PRObed ( yellow bag) issues with what is in it!

[sascad]

Hello new to this forum.
I use Probed ( yellow bag) bedding, have done many years.
For the last few bales, 3 other owners on my yard and myself have noticed a change in the content, type of "straw"used.
On the attached pictures the " normal bedding is reed like with a "spongy" absorbant inner core , brittle brown beige in colour. Almost reed like..on the bags it states "made from chopped rape straw to expose inner absorbant core", a few months ago they had a " bagging issue!, it came in plain white bags then back to their usual yellow bag, saying rape straw - i am certain before that it was somthing different? Could be wrong?
The issue is the bags lateley contain more straw like, yellow no sponge. See pic the original spongy the new stuff yellow no sponge, now we have what can only be described as fine hay! See pic. Rape straw does not have a spongy core it is hollow but absordant.
The bedding is treated to prevent eating, all the other horses including mine are eating this!
My horse has had x2 colic sugeries 24hr apart and lost 6ft small colon, i am very particular what she eats, she has insulin disregulation also.
ProBed also make a new bedding made from wheat straw, to make it soft, plus is alot cheaper ( which my horse reacts to if eaten, very itchy) so has nothing with wheat anything in.
My question has anyone else noticed the differance in their ProBed bedding? I bought another bale from a differant supplier 10 miles away just to see if it was a bad batch, theirs was the same. Can companies state one thing on the bag and put something differant inside, and or change the product by slowly mixing other product in, withput informing posting said changes.
My horse does not get on with wood based bedding as it causes serious thrush, and not allowed straw bedding. Sorry for length of post.
Fist pic original secong pic new stuff 3rd pic hay like stuff horse eating

 

[Glitter's fun]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
Not seeing the pictures, you may need to re-post those?

 

[spacefaer]

You'll get more response if you post in the Tack Room section.
But yes, I've noticed a change

 

[sascad]

Hi, welcome to the forum.
Not seeing the pictures, you may need to re-post those?

Yes thanks my pics are too big and i dont know how to shrink them.

 

[spacefaer]

Yes thanks my pics are too big and i dont know how to shrink them.

Easiest thing to do is to take a screenshot and post that.

 

[Birker2020]

Hello new to this forum.
I use Probed ( yellow bag) bedding, have done many years.
For the last few bales, 3 other owners on my yard and myself have noticed a change in the content, type of "straw"used.
On the attached pictures the " normal bedding is reed like with a "spongy" absorbant inner core , brittle brown beige in colour. Almost reed like..on the bags it states "made from chopped rape straw to expose inner absorbant core", a few months ago they had a " bagging issue!, it came in plain white bags then back to their usual yellow bag, saying rape straw - i am certain before that it was somthing different? Could be wrong?
The issue is the bags lateley contain more straw like, yellow no sponge. See pic the original spongy the new stuff yellow no sponge, now we have what can only be described as fine hay! See pic. Rape straw does not have a spongy core it is hollow but absordant.

This happened with a supplier that I used to use for my shavings. I had these shavings for years - they were the Metsawood Stable Choice shavings. We used to get them for around £6.40 a 22kg bale which was excellent value, but over five years they went up in price until they were £8.22 or something similar. We used to buy in bulk and got free delivery within 15 miles of the supplier and I used to send a WhatsApp to any liveries who were interested and they would ring and add to the order and pay for theirs over the phone. Saved a lot of faffing collecting money!

Then one day in December 2017 we had shavings delivered in clear wrap - I remember exactly when this was because it was the day before my Dad passed away. They were decidedly smaller then the usual ones which were wrapped in white plastic. I hadn't taken delivery of them so when I saw them when i got to the yard after work I immediately rang the supplier to complain. They said that the manufacturer had supplied the same shavings (size and volume) but they had run out of wrap so had to use clear plastic. Well I didn't buy that for one minute. There is no way that a massive business like Metsawood would run out of plastic sheeting - it was a while before Covid hit us. And when placed next to existing bales of stable choice the new ones were decidedly smaller - we had no way of weighing them although we did try.

Anyway I reckon the supplier were trying to sell inferior shavings from another supplier and saying that they were from the original supplier and charging us the same but pocketing the difference. Either that or Metsawood were selling a smaller bale and charging the supplier accordingly but the savings were not passed on to us. I can't see for one minute it was the shaving company pulling wool over people's eyes.

After a few months there was a sudden 'mass shortage' due to the supply chain implications of Covid and the supplier never had the shavings back in stock again.

 

[sascad]

"Just to add to this post i got a reply from ProBed...
Thank you for your email. This year there is an acute shortage of oilseed rape straw due to last season's very wet harvest. ProBed would normally consist of 100% oilseed rape straw. Due to the current shortages we are experiencing it has been necessary to blend 30% wheat straw with 70% rape straw in order to maintain supplies to our retailers. It is the wheat straw addition that you are seeing as per your photos. We are hoping for a better forthcoming harvest to replenish stocks of oilseed rape straw"

I have replied to ProBed that it is not right they have added 30% wheat Straw with no additional label (a sticky label explaining the above)
I informed them i would have avoided their bedding as i have a wheat intolerant horse which makes her incessiantly itchy.
My mare had recently rubbed a very large area of her face and left shoulder raw, until it bled. My vet and my self could not see why she had done it so bad! Due to not having had turn out at that time, and being no flies, anti-hystamines helped.
Now we Know why!!
I contacted back explaining they cannot just change the contents without informing customers. I have informed my local feed/bedding suppliers, who also voiced their concern on how wrong it is with no notice of the addition of Wheat straw to their rape straw bedding, and will inform their customers.

