How much bedding do you use a month?

[Hormonal Filly]

I don't even want to work it out! After some experimenting I think The Beast needs 4 bags of wood pellets a week... at £5.80 a bag (the yard sells them now otherwise £6.60 from Pets at Home). Fortunately Granny just needs 1 Easibed a week and that is in with her livery cost at the moment. It's expensive to buy a separate bag from the yard though... I think they get stung with a substantial delivery charge up here cos I don't think they are making a huge profit per bag.

If you have somewhere (or even at home!) you can store wood pellets its so much cheaper to buy them on a pallet.
https://www.whitehorseenergy.co.uk/wood-pellets/firepower-wood-pellets Theres always 5% off codes, working out £4.31 a bag inc. delivery usually. They're better than pets at home too, excellent wood pellets, pure white.

 

[Hexx]

I was on shavings and while I was mucking out used about 1.5 a week. When the yard started mucking out for me, I was getting through 2-3 as they weren't as picky as me. I was paying £8.50 per bale so about £50-60 a month.

I have swapped onto straw and now 1 large (6ft) bale usually lasts 3 weeks and costs £15 - so a massive saving, plus I think my horse likes the straw better as he can make himself a nest to snuggle in!

 

[CavaloBranco]

Oh ok Aimeetess, your two are very economical at 4 bales a month! Lucky you...Want to swop?! I do think about wood pellets but a friend told me that they don't necessarily unload the pallet in your yard but the nearest point. Hubby and I are in our 60's and my yard at home is at the back. I get shavings delivered and unloaded for me ☺️
Also don't they make a damp bed? My oldie has arthritis and loves his dry shavings.

 

[elliejhb]

Reading this apparently way too much! 😖

Gelding gets new shavings every 4 days, Mare gets 2.5 bags of pellets once a week (alternates between 2 & 3).
This works out at about £123 a month 😱. I need to find cheaper bedding!

 

[Merrymoles]

I'm feeling like a total cheapskate now as my horse gets about three bales a month, totalling £15.30 for bales (£5.10 each collected). His mate, who I also muck out, is much muckier (known as the swamp monster) but still only gets a maximum of five bales a month.

They have good depth half beds as their boxes are massive (20ft by 15ft) on rubber mats. The only downside is that I have to do a lot of sweeping in the mornings as they tend to spread their beds getting up. However, judging by the number of shavings they are usually covered in, they both get plenty of flat out REM sleep!

We changed livery arrangements this year so bedding no longer included. I'm finding I actually use less because I can add a new bale when I need to, rather than feeling I have to do it every weekend. So mine had a new bale on Tuesday and won't get another until I feel his bed is getting thin - could be next Tuesday, could be a week tomorrow.

I can't believe how many bales some posters get through - I'd be totally skint! However, we are lucky enough to be able to turn out for 12 hours a day which I am guessing not everyone can. It means more poo picking but it's worth it both for their welfare and the saving on bedding and forage.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Oh ok Aimeetess, your two are very economical at 4 bales a month! Lucky you...Want to swop?! I do think about wood pellets but a friend told me that they don't necessarily unload the pallet in your yard but the nearest point. Hubby and I are in our 60's and my yard at home is at the back. I get shavings delivered and unloaded for me ☺️
Also don't they make a damp bed? My oldie has arthritis and loves his dry shavings.

Ha ha. No as I couldn't afford it if they used more. No they have dry beds, the clean one wees in a small spot so I just remove that daily and my other one does a washing machine affect in one area so remove that area daily. I don't deep litter but don't chuck unnecessary shavings out.
They will delivery it where you want it.. specially White Horse Energy they're very good if you ask before especially.

 

[Dusty M Yeti]

I have two big horses on straw, fully mucked out every day, and I use roughly 2.5 small bales a week - 10 every 4 weeks - £25
Two minis on wood pellets, fully mucked out daily, 1 bag each every two weeks (they're full beds, but very clean ponies) - 4 every 4 weeks - £22

So £48 every 4 weeks total for bedding for 4 equines

 

[nikkimariet]

Fig and Nova are very tidy and dry and use less than Bruce. It works out anywhere between £40-60 for each.

