My feed suplliers rang me today to say they can't get hold of any shavings at all....I am in Northern Scotland....is this news to anybody else or do we really have a problem with supply?
All too true. I've had to buy the cardboard squares. OH says it'll break down easier for his veg patch. I've just started to include them in the stable mixed with the shavings so horse doesn't refuse to go in stable not knowing what they are. Although everyone is saying shavings have gone up this year, and thats if you can get them from £5.00 to approx £7.20 - £7.50?
everybody is having issues with shavigns and they are very very low, and what is availible is rapidly increasingy in price, said to soon hit £9/£10 a bale on average
we've moved onto hemp and its actually a lot better than shavings and stays cleaner
But why would you pay more than hemp, hemp is more absorbant, and as a consequence lasts longer, which is why I used to pay more than shavings to use it.
I'm in Central Scotland and can't get shavings either, have got them on Easibed now and so far am liking it. The place that supplies the feed shops with shavings near Falkirk is allegedly closing due to there being no shavings.
I havent heard this but then I rarely buy shavings. I did however see lots of shavings down at my local feed merchant this morning so looks like they're ok. Where in North Scotland are you?
I've got my horse on rubber mats with a wee bit of straw because shavings were mega expensive and he's a messy stinker. Also heard the lack of building trade is affecting shavings. Use straw, its great! and cheap.
Im in buckinghamshire and i know my local feed merchant is having a nightmare, hunters say there is a v long wait, aubiose is going up in price, and shavings in general are hard to get hold of due to the lack of supplies
We have a lot of horses so straw beds are not an option. We have rubber matting in all stables and put a sprinkling of shavings over the top.........I have never used hemp.don't even know where to get hold of it. Somebody suggested using sand instead of shavings.never used that either.and another person suggested peat....peat was very popular many years ago...but I think it is a breeding ground for thrush.not sure if hemp would be the same????
I asked about this cardboard stuff...my question at the feed supplier was met with a blank stare.so safe to say that won't be an option either.
I bought 4 bales of shavings this morning to tide me over til monday......they cost £8 each and are only half the normal size.
Generally speaking, feed prices have rocketed too..so, we have a credit crunch and people are skint and horse feed rises to a ridiculous high........how did that happen?
carrots are £3 a net.......and I asked about buying them in bulk.....like by the ton...£50 a ton....what????????.and that didn't include delivery. But 1st quality barley straw is cheap.......£2 a large round bale..and it is really good quality too.......doesn't make sense to me this .....and good quality hay is reasonable too..about £12 a large round bale......if we refuse to buy at such unrealistic high prices, the prices will have to come down.won't they?
We have a lot of horses so straw beds are not an option. We have rubber matting in all stables and put a sprinkling of shavings over the top.........I have never used hemp.don't even know where to get hold of it. Somebody suggested using sand instead of shavings.never used that either.and another person suggested peat....peat was very popular many years ago...but I think it is a breeding ground for thrush.not sure if hemp would be the same????
I asked about this cardboard stuff...my question at the feed supplier was met with a blank stare.so safe to say that won't be an option either.
I bought 4 bales of shavings this morning to tide me over til monday......they cost £8 each and are only half the normal size.
Generally speaking, feed prices have rocketed too..so, we have a credit crunch and people are skint and horse feed rises to a ridiculous high........how did that happen?
carrots are £3 a net.......and I asked about buying them in bulk.....like by the ton...£50 a ton....what????????.and that didn't include delivery. But 1st quality barley straw is cheap.......£2 a large round bale..and it is really good quality too.......doesn't make sense to me this .....and good quality hay is reasonable too..about £12 a large round bale.
There is definately a shavings shortage due to the slowdown of the construction industry.
I was speaking to the farmer who delivers for us the other day and he expects it to be very difficult to get hold of them. He suggested bedimax as apparently trees are cut down specifically for the purpose of prodcuing this bedding so it does not rely on the saw mill production.
Some people at my yard are switching to straw but unfortunatley farmer also suggested that due to the weather all summer the quality of the straw will be rubbish.