Help .....stinking stable so straw or shavings?????

[merlinsquest]

Merlin is currently on rubber mats and good depth straw bed..... but, and its a big but...... HE STINKS.

The ammonia is strong despite me putting green gloop under the mats weekly and on top daily with a spray bottle.

Does anyone think that he would be better on shavings??? I used to use shavings but he is a bit messy so can get expensive.... so changed to straw, and because he was out more it didnt get smelly... but since changing yards his turnout is less so obviously more wee is going into the bed.

I dont want to compromise his airways... I think I would die if I had to breath what he does :-(

He has got arthritis in one fetlock though, so I dont really want to have him on just rubber.

 

[Happytohack]

Straw is not suitable for use with rubber matting as it is not absorbent, which is why it smells so much. If you use shavings or any other absorbent bedding, you will find it doesn't smell nearly so much. All mine have rubber matting and have plenty of bedding on top. One has shavings and the others have a mixture of shavings and dust extracted straw. Their beds are about three quarters of what they would be if they didn't have the matting.

 

[Evadiva1514]

Mine are on rubber matting and shavings. They have a nice thick bed and i put in approx 2 bales of shavings per horse per week. They always smell fresh and keep nice and clean. I do keep my youngsters on straw at the moment but i definitely prefer using shavings for the others, far nicer to work with IMO.

 

[tremorfa]

I sympathise with you, Clyde could pee for England! When he was on bed rest for 12 weeks I dreaded going in to the stables. I switched to flax and it was a godsend. I only put one bale in fresh each week and it is the same price here as shavings. You use the deep litter system. It absorbs so well that there is very little ammonia odour. You remove the wet flax when it turns orange. It is also very bio-degradable and cuts back on the size of the dung heap. It breaks down much faster that shavings. I thoroughly recommend it.

 

[Pidge]

yes. Pidge is on rubber matting and has a deep shavings bed. He is very scutty

but have found with a deep bed the poo tends to stay in poo piles as opposed to getting trod into a mush

so costs a bit more to set up deep bed, but use 2 bales a week and no smell of ammonia as the wee rarely gets to the rubber matting as he wees at the back of the box and its only the front that tends to get trashed most. Trial and error for me in getting the right depth of bed - now only take out one barrow per day, when he had a shallower bed I was 2 barrows out per day.

 

[mandy4727]

Glad someone else has the same problem. Well not glad, but you know what I mean. My mare stinks to high heaven. And I mean you can taste it when you go in the stable with her. God knows what it is like for her sleeping and eating in it. She is on straw. Thick bed. I have tried shavings and also nedzbeds but she is so so dirty stirring all the droppings round in her bed so there are no full dollops but loads of little bits everywhere. It was costing me a fortune on shavings and nedzbeds. Using 3 a week. Where as I can get away with 4 bales of staw and so much cheaper. I look forward to hearing what everyone else suggests and might give it a try.

 

[merlinsquest]

Looks like we will be changing again then..... trouble is, he does not pick his feet up and drags the c**p around the box, and churns up the wet patches so its all mixed in.

Though, at the last yard he was not so settled... he had three windows to look out of and used to make good use of them, if you know what I mean!!!!

How many bales of flax do you need to start up the bed???

Another girl at the yard started her box on easybed?? looked like splinters to me!! 10 bales to start the bed, and put 2 a week in.... took it all out 4 weeks later and went back to straw.... how expensive was that!!

At least my livery covers one bale of shavings a week or half a bale of straw a day.... so straw a plenty.... easy to keep clean (but smells) or skimpy shavings unless I top it up myself!!

HELP!!

 

[Super_Kat]

try flax, That only stinks to high heaven when you desturb the wet (I do a full muck out evry day so the smell is never that bad). If you deep litter as long as the wet doesn't get desturbed it doesn't smell.

 

[merlinsquest]

OOOOHHHH I am not alone!!!!

Thought merlin might have a problem as he smells so bad. I spoke to Field Guard who sold me the Green Gloop and they said its because he is male and on straw!!!

 

[Super_Kat]

[ QUOTE ]
trouble is, he does not pick his feet up and drags the c**p around the box, and churns up the wet patches so its all mixed in.



[/ QUOTE ]

One of mine sort of does this, when she walks backwards she drags her back feet so everything get's pushed back and mashed up but I can maintain the bed nicely on 2 bales a week.......mucky bugger

I can't for the life of me remember how many bales the bed took to set up (tere was already some scabby stuff in there when I arrived. If you can the best thing to do is buy a pallet of it so you've got a good supply there (and it's much cheaper if you avoid paying shop prices!)

 

[merlinsquest]

Where in hampshire are you.... I am surrey/hants border, so wondered where to buy from... also how much to expect to pay???

 

[Fantasy_World]

Mcfly is exactly the same when stabled. Stinks and is very messy. Will tread pee and muck into his straw bedding. It was thick as both my lads have a good solid bed and banks when stabled. Out now for summer then back in again mid november and have day turnout. I have since switched to mats for this winter and I'm keeping the big lad on straw as yo sells it on site and I can't afford to switch both to shavings to be honest.
Was thinking of shavings until I read about flax on here a short while ago and I'm very keen on giving it a go. Apparently though it is not brilliant for banks though am I correct? If so instead of using shavings for the bank would straw work just for the purpose of banks to stop casting in stable etc?
Another problem I have is that I don't know how keen yo will be on me storing flax/shavings at the yard. I did hint on it a few weeks ago but was not so pleased with response. Did not say no but on the other hand didn't say oh yes you can put some there etc. I suppose what only errs me is that with 2 horses I spend the most money on the yard as I have all my bedding and feed from yo whereas others get bits and bobs from elsewhere. Not ranting btw just saying that I would hope they see my point of view from switching to a more asorbent bedding as his bed is just soaking wet with straw as he pees so much