My shavings are dust extracted and this works best for them and me, never had a problem with it. I do like big deep beds and won't skimp on it.

They're out 5.30-3.30 each day, bit less at the weekends.

 

[Pippity]

Two bales of shavings a week, included with livery price, and I'll usually top up another one or two a week (bought from the yard at £8.15), because she's a revolting poo machine who likes to riverdance through her output, and I'm a sap who likes her to have a big, comfy bed. That's turned out during the day, and with 29mm equimats. Roll on summer and 24/7 turnout.

 

[MasterBenedict]

Between 2-4 small bales straw a week per horse. Poop taken out daily and bed refreshed, and all wet taken out every two weeks at present. Lucky to have straw included in my DIY livery package, as with 18x18ft stables, they need BIG beds!

 

[BarneyTheChestnutOne]

2 bales of straw a week each for my gelding who is on box rest, and my messy mare who is out during the day. £2 per bale, so I am paying £8 per week for my 2 horses bedding

 

[huskydamage]

Puting 1 straw bale a week in pony's. Straw was free as we collected them from an event where they were used as seats, free for taking them away.
Horse has shavings and a small bag of pellets on the bottom. £11+£5. So I'm spending £16 per week. I don't want to work that out per month it will upset me!

 

[blitznbobs]

Loads - old feathery feet soaks up the water from the field and deposits it on the bed... so 2 bales a week for him and 1.5 for the other big guy ... the little ones use very little so4 bales a week ish - I pay6.60 per bale so about 100 ish per month - much lesss in summer tho

 

[Floxie]

Straw on rubber mats. I was using Neds Bed underneath but I'm poor and it seemed silly to be buying in more bedding when others manage on just straw, so now taking the wet out every 2 days and topping up once or twice a week - usually just one slice from a hesston bale (occasionally 2 if it's got low). Bought the bale at the start of winter for £40 and I'm maybe halfway through it. So £20 over 12 weeks - £1.6 a week?!

 

[Mosh]

I get through a round bale of straw every 4-5 weeks. I don't skimp on bedding either and it's wall to wall and to the door.
It's currently very thick and I do a full muck out every 2/3 days depending on shifts at work, other wise it's just skipped out. Do a full clean and bed up once a week at least.
Bale is £20 and as the yard is mostly on straw we order 4/5 at a time so delivery is free.

 

[tankgirl1]

1 small bale of straw a week, deep littered, 2 ponies sharing. Dig out the wet periodically when I can be bothered

 

[Annagain]

I started his bed off with 5 bags of wood pellets and add 5 bags every 4 weeks. If that seems very precise it's because it is! Every Saturday I put a fresh bag of unsoaked pellets in where he wees, whether he needs it or not and every 4 weeks I add a bag of soaked pellets to top up the other side of his bed. He never poos in his bed (his stable is huge and he either stands at his hay bar or the door, it's all rubber matted and only has a bed on the back 3rd) and he doesn't really disturb the left hand side of his bed either - that's obviously the head end when he lies down. We bought in bulk across the whole yard so each bag worked out at £4 so I'm paying £5 a week for bedding. Yes I know I'm lucky, I'm sure karma will get me with the next (hypothetical) one who'll be a swamp monster.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

One bag of Aquamax each a week for 4 14.2hh ponies and one every 2 weeks for shetland.

£6 a bag so £27 a week for all 5 and £108 a month for all 5. Interestingly 'cheaper' pellets cost me double as I needed a bag every other day for big ponies and 2 a week for shetland 😏

 

[merlo89]

Start up of 6x15kg wood pellet bags at £5.50 per bag, then a bag a week for an incredibly wet 17hh horse.

He has a 14x12 stable and I only take the poo out and shake the wet and put it back in. Guessing everyone who used wood pellets and went through a lot of bags took the wet out?🤔

 

[criso]

Used to get through 4 bales of hunters a week with my filthy tb and it still never looked clean Wood pellets were a bit better at 1 - 2 bags of Aquamax a week. Then he developed an allergy to wood based bedding so changed to straw. 3 1/2 small bales a week.

