Pure straw deep litter bed

[tankgirl1]

Hiya

I'm just after a bit of advice on peoples experience with straw deep littering. I am currently about 2 weeks into deep littering my girl, and dug out some of the wet for the first time yesterday - 2 barrows - using the dirtier straw from the top of the rest of the bed to pack down into the space. It seems to be going ok, I add 1-2 fresh slices a day, and yesterday added a full bale. She is only in at night, and while it doesn't smell or squelch (its kinda springy) I feel slightly guilty somehow as all the other horses on the yard get a full muck out daily.

My reasons for deep littering are a) time, its much quicker (and easier on my back!) to skip out daily, b) she's a messy mare and drags a new straw bed all over the place trampling wee and poo everywhere, and c) warmth and protection as she is on concrete with no rubber matting.

Bizarrely since the base started to get established she has taken to doing most of her poos in the same spot, and has stopped mushing them all up into her bed!

 

[ezililaur]

Don't feel guilty at all!
I semi deep litter just like you, throughout the winter.
I do it for the exact reasons you do.
Your bed sounds perfect. I love that springy, matress you get after a couple of weeks. I also find my mare is much tidier with where she poos since I started deep littering.
I'd say keep with it, guilt free and enjoy the extra time you get with your horse. Don't think too much about what it will be like when you do clear the bed in the spring. Lol.

 

[Princess Rosie]

I've deep littered all of ours this time of year for the first time and it's working fantastically, their beds are springy, lovely and clean and not at all smelly. Don't feel guilty, it is an old tried and tested method and I'm definitely converted to doing it for the winter.

 

[SuperH]

I semi deep litter, poos out every day wet left alone. Yesterday mine had the wet taken out, first time since they came in at night so bed been down since September. They didn't need doing but we were doing the cattle next door and thought I may as well. They probably won't be done again until March ish time of year providing nothing unusual happens to change this. They have a top up of straw on a Mon, Wed and Fri. I do it this way for similar reasons to you, they are less messy this way. The bed is always good enough to sit in and be dry. I cheat and get the wet taken out with the forklift! Takes seconds and one bucket load