Non-straw foaling down bedding - all ideas welcome!

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S_N

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I cannot put myself through foaling on straw, as I am terribly allergic to it! I somehow managed to get through the foaling season last year (when working nights, foaling mares) and subsequently working with straw during the day, but it was on a combination of drugs, that I have no desire to re-start. The stable will be rubber matted and I was considering using Bedmax (well tbh an identical generic, cheaper brand) or paper. I have also looked into Ecobed, but I'm not convinced that it would be suitable for keeping a clean bed up to foaling - afterwards fine though. I am leaning towards paper, but need to find a supplier, as I want to buy in bulk. I won't use anything like Aubiose, Snowflake, as IMO the particles of the bedding are too small for foaling. Any and all ideas welcome and appreciated.

P.S. Sincere aplogies if I have already made this post a while back - I honestly can't remember
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I also have problems with straw - I have to muck out a stable for a friend, mine are on chopped rape straw and dust free - hers is straw and make me wheeze and cough, so I don't even want to think too hard about the effects it must have on horses.

Back to your point, for foaling I have started buying in paper bedding, several bales a month to spread the pain....
 
PMSL PF!! Appreciate you input though
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I was on an inhaler, some disolvable tablets (well I crushed them as I cannae take pills) and topical creams for the rashes, that seemed to get under gloves and sleeves......
 
I know what you mean about wondering what it does to foal lungs! Straw dust doesn't settle for 36 hours either, so basically a straw stable will always have dust in the air!

So paper it is then. I've never bought in paper before, are there different types?
 
No idea - local wholesaler only lists it as 'paper bedding', it comes in bales with no makers name - it is probably the DVLA records printed and shredded for all I know (!), but I'm sure it will do the job
 
LOL - Hmmmm I have juat purchased a cross shredder - I wonder if I used the right kind of paper..... God I'd be shredding for DAYS to make enough
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Finely shredded newspaper is lovely, soft, and absorbent. When we used it, however, it wound up blowing off the muck heap all over the yard as it dried, which can look terribly untidy! The only other disadvantage I noticed was colour ads--the red ink can look alarmingly like blood in the bedding. We didn't have any grays when I used it, so I don't know if it might stain the horses themselves?
 
Interesting - thank you! The foal will be coloured, the mare has white socks behind - I'm happy to change to shavings after foaling, just not beforehand. Now I think about it, I remember as a teenager working with some show ponies that were bedded on paper and one was grey and he had to be completely covered up the night before a show, else he'd get covered in print.....
 
Hmmm I could do that - I speak to the girls in office there almost daily atm anyways, so I could do it on the work phone in work time - as long as I was calling about something else of course
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Does anyone use just rubber matting to foal? it would be a more natural surface?

Personally mine have the choice with a small secure paddock and a field shelter, so far they have chosen to foal in the paddock and have shunned the bedding in the shelter. I cannot go near straw because of an allergy and my principle mare is stressed if stabled so I use rubbermatting and chopped dust extracted straw in the shelter and a grass paddock.
 
The only problem I have heard with solely using rubber matting for foaling down is that foals can have trouble standing up on it and find it quite slippery at first.
 
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The only problem I have heard with solely using rubber matting for foaling down is that foals can have trouble standing up on it and find it quite slippery at first.

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Yes, I was about to say that I thought that would be the case.
 
It wouldn't be practical to foal outside where they are atm - I wouldn't be close enough to keep an eye on her and I'm not putting her or foalie at risk. Not saying that you are, just that it's not an option for me.
 
Becki used NedzBedz last year for the same reason and had no problems with it so I'm going with her recommendation.

Hopefully as its a late one, she'll foal out, but I'll have the box ready anyway in case and it will be rubber mats and nedzbed.

I changed over to it a month ago - accidentally as it happens as our supplier ran out of shavings, but now she's on it I prefer it and she's staying on it!

Chopped dust extracted rape straw with antibacterial stuff on it. Top marks from me!
 
The biggest problem with paper as another poster has said, is that it blows all over the yard, it also smells really bad when wet, but the worst is that it does not rot down in the muck pile, nor on the land, it is a problem, i hope you find a solution
 
I must admit I am very lucky, i'm on well drained chalk downs with a huge hedge for weather protection. My TB broodmare has been an excellent mother, she has foaled in the paddock, I just moitor and check doing the minimum, she will take her foal straight into the shelter if she feels it's cold or going to rain, I am lucky to have the facilities to give her a choice.
 
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