Most cost effective bedding?

[Bea_millard]

Im looking at new yards as I’m moving house and I’ve found one that I like but they don’t provide bedding. I’ve always been on part livery were bedding is provided.

What are people’s beddings of choice and how much they cost a month? Basically trying to work out if moving him to said yard would be cheaper than driving to his current yard 4 days instead of 5!

 

[dorsetladette]

Personally I like straw if I'm keeping mine in. But I'm a traditionalist and have quite clean ponies.

I suppose it depends on how clean your horse is. What have you used previously and how many bales a week have you gone through.

 

[MarvelVillis]

My gelding was on straw for a while. The farmer used to buy in massive straw bales and charged us £2.50 for every slice used. I was probably getting through two slices a week in the winter months when he's in overnight, as I like to do a full muck out each time and get rid of the wet (he had thrush for a while so wanted to keep his bedding as dry as possible). In the past couple of months I've changed his bedding over to Burlybed, which is a Miscanthus bedding. A bale is £7 and I use half a bale a week (sometimes less), so it does work out slightly cheaper than straw. Obviously there is the initial cost of buying in a few bales at a time (I tend to buy in about 10 a time).

 

[Dexter]

an 8 foot bale of straw is 25 delivered and lasts about 6 weeks, so straw is significantly cheaper for me

 

[ihatework]

If I have my choice on bedding it it a semi deep litter system on straw with a wood pellet base. You get all the benefits of straw but without the daily pong mucking out.

If that’s off the menu, then my preference is a good quality short chopped rape/miscanthus bagged product, of which there are a few on the market.

 

[Bea_millard]

Personally I like straw if I'm keeping mine in. But I'm a traditionalist and have quite clean ponies.

I suppose it depends on how clean your horse is. What have you used previously and how many bales a week have you gone through.

He’s actually really clean. Occasionally will look like he’s had a party in his stable, but the majority of the time, everything is done in the same place. Where he is now, they put the haylage on the floor whereas this place I’m moving to it’s nets so that’ll get rid of a lot of his messiness. He’s currently on shavings and I sometimes top up with a bale and I think he’s also topped up with a bale in the week (again, it’s part livery so this is done by yard staff). So that’s 2 bales max a week. But the mucking out from the staff can be shoddy (as in they only take the muck out and not the wet underneath during the week so there’s a lot for me to take out at the weekend). He’s never been on straw as my main concern is him eating it - he’s a bit of a greedy bugger who will eat anything.

 

[AFB]

I use shavings, tend to be around the £7-£7.50 a bag mark and I put a new bag in probably every 6 days or so, depending how messy horse is being at the time. (He varies between spotless to box walking menace!)

Initial bed is probably 6 bags.

 

[dorsetladette]

He’s actually really clean. Occasionally will look like he’s had a party in his stable, but the majority of the time, everything is done in the same place. Where he is now, they put the haylage on the floor whereas this place I’m moving to it’s nets so that’ll get rid of a lot of his messiness. He’s currently on shavings and I sometimes top up with a bale and I think he’s also topped up with a bale in the week (again, it’s part livery so this is done by yard staff). So that’s 2 bales max a week. But the mucking out from the staff can be shoddy (as in they only take the muck out and not the wet underneath during the week so there’s a lot for me to take out at the weekend). He’s never been on straw as my main concern is him eating it - he’s a bit of a greedy bugger who will eat anything.

Did you notice what other people were using on the 'new' yard? sometimes sharing a delivery of the same thing (bedding/hay/haylage) can bring the cost of things down.

I'm a bit out of date with prices I'm afraid now as mine are out 24/7 with a shelter. I have sawdust in the shelter but I get them free from a local log seller.

 

[HappyHollyDays]

I use a wood pellet base over straw for B. 4 bags of pellets at £4.40 every 8 weeks. Large bale straw £30 also lasts two months.
DP on Aubiose 2 bales a month at £9.50 a bale.

I’ve never actually worked it out before but it’s more expensive on straw and pellets than Aubiose at £23.80 versus £19.

 

[dorsetladette]

I use a wood pellet base over straw for B. 4 bags of pellets at £4.40 every 8 weeks. Large bale straw £30 also lasts two months.
DP on Aubiose 2 bales a month at £9.50 a bale.

I’ve never actually worked it out before but it’s more expensive on straw and pellets than Aubiose at £23.80 versus £19.

2 bales of shavings a month? blimey that is one clean pony!!!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

2 bales of shavings a month? blimey that is one clean pony!!!

He is quite messy with poo but the Aubiose is so absorbent and it almost sets solid where he pees. I do have a thick bed though and only take out the wet once a week and usually put two clean bales in once a month. He is also out at night for 9 months of the year which helps ?

 

[paddi22]

I find the miscanthus bedding has worked out the cheapest for me to use. there seems to be less wastage.

 

[Summit]

If I have my choice on bedding it it a semi deep litter system on straw with a wood pellet base. You get all the benefits of straw but without the daily pong mucking out.

If that’s off the menu, then my preference is a good quality short chopped rape/miscanthus bagged product, of which there are a few on the market.

my fidget arse of a horse would just mix up the whole Lot

 

[Griffin]

I use shavings on top of rubber matting. I have very thick rubber matting though, so the shavings are just there to soak up the wee. I probably use one bag a week in winter (costs about £8, I use Littlemax), so it works out pretty reasonable after the initial mat cost (which I bought second hand).

Without rubber matting, we used to go through two bags a week probably.

In an ideal world, I would use straw because I like it but my mare is not great with the dust aspect of straw.

 

[Bea_millard]

Thanks everyone, seems there’s a lot of bedding out there that can be cost effective. I do think it’ll work out cheaper even with feed and bedding

 

[Polos Mum]

I buy a pallet of wood pellets for £260 it lasts my 3 for 2 winters - so £43 per horse per year ! Mine aren't in that much though!

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

I spent £535 on wood pellets for two horse in the last 12 months. They’re out at night approx 6 months of the year but do come in for the day for around 7-8hrs 4-5 days a week especially if it’s really hot. In winter they’re in at night.