More recently I have been in places where straw bedding is included and it's big bales and as he's on 5 day livery it's not me adding the bedding so I'm not sure.

 

[alainax]

1000litres of sawdust a month. I believe local sawmill drops a truck load of it in the bay. I really like it.

He’s very clean too for a big lad! this is after a whole day and night in

 

[Sussexbythesea]

I get through about 2 bags of wood pellets at £4.50 per bag per horse per week during the winter when they’re in at night. I’ve got through 65 bags in the last 4 months including building up their winter beds. Summer they mostly live out so tend to run the beds down and use very few bags.

One is a filthy pig and the other very clean and neat.

 

[Bob notacob]

If I were to use Hunter shavings I would be spending about £1400 a year on bedding . So about 8 years ago (£11,200 worth of bedding) I bought a machine . I drop half a tonne of log into the hopper and press a few buttons .And hey presto , woodshavings . It has easily paid for itself .Note to self .Is this a good reason to buy another horse or two!

 

[Street_Skill]

My horse is on shavings due to RAO.....but he is incredibly filthy and I am a cheap skate! I have found that deep littering in a really thick bed works the best for him. I put in one bag of pellets per week after digging out the wet patch, then top up the bed with half a bag of chip and half a bag of large flake shavings (usually Bedmax). I buy my chip and shavings in bulk, usually going for special offers at county shows etc. so at the moment I am spending a total of £13 a week, £52 a month (roughly), on all the bedding that I use in his stable. I find that with careful management this set up easily lasts a week, and this week he has had two days in so it's done really well, there is no smell and his breathing is really good.

 

[Squeak]

we get our sawdust from the local saw mill in ton bags, costs £9 a bag and last 4 to 6 weeks

Does the sawmill deliver or do you have to sort out the delivery yourself? Also is it good quality or do you find some bigger or sharper bits in it?

I've never looked in to it but now I'm wondering if I've missed a trick!

 

[conniegirl]

Does the sawmill deliver or do you have to sort out the delivery yourself? Also is it good quality or do you find some bigger or sharper bits in it?

I've never looked in to it but now I'm wondering if I've missed a trick!

We have to go collect, comes in big dumpy bags so you really do need access to some sort of digger/tractor/forklift when you get home. they happily load them for us using their forklifts.

quality is absolutly fine, the odd larger bit but maybe one piece in 5 bags, easily found and removed when laying the bed.

 

[AGray825]

I use far too much to be honest and really next winter my aim will be to save over the summer and buy a couple pallet loads to last over the worst of the weather (as they only come in overnight during the autumn/winter seasons barring special circumstances)
I get through (on average) 8-12 x pellet bags per month plus 8 x Bedmax bags per month for one very messy and wet pony mare and one not so messy but giant horse gelding (pellets are 8-12 because when already messy pony goes into season then she becomes even messier and wetter and sometimes needs a little extra!)
I tend to put 1-2 bags of pellets in the wet patches (or the over the whole bed sometimes in the case of the mare) and then a bag of Bedmax on top to create a soft top for them to lay on.

Rough costs would total a good £120 a month on bedding. Which could be a lot worse I suppose, but I know I can do it cheaper if I hadn't been so spend-happy last summer.....

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I use one bale of shavings per horse per week with a bag of pellets in the middle every month. They are deep littered and I dig the middle out when the bed stops looking clean. £6.50 for the shavings and £5.45 for the pellets so about £65 a month.

 

[Ceriann]

I used to use pellets for 3 horses - in overnight in winter for roughly 10 hours. Pellets got more expensive and one suffers with mites so decided to try a shavings bed this winter. They all have eva matting and I typically use 3-4 bales a month for all 3. I use bedmax. One mare is very clean - she’s in a big stable, never pees inside and poos on matting! She can make a bale of shavings last a month as all she does is sleep on it. The other two get done as needed but can easily go a week or two with one bale. Bonus - treatment and no deep bedding = no mites!

 

[Greylegs]

My lad (out in day, in at night year round) uses about 6 bales of Bedmax shavings per month. Works for me. Cost wise, it's included in my livery (upto 6 per month) and never need any more so don't buy any extra.