Shavings bedding

riotgirl

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Right you lovely people - need help as a shavings virgin! My old boy was on straw but my new girl eats it so needs
shavings. She was on it briefly towards the end of the winter and I made a bit of a mess of it all to be honest! Do you deep litter, or not? How much do you use, and how do you go about it? I'm not on a yard so don't have anyone else to ask really.
Thanks in advance, from embarrassed of Cheshire!!
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vicster

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Hello, i was on shavings and used to deep litter but for about 2 weeks and then take the wet out as it used to get a bit pongy but i know alot of people that leave it in all the time. I would say it was better to leave it as deep litter really. I used to put in extra when i thought it needed it. I am on Bliss bedding at the moment which is quite nice but have thought about shavings again for the winter
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AmyMay

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With a shavings bed - the key is make sure you put enough down in the first place - and keep well topped up. If I was making a brand new bed I would probably start with a minimum of 5 bales - possibly adding one or two more during the week if needs be. From then on it would be 1 bale a week (assuming horse was turned out all day (or night).

Personally I semi-deep litter. I.e I take the wet out at least once a month (but there are no hard and fast rules about this). Use your hands to pick up poo - rubber gloves and skip necessary.

Bank it up on the sides, and ensure that if you 'prod' the bed that the fork doesn't go down to the concrete - you'll know it's deep enough then.

Think that's about it really.
 

SSM

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Mini Stonks is on shavings, I muck out completly every morning - removing the 'pebbles' by hand! We initially put 7 bales down and now I add one a week. I also spray the concrete with Jeyes fluid and have a pong free stable!!
 

riotgirl

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So you just dig out the clumpy wet bits then? I think this is where I was going wrong. I was leaving it a big long so that it got really sodden and smelly. Then when I pit more shavings on it got so high her head was near the ceiling!
 

SSM

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Mini Stonks is on shavings, I muck out completly every morning - removing the 'pebbles' by hand! We initially put 7 bales down and now I add one a week. I also spray the concrete with Jeyes fluid and have a pong free stable!!

You do need a shavings fork to 'sift' the poo out!
 

KatB

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Yep second Amymay about the amount to start a bed. The best way to manage a deep litter bed is to leave it for the first two weeks, literally skip the surface and if need be only throw up the very top shavings. After two weeks the "base" should be pretty established, so generally throw all the shavings above the "base" up. When you hit the base, its normally quite obvious where there is a built up of wet, so I just take out any "squelchy" bits, and make sure the hole is filled with cleanish shavings.
This way means the top of the bed is always clean, it avoids smelly beds, and means the horse will never hit the floor as the "base" is there stopping it. We used this method on 14 eventers in all the time, takes about 10mins to muck out, and once established, only need one bale a week.

Hope that helps!!
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AmyMay

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Yes, you just remove the wet with a shavings fork. However, for years I never ever took the wet out, just put more shavings on top.

Chances are if your bed was getting sodden and smelly you were not puting enough shavings in to top up the existing.

Really, though you've just got to do what works best for you - so wet in or out just make sure you keep it as clean as poss, and plenty of bed.

Good luck
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Mellymoo1

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I'm also using shavings but I do a full muck out every morning, doesnt take too long usually!! Deep litter would probably be much easier but I hate the amonia smell if wet bedding has been left in for a while.
 

Nikiolola

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I deep litter on shavings, and only dig it out when they go out 24/7 in the summer. It doesn't smell at all if you put enough fresh shavings on top and creates a lovely thick, clean (on the surface), low-maintenence bed.

Of course, it's no fun come spring, when you have to dig 5 months of horse pi$$ out!
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happy_hacker

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My mare has a deep shavings bed, when i go back into yr 11 she'll be back on weekly muck out.

Her bed has stayed nice and clean with me just using gloves and a bucket and taking the poo out in the week

I add a bale a week and make one bank up of the clean shavings.

To start a nice thick bed (full stable bed - up to the door) i would use about 8/9 bales and give banks as well.
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chestnut cob

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I deep litter on shavings. Put about 8-10 bales down to start with to get a really nice deep bed.

Each day take out the poo from the top and any loose wet patches. I usually sift through the top couple of inches or so to get any buried poo or loose wet. Don't go right down to the concrete though. When I've taken all of the clean off the top and put it on the banks I use my shavings fork to bang down the base. This helps to compact it and make a nice solid base.

Then pull you bed back down over the top, bank up as normal and tidy up.

Doing it this way I use about 1 bale of shavings a week. I start my week on a monday and would usually put a fresh bale on around thursday. Occasionally have to use two bales but usually towards the end of the winter.

I don't dig my bed out at all during the winter (sorry, please don't throw things at me!). I think shavings are designed for deep litter and if you take it all out after a week or a month, you have to start again!

Also it works really well for my filthy, wet horrid pony! He's much cleaner on deep litter.
 
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