Help please Wood Pellet users.

tammyisback

tammyisback

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I am going to order some wood pellets from corley biowood next week, what is the best way to start the bed??

Soak in the wheelbarrow?
Soak in the stable?

Thanks!!
 
I normally just tip 5 - 7 bags of pellets out and then spray with the hose, then mix in and then water again. I leave about 70% whole so they soak up the urine and expand. Then I mix in and take out any really wet patches daily adding one new bag a week
 
Thanks bosworth. Supplier recommends doing it in a wheelbarrow but I thought this sounded time consuming! How thick a bed does 7 bags give you and do you have banks?
 
I found the quickest way was to soak the empty stable floor, tip the bags of pellets out then water liberally with the hose pipe, leave for 15 minutes or so then water again as neccessary, it is amazing just how much they expand. TBH when starting a bed I think you would be on for ages doing it in the wheelbarrow.
 
I did mine in a wheel barrow ,I put 2 bags in a barrow and added a bucket of warm water left for 10 minutes, did it 3 times so 6 bags in all, then I use 2 or 3 a week. I am on rubber mats so didn't want to do them in the stables in case the water went under the mats
 
We found the best way to start with was to cut a cross in the bags and tip in 8 pints of water - 2 into each corner and then leave for 15 mins then empty out - this gives you a good idea on the amount of water needed. After this you can judge by eye and tip out onto stable floor. If you have access to it use hot water... instantly fluffs up - appears to be drier, and doesn't take so long. brilliant bedding would not use anything else have all 20 of mine on it with rubber matting and takes me 3 hrs to muck out entire yard, waters, hay and sweeping !
 
spread out 6 10kg bags on floor, sprinkle with 1 and half watering cans full. Wait 30 mins, then fluff up with rake and judge if you need more water
 
in a 12x12 stable using 6 x15kg bags I get a bed about 5 inches deep and mine are all on rubber matting - and never bother with banks as they are a waste of space and unless they are about 3ft 6 high and solid they perform no function.
 
I just popped 8 bags in then hosed every 20 mins or so whilst I was doing other duties. They swelled up nicely and it wasn't as time consuming as doing it in the wheelbarrow.
 
wowzers! you all put on WAY more water than me...
blush.gif
 
In my 12 x 12 stable (no mats) I put down 14 x 10kg bags and that didn't even give me banks. I used shavings for the banks.

Have to say I am now selling the remaining bags as it's just not worked out. So if anyone wants 19 bags, PM me!
 
i use 15 kg bags, still experimenting with best ways to fluff them up. in bag/ wheelbarrow / tub trug i find fluffs them up better but its a real jar to do.

Hot water is most definately better though.

For 2 x 15 kg bags i use prob 2ish full buckets of hot water ( i dont like mine too wet, and like to have say 20% left as pellets not full expanded) leave it in the barrow for a while then i chuck it in the stables.
hot water deffo produces a fluffier bed - dont know why but i have experimented and thats what i found !

for 2 x 12 stables i used probably about 8 x 15 kg bags to start there beds off - but they have very thick beds. they get 1-3 15 kgs bags a week between the 2 stables. I have banks though. mainly just to keep my old girl warmer, and for my messy one its handy to have fresh bed in the corner to drag down during the week as reqd.
i take out the poo daily, and v v bad wet patches but normally its ok, rake over, then do a full muck out on the weekend, fluffing the bed back up a bit but not distrubing any clean areas as the bed compacts really well and stays put.
after 3-4 weeks I get it all up, disinfect floor, refluff + lay it again etc.
working really well for mine, theyre so clean ,dry and warm - thought i'd hate it (im a whiter than white shavings girlm or massive straw beds if not) but i really love it.
 
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