Hello and wood pellets

Identityincrisis

Identityincrisis

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Hi! I've finally taken the plunge and registered! I've been 'lurking' for a couple of years and know there can be lots of good advice on here.

My question is, I've recently started using wood pellets for my bedding (read a lot of the posts on here before making the decision) but my problem is, it is looking very dark/unclean. Now my boy is a minger! but I am an absolute stickler when it comes to his bed so wasn't expecting this, especially after only a week. I did buy off White Horse, but it was the wood burning pellets. Has my stingy-ness back fired and I've got 'lower grade' pellets? Would the premium pellets look better?

All advice gratefully received :)
 
I found white horse pellets much darker than Liverpool ones and my bed never looked as nice. Have gone back to Liverpool ones now. Not that it helps you much of course if you've bought a tonne of them. Chorley wood ones are also lighter than white horse ones I found.

I can show you a picture of a brand new Liverpool bed trashed by my beast so you can see how white they are?
 
Wood pellet beds don't stay gleaming white but horses don't seem to mind the colour. In fact, mine positively revels in stomping through the bed to discolour it.
 
I'm a week in with my White Horse Premium bedding and i'm really happy with it, not as light in colour as shavings etc and i'm fussy about beds, very happy with it so far :)
So quick and easy to muck out and i'm not even taking a full wheelbarrow out each day.
On shavings i was taking out a barrow of wet and a barrow of solids, plus topping up with 2 bales pers week.
I will be adding my first bag of pellets in tomorrow since setting the bed up and i don't really need to add it yet
 
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Hello and welcome!

we take out the worst each day, and top up the bed as necessary - usually about a bag a week. By halfway through the winter the beds do look grubby but as long as they aren't soggy it's fine.

try not to disturb the bed too much as this makes it look worse - it forms a sort of mattress which is firm but comfy to stand/lie on. Take out the bare minimum you are happy with each day!
 
9tails said:
Wood pellet beds don't stay gleaming white but horses don't seem to mind the colour. In fact, mine positively revels in stomping through the bed to discolour it.
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Haha yes, this sounds like my horse too! He always seems happy with the job he's done through the night
 
JenHunt said:
Hello and welcome!

we take out the worst each day, and top up the bed as necessary - usually about a bag a week. By halfway through the winter the beds do look grubby but as long as they aren't soggy it's fine.

try not to disturb the bed too much as this makes it look worse - it forms a sort of mattress which is firm but comfy to stand/lie on. Take out the bare minimum you are happy with each day!
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Hello :)

Thank you, I'm lifting it everyday which is probably adding to the problem
 
Ta da

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This is after one night. I can update you tomorrow as to what they look like after a week. My White Horse ones never started out this white but perhaps I was just unlucky. I have photos of my white horse bed last year too (was a bit of an experiment as the two years before that we were on liverpool pellets and are again this year)
 
JenHunt said:
FWIW we have corley biowood pellets, and they're about the same colour as jesstickle's
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I can confirm this. Last winter we had a few from Corley to try and make our beds whiter as all of us found the colour of white horse ones a bit depressing! I know they all work the same but it isn't nice looking at a dark bed every day.

No comments on what a bog it is in my box? Nitty must be getting tidier in her old age :D
 
JenHunt said:
FWIW we have corley biowood pellets, and they're about the same colour as jesstickle's
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Thank you, decisions, decisions! I know it doesn't matter to the horse but I do like it to look nice

JT - Your horse poos alot......mine wees alot, can you imagine them combined?! Yuk!:eek:
 
Identityincrisis said:
Thank you, decisions, decisions! I know it doesn't matter to the horse but I do like it to look nice

JT - Your horse poos alot......mine wees alot, can you imagine them combined?! Yuk!:eek:
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O. she is wet too don't worry! And she stomps a lot! She used to be much more of a minger than she is now though thank gosh.

Will get you a pic of BH's bed which hasn't been topped up since it was put down three weeks ago tomorrow too. He is the cleanest horse in the entire world. His bed has darkened up a bit now so is more indicative of the colour they end up. I love being on wood pellets though. I only take out my wet once a week and BH costs me about £2.50 a month to bed up. How amazing is that?!
 
jesstickle said:
O. she is wet too don't worry! And she stomps a lot! She used to be much more of a minger than she is now though thank gosh.

Will get you a pic of BH's bed which hasn't been topped up since it was put down three weeks ago tomorrow too. He is the cleanest horse in the entire world. His bed has darkened up a bit now so is more indicative of the colour they end up. I love being on wood pellets though. I only take out my wet once a week and BH costs me about £2.50 a month to bed up. How amazing is that?!
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Haha she sounds like a gem :) she must be an angel in other ways to redeem herself!

Wowsers that is amazing!! I want him! I have to say my horse being a dirty minger in the stable is his only fault so I can't complain
 
i have a couple on pellets, nice comfey bed and easy to do, but does tend to look grubby. i occaisionally add half a bale of fine shavings, which brightens the bed up, but still maintaining the ease of a pellet bed.
 
If a white bed is important then look for pellets that are made from pine only. These are much whiter than other pellets made from pine and spruce.

I sell pellets and used to sell pure pine pellets but stopped due to delivery problems and now sell pine and spruce mix which are darker but work just fine, I do realise that colour is important for some people.

You could also try adding some sawdust/small flake shavings to your bed if you want to brighten it.
 
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As promised

BH's bed this morning. Three weeks in and hasn't been topped up yet. This is the colour it was

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And after I had topped him up with 2 new bags (It'll be whiter and less lumpy by the time I get back up there later, some of my pellets were still a bit damp and some hadn't broken up very well as I am not very patient waiting for them to soak!)

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Well they're much better than mine, I'm using about 2 bags a week, is this normal? Shavings are definitely calling me back! JT I appreciate the effort you have gone to to show me your bed, thanks again
 
I've used pellets for years and put a new bed down for my mare in August. It has gone darker with her being in basically 24hr a day since due to her being ill. But the colour doesnt bother me. She has a lovely big comfy bed and altho bed has gone darker she still doesnt get wet when she lies down at night only gets poo stains on her lol.

I'll take a pic of mt bed tomorrow for you to have a look at.

I take the poo out everyday and only remove any clumpy pee. The rest of the pee I mix through my bed. I add 1 bag a week and occassionally add 2 bags when I feel it needs it.
 
Right took some pics of my bed for you to have a look at.
This bed went down in August and has almost been lived in 24-7 since it went down bar I would say perhaps a few weeks where she got outside for a few hrs.

These pics were around 3 weeks after bed went down
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And these were taken after I mucked out this morning.
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You can see where the bed has darkened down. But it is still dry and she doesnt get wet rugs. I add 1 bag a week to this and occassionally add 2 when I feel the bed needs to extra.
 
cavaletti said:
How many bags would you need to start the bed off? and how much water do you add to it? Also is it dust free?
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I use Aquamax pellets, they recommend 10 bags to start off with for a 12x12 stable then one bag a week to top up. You spray them for about 3 mins to 'activate' them. Like most people are saying, they look a bit darker than shavings but I'm v impressed - have 3 horses, 2 of which are the wettest boys ever! The beds are great and v quick to muck out. The colour is just a cosmetic thing. I find it sticks to rugs and manes less too which is a bonus!
 
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