Would rather be able to buy in bulk and have delivered or collect a load which would save on petrol and may get a discount but if storing is a problem then I'm not sure? Does it come in very strong packaging ( flax) that would withstand weather if palleted and maybe had a tarpaulin cover on as I could store at home in garden maybe and it may come in handy for the ferrets too seeing I have 19 of the critters at the mo.
I would hope to poop pick daily and give a good muckout at weekends or twice a week when nights are really short as I'm working now and did not have to endure last winter as a working woman and it does make a difference in time keeping lol.
I wouldn't want the bed too thick as that was the whole idea of the mats to create more warmth, ease joints and also to save on bedding and money.
What would people suggest in inches as a manageable bed if I was planning on just getting out the wet twice a week?
Sorry to hijack and ask questions on someone else's thread but as they are relative to the original question in a way I didn't think it would hurt.
Cazx

 

[filly190]

Dont shoot me down, but could it be possible that the drainage in your stable using the rubber mat system is not working effectively. If that is the case, I would be tempted to remove the rubber matting and have a bed of shavings. The strong smell that you mention and all the hard work you are putting in to keep on top of it cant be good for you or the horse. Those mats are heavy and it cant be good for your back keep lifting them.

 

[louise1967]

I use woody pet which is the same as aquamax, I have prior to this always used straw or shavings, but would never go back to either now. Its easier, cleaner, and makes life a whole lot easier. It is a pellet that activates when wet, so when the horse wee's it get mixed in, it neutralizes the odours and as it is so fine, when you the scoop the poo, the rest just drops through the fork, so no wastage, I take out a bit of the wet once a week and that takes me 20 mins, daily it takes me under 3 minutes and I empty my wheelbarrow every 3 days as I waste so little. I can't rave about this stuff enuf.

 

[mystiandsunny]

Flax is good, but aquamax is THE BEST!!!! So very quick to muck out, and if you put some pellets in 'neat' then they keep the bed dry. Put the same amount in you'd have if you didn't have the mats to make a nice deep, DRY bed.

 

[ISHmad]

I have got rubber mats down, then two inches of shavings on top of that and then straw. The shavings soak up all the wee, it is much much better than just straw, and a lot cheaper than just shavings which I used to use! And I always do a full muck out, no deep littering.

 

[Super_Kat]

When yu first start the bed offit is crap for banks becauseit's so damn slippery! However once the bed has settled andhas become ever so slightly soiled it's fine,mine he lovely big banks. I'll tak photo's of their beds this evening.

 

[icestationzebra]

To be honest I wouldn't use either. How about a flax bedding? Very absorbant and no dust. I have a mare who was so wet on shavings - now I use this stuff it's great and I only use a bale a week during winter - through summer that will probably be every 10 days..... worth a try?

 

[Kelly1982]

You could try paper???

My friend has found that this is teh only bedding that keeps her mare clean and she has tried everything!!!

She does also put a layer of shavings underneath though just for extra absorbancy

 

[mlm]

changing the subject slightly. i had the back man out to a pony a few years back and he could smell the ammonia straight away in the stable (i couldn't but did when he pointed it out.)he told me to by a product from equine america called dye-retic it clears them out and you only give it once a week. i now use it all the time it works brilliant. and is really good for mares with there season if they get a bit tender on there kidneys.

 

[merlinsquest]

Well... just to update you.... I have removed all the mats today and washed underneath them... put half a gallon of green gloop underneath to neutralise the wee that seeps underneath in the future.... replaced the mats and put a bed of shavings on top..... slipped a disc (not really, just feels like it) and bought a new (to me) product called Stable Fresh... anyone heard of it or used it.

Please god, let this be the end of the smell!!!

I am starting with shavings as the YM wont buy me anything else, but if this doesent work I will think again. BUT no way am I lifting the mats for at least 4 months. It has been a weekly wash out and a fortnightly under the mats clean since August when i moved yards, I walk with a stoop and am developing a hump.... so need to stop now!!

 

[merlinsquest]

Stable smelt lovely today..... looked a mess, think merlin had played football all night!!!

Mucked out very slowly!!! New shavings always look awful after the first poo hits them :-( and decided to just put a thinner layer for the bed and keep the rest in banks, otherwise will spend rest of my life picking 5p size nuggets out of the shavings!!! I would rather take the whole of the middle out and spray the freshener over the mats and leave to air than have a deep bed of pee soaked shavings.

Keep your fingers crossed that it continues to not be stinky!!!

 

[ISHmad]

Glad tha things are improving! It still could be worth putting straw on top of the shavings, it's worked brilliantly for us and I was completely anti-straw before doing that.

The Stable Fresh product sounds interesting. What is in it, do you know? And who makes it? One of my other friends has problems with her stable which doesn't drain very well, and like you were having to do she is lifting the mats weekly which is killing her!

 

[amandaco2]

shavings either a really deep bed semi deep littered or mucked out fully each day.or hempcore or similar is very absorbant.
try to get some of that stuff that absorbs amonia i cant remember what its called now but it works great!

 

[merlinsquest]

Still smells good

Due to him being a messy bugga and on rubber mats anyway, have gone for the skinny bed and fully done out bar the banks each day.... cant be doing with tweezers for the poos!!!!

Keep fingers crossed it keeps working..... stable fresh sprayed over freshly mucked out bed works a treat too!!