First day on wood pellets

carthorse

carthorse

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Wow, are they as good as they seem?
Hubbies soaked them yesterday and not sure he used enough water as there were still quite alot still as pellets and only used 6 bags as Rafi is on a comfort mattress anyway so doesn't need the whole stable covered but I was amazed today and mucking out took no time at all. The bed had not moved but he had laid down as he had some on his rug. He had pooed off the bed mostly anyway and it still looked perfect.
So are there any bad points [accept having enough water in this weather as our tap freezes and we have to take the water up in containers]. Do you just skip out and rake it over and then completely change it every month .
Love to hear any advice.
 
I make my beds up at the start of winter - really deep as both of mine like to lie down and its concrete. My mare is really clean so just poo pick her daily (only wees in her stable on the longest nights) and wees in the same spot so check that and remove wet if necessary. Top up probably only once or twice until she goes out 24/7. My gelding however if a filthy messy boy!! Still poo pick his bed (likes to mix it up!) and take out as much wet as necessary and top up - probably 2 bags a week. His bed does settle down after a couple of weeks - when he has got it how he likes it!!
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- and after that I poo pick, take out the wet patches and rake over to get the hay out he has mixed in!!

Both stables take 20 minutes to muck out and one wheelbarrow - used to take me over an hour with my gelding on straw 3-4 wheelbarrows a day!!
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Best things ever - and the only horsey thing that has saved me time and money!!
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ETA - when I top up I empty the bags into a wheelbarrow and 'water' in there - leave them to activate while I make up feeds etc (about 10/15 mins) and then dump in stables where needed.
 
I have a haybar so that is keeping the haylage out of the bed, I couldn't believe how easy it was . Tomorrow I am off to buy some for Penfold as we haven't got any papers to shred at the moment as where I work hasn't given a free paper over Christmas so I couldn't take the spare ones.
Just not sure how much water to add? Hubbies used boiled water as supplier said that was best.
 
I water mine in the bags!
I make a slit at the top, stick the hose in and fill to the top, go off for couple of mins, top up again and 5 mins later make a hole in the bottom to drain any excess water then take into stable, slit bag and spread.
I have tried other ways like hosing and in the barrow but find this easier.
BTW I love them too, I used to be on shavings or flax and find the pellets so much easier to do.
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boiling water seems to be best - for mine, 3 round feed scoops of pellets + 1 kettleful of water seeems to be about right so far...
my supplier will reuse the bags and give me 5p a bag for them, so it's better than nothing (and better than going in landfill etc) so i can't really try the water-in-the-bag method.
yes, they really are exceptionally good, i think. just worrying that they might be stinky in the summer (i'm really fussy about my stables not being smelly at all!(... time will tell.
 
Kerilli - we had various horses/ponies in on box rest over the summer and if anything they seemed easier then in the winter. I think because the ambient temperature is warmer the beds dry out more - so once the 'wet' patch was removed the rest of it stayed nice and dry. Admittedly my stinky, filthy, messy boy wasn't in - he is seen as the true test round here!
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- but all the rest were mares and I can't say I noticed any smell but again our stables are open and airy as well.
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I only ever water the first bed of teh year. After that I just tip in a dry bag every week and that works really well. The pellets expand with any excess moisture in the bed and keep it lovely and dry.
 
Kerilli - please spill!

I have 3 bags of cardboard left, but I am pretty feed up with it as takes twice as long to muck out as my straw bed and I find it really heavy to dig.

Hence why hijacking posts (sorry Carthorse, but v interesting!)
 
i got mine from LWP, they had a discount on a tonne when i ordered so worked out stinky cheap.

ive been on them about a week and really liking them so far. i get a tub trug of poo out each day and dug the wet patches out after 5-7 days and turned the beds. it banks well and creates a soft but firm bed.

i fluff mine up in the bag with hot water and find it works better than cold.
 
I tried everything and now use Ecomax Horse Bedding. They're wood pellets but only take a minute to absorb the water you add so no problem to set up your bed. Wood pellets definately the best for my wet messy mare and Ecomax the best of the wood pellets and believe me, I've tried everything and you won't believe the difference in all the pellets. Only costing £6.00 per week as I only use one bag a week. Shavings was costing £28 a week and Liverpool Wood Pellets the cheapest of the other pellets but no where near as absorbent, so ended up costing more at £10 per week. Very happy as Ecomax bed nice pale yellow and I know that there are no nasties in there as it's made from Virgin wood pulp with no chemicals and no recycled wood. I thought recycled = good, but not where bedding is concerned. It can include old pallets (plus whatever chemicals has spilled onto them) and hardwoods which can damage horses respiratory tracts.
BEWARE wood pellets that are intended as bio-fuel (including Liverpool) as these can have stuff in that's dangerous to horses.
 
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