 

[Birker2020]

"Just to add to this post i got a reply from ProBed...
Thank you for your email. This year there is an acute shortage of oilseed rape straw due to last season's very wet harvest. ProBed would normally consist of 100% oilseed rape straw. Due to the current shortages we are experiencing it has been necessary to blend 30% wheat straw with 70% rape straw in order to maintain supplies to our retailers. It is the wheat straw addition that you are seeing as per your photos. We are hoping for a better forthcoming harvest to replenish stocks of oilseed rape straw"

I have replied to ProBed that it is not right they have added 30% wheat Straw with no additional label (a sticky label explaining the above)
I informed them i would have avoided their bedding as i have a wheat intolerant horse which makes her incessiantly itchy.
My mare had recently rubbed a very large area of her face and left shoulder raw, until it bled. My vet and my self could not see why she had done it so bad! Due to not having had turn out at that time, and being no flies, anti-hystamines helped.
Now we Know why!!
I contacted back explaining they cannot just change the contents without informing customers. I have informed my local feed/bedding suppliers, who also voiced their concern on how wrong it is with no notice of the addition of Wheat straw to their rape straw bedding, and will inform their customers.

Gosh that change without any notification on the labelling could have serious consequences.

I suspect that it is because changing labelling and package design in factories would cost hundreds/thousands of pounds of money but they could still possibly look at printing out stickers and attaching to the bags even if they are not able to alter the packaging design which is set in stone.

I will let my friend know as she stables her horse on Probed.

 

[Birker2020]

Yes thanks my pics are too big and i dont know how to shrink them.

Screen shot the photo and then crop them by clicking on the edit button or by right clicking if you are cutting them and pasting them onto something like MS word.
Or pull them in on the corners if put directly onto the screen by right clicking on the photo. Probably not explaining this very well!

 

[sascad]

Gosh that change without any notification on the labelling could have serious consequences.

I suspect that it is because changing labelling and package design in factories would cost hundreds/thousands of pounds of money but they could still possibly look at printing out stickers and attaching to the bags even if they are not able to alter the packaging design which is set in stone.

I will let my friend know as she stables her horse on Probed.

Gosh that change without any notification on the labelling could have serious consequences.

I suspect that it is because changing labelling and package design in factories would cost hundreds/thousands of pounds of money but they could still possibly look at printing out stickers and attaching to the bags even if they are not able to alter the packaging design which is set in stone.

I will let my friend know as she stables her horse on Probed.

Gosh that change without any notification on the labelling could have serious consequences.

I suspect that it is because changing labelling and package design in factories would cost hundreds/thousands of pounds of money but they could still possibly look at printing out stickers and attaching to the bags even if they are not able to alter the packaging design which is set in stone.

I will let my friend know as she stables her horse on Probed.

I do agree re cost to change the packaging, but a notification to their suppliers with deliveries, and printed sticky labels, informing of the change would certainly not break the bank!.
I am all about supporting small UK based buisness, but not at the expense of my horses health!

Not as much as a lawsuit if a horse colics or chokes linked to eating said bedding!

 

[sascad]

Hello new to this forum.
I use Probed ( yellow bag) bedding, have done many years.
For the last few bales, 3 other owners on my yard and myself have noticed a change in the content, type of "straw"used.
On the attached pictures the " normal bedding is reed like with a "spongy" absorbant inner core , brittle brown beige in colour. Almost reed like..on the bags it states "made from chopped rape straw to expose inner absorbant core", a few months ago they had a " bagging issue!, it came in plain white bags then back to their usual yellow bag, saying rape straw - i am certain before that it was somthing different? Could be wrong?
The issue is the bags lateley contain more straw like, yellow no sponge. See pic the original spongy the new stuff yellow no sponge, now we have what can only be described as fine hay! See pic. Rape straw does not have a spongy core it is hollow but absordant.
The bedding is treated to prevent eating, all the other horses including mine are eating this!
My horse has had x2 colic sugeries 24hr apart and lost 6ft small colon, i am very particular what she eats, she has insulin disregulation also.
ProBed also make a new bedding made from wheat straw, to make it soft, plus is alot cheaper ( which my horse reacts to if eaten, very itchy) so has nothing with wheat anything in.
My question has anyone else noticed the differance in their ProBed bedding? I bought another bale from a differant supplier 10 miles away just to see if it was a bad batch, theirs was the same. Can companies state one thing on the bag and put something differant inside, and or change the product by slowly mixing other product in, withput informing posting said changes.
My horse does not get on with wood based bedding as it causes serious thrush, and not allowed straw bedding. Sorry for length of post.
Fist pic original secong pic new stuff 3rd pic hay like stuff horse eating