The resulting muck heap is welcomed by my local farmers who hate shavings as they appear to harm plant growth unless left for several years.

However if you are all so wealthy that you can afford to throw your money on the muck heap .........!!

you dont need to be wealthy to use shavings.i allow 150 per month for my pony-includes-stable and grazing,insurance,bedding and shoes etc.i just dont like him on straw-he trashes the bed and it stinks to high heaven and he eats the bed aswell.i was using 1/2 bale of straw per day with him.he is much better on deep litter shavings.