Shavings, quality, price

[Louby]

How much are you paying for shavings?
Ours are £6, bought in bulk but are awful. They are supposedly Mellorvale red, which used to be the best they did but they are a mixture of dust and tiny flakes. Ive recently tried mixing them with Bedmax which are massive flakes but not very absorbant at all and his bed is now awful.
Does anyone else use Mellorvale (sp) and whats the quality like?
We were told that the mill that supplies these does them for various manufacturers and that they are all the same shaving but bagged in different wrappers. I could believe this as sometimes we get different makes dropped off mixed in with the others.

 

[luckilotti]

we stopped using them years ago.
Has MAJOR issues with a surface they delivered us - was a load of old wood - doors, window frames etc all chopped up - it wasnt anything like the samples we had from them.
We went with them for the surface they said they could supply as we had bought shavings off them from the livery yard for years. We had also started to notice a change in their quality but after the surface diaster we were not giving them another penny! That would have been 2003/2004?

it really wouldnt suprise me is they are mixing all sorts of rubbish quality wood in them at all sadly.

 

[sheep]

My main issue with shavings is.. well, actually, I have a few! They are not the same quality they used to be a few years ago- I suppose this is reflected in the price, as prices haven't increased that much. However, they are cheating us as well; the bags are the same size, but the contents weigh far, far less. I remember the good old days where you had to use a fork to scrape the bales apart, so compacted were the contents.. sigh..

 

[Louby]

Thanks, I remember too when they where fluffy and compact.
I believe near us, Mellorvale dont produce there own shavings but contract someone else to do it for them.

We have to use shavings on our yard but I really begrudge paying for dust. The bales are really heavy but its the dust I think as today I found a bale that looked white, the others look a bit reddy, it was lighter and although tiny flakes wasnt as dusty. How do they get away with seeling these as dust free shavings.
I can supply my own shavings, I think its time to have a look around.

 

[luckilotti]

i think its actually a sister company that produce them ;-) i have been to where they produce them and where they have some other aspects of their 'enterprise'...
needless to say, if any of my suppliers ever turned up with them, they would be turned swiftly away.

i'll pm you a number later on of someone else who does shavings, not perfect but a lot cheaper that is localish to you.

 

[Louby]

Thanks Luckilotti,

'enterprise' hmmm interesting Id love to know more. I know where they come from but have never been. Yard wont change suppliers so its put up, shut up or find some of my own but being a one horse owner I dont want pallet loads delivered and its hard to fit more than 2 or 3 in my car

 

[Black_Horse_White]

I have thoroughbred shavings they are £7.25 a bale but are large and solid, i brought some cheaper ones for £5 but used 2 bales instead of one.