Not all Pellets are the same! Wet comparison (pics)

[Milkmaid]

I have been trialling two different wood pellets along side one another with interesting results that I thought you might like to share.......

Both horses in 12 hrs a day and wee for England! Skip daily with once a week wet removal

This is a weeks wet out of the 'premium' bed (and he is normally the wetter out of the two!)

And the weeks wet out of the cheaper pellet bed (but not a 'cheap value' pellet) Still only one trip to the muck heap tho!

And after 4+ weeks use these are the beds after a quick mix up with some green gloop/water (helps with freshness/fly repellant purposes) and relaid for another week of quick 5 min skip outs and a quick sprinkle daily from the watering can in hot weather.

Premium Bed (to which I have only added 2 (15kg) bags since I set it up!!)

'Other' bed (to which I have added 4 (15kg) bags, one after each 'clear out' )

 

[charliehands]

Thanks for posting this, I am thinking about putting my horse onto wood pellets but am not sure where to get them from, I don't want to commit to buying a pallet incase they don't suit us

 

[Milkmaid]

I have no idea what happened to the picture sizing, appologies!!

 

[Supertrooper]

Can you spread this on your land like you could do with straw? Sorry probably a very stupid question but looking for an alternative to shavings but think horse will eat straw.

How much are the premium bales?

 

[Milkmaid]

Can you spread this on your land like you could do with straw?

Not stupid at all, it is a big consideration for some when choosing a bedding.
Yes, as long as all your poo goes on the heap to boost the nitrogen. It rots down MUCH quicker than shavings, it rots down to a black soil conditioner in less than 6 months.

The premium costs £5.97 a 15kg bag but I do seem to be using half as much! They both have their own merits IMO

I wanted to highlight that the choice of pellets should not be made on price alone as they are not all the same

 

[Supertrooper]

Thanks, we've got rubber matting also so would only have 1/2 bed, how many bags have you used to initially set up your size of bed?

And how does it work with wetting it?? Xx

 

[Milkmaid]

Thanks, we've got rubber matting also so would only have 1/2 bed, how many bags have you used to initially set up your size of bed?

And how does it work with wetting it?? Xx

I used 8 bags to start the beds (Rubber mats, half beds as you can see). Lay them out, cut a cross in the bags & put 6 litres of water in each and leave for half hr before tipping out and making into a bed.

I water the beds daily with a watering can in hot weather (and rake over) after mucking out. When I do the 'big muck out'(which takes half hr once a week, lol!) I use a couple of cans made up with Green Gloop to keep everything sweet and mix it all up
Takes minutes and I much prefer to do that than spend hrs mucking out other bedding!
In winter unless you have a very 'dry' horse they shouldn`t need watering.

 

[Supertrooper]

Thanks, that's really helped xx

 

[hayinamanger]

Very interesting. I am trialing a wood pellet bed at the moment and have been pleasantly surprised with the results. I have been using Blue Ribbon pellets as they are easy for me to get hold of without buying a pallet load. Can you say if either of your beds are these? pm if you wish, thank you.

 

[putasocinit]

I am using Equinola (rape seed husk) greedy cob does not eat it, yay, £6.50 a 20kg bag very economical compared to shavings and does absorb very nicely for a weekly full muck out, and daily skipping out incl minimal wet out.

 

[Milkmaid]

Very interesting. I am trialing a wood pellet bed at the moment and have been pleasantly surprised with the results. I have been using Blue Ribbon pellets as they are easy for me to get hold of without buying a pallet load. Can you say if either of your beds are these? pm if you wish, thank you.

Have P.M`d you

 

[maybedaisy]

I've just switched to shredded egg box bedding made by walmsley premier bed and its great. It stays put, really soaks up the wet and is easy to muck out. Its a new line by them. My friend uses their cardboard bedding but is probably going to swop to the egg box as its better. Plus it doesn't stick to the floor when wet like the cardboard can.

 

[npage123]

OP - thank you for those photos and comparison! I found it very interesting. I use rubber matting and shavings at the moment, but want to try wood pellets and I'm still deciding on what make to try. Could you please PM me with the makes that you've used?

 

[robthecob]

Could you please pm me too please, I am having bedding issues after switching to matting and rapport recently which really doesnt seem to suit my wet mare and is costing me a fortune in money and time

 

[Milkmaid]

Have p.m`d you both

 

[npage123]

Thank you Milkmaid

 

[ecrozier]

I also found a huge difference between standard and value bedding, I ordered standard when it was my turn and loved it and my friend ordered value for us and and I thought if was rubbish in comparison.
Went back to shavings recently due to a yard move and had forgotten how much better pellets are! Shavings are so non absorbent, get puddles of wee under the wet patch so floor is damp, and my clothes smell again! Plus more waste. Changing back as soon as my pellet delivery arrives!!

 

[a kind of magic]

Could you PM me too please? Looking to put down rubber mats on our earth floor stables and need something like that on top.

 

[Bobbly]

PM for me too please, one boy wees for englandand the other kicks poo everywhere they lays in it, and he's the white one....

 

[Milkmaid]

P.m`d you both

 

[Jesstickle]

All brands aren't the same either.

I like LWP but not White Horse ones. They don't look the same and the latter last about half the time! IME anyway

 

[maggiesmum]

I use puffin pellets and I find them pretty good, I think theyre better than the Corley pellets that I tried before.
The bags are bigger, they're a bit cheaper and they seem to be more absorbent.

 

[tabithakat64]

We use LWP and the value version is much more dusty and less absorbant than the premim version. After intially setting up the bed we use 1 15kg in each bed a wee.

 

[picolenicole]

Please could you PM me as well, I use Smart Horse bedding and I think it's quite dusty. I liked the look of your premium bed

 

[CatStew]

Hi,

Could you please PM the details to me too? Thanks

 

[Milkmaid]

Done

 

[PingPongPony]

interesting thread. i'm thinking of which bedding to use this winter again, last winter i have shredded paper mixed with shavings, and because i'm still at school and am pretty much on pocket money, it was breaking my budget for bedding. horse has COPD so needs something dust free prefebly. she was on straw however a year ago and was fine. i love the look of a nice big, clean straw bed. but i just hate mucking it out and that you use so much of it so quickly. i was thinking of wood pellets, but no one at my yard has ever used them so i've never had any experience with them. i'm just stuck with the bedding issue

 

[Serephin]

Please can I have a PM too - currently using shaving on mats and its not working out too good money wise!

 

[_GG_]

PM for me too please.

After 18 months of trying to wean my ex racer onto 24/7 turnout in the summer months, I am giving up. She really is just happier being in most of the time with just an afternoon in the field.

She is very wet though. She loves a deep bed, doesn't care if it is straw or shavings, but because she is so wet and neither straw or shavings are that absorbent, I am considering pellets.

One question though, with only taking the wet out once a week, do you find that you get any damp patches on the surface of the bed? I hate horses having to stand on damp bedding and one thing I like a bout straw or bedmax shavings is they always stay dry on top for her to stand and lie on.

 

[Milkmaid]

interesting thread. i'm thinking of which bedding to use this winter again, last winter i have shredded paper mixed with shavings, and because i'm still at school and am pretty much on pocket money, it was breaking my budget for bedding. horse has COPD so needs something dust free prefebly. she was on straw however a year ago and was fine. i love the look of a nice big, clean straw bed. but i just hate mucking it out and that you use so much of it so quickly. i was thinking of wood pellets, but no one at my yard has ever used them so i've never had any experience with them. i'm just stuck with the bedding issue

Give them a try, you never know others on your yard may follow and then you can share deliveries for fab prices!