Shavings :-(

H

horsesatemymoney

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 March 2011
Messages
2,189
Visit site
Hiya has anybody ever used shavings from a mill or anything like that (eg non-equestrian?) I know some people who say they're great others who won't touch them but I'm not well up on shavings at all so just wanted to know everybodies thoughts as my mare is eating her bed big time! Thanks :)
 
Yes, but no by choice and not any more. Shavings from sawmills etc are very very dusty. Open a new bale and you'd be coughing your lungs up in 2 minutes. Imagine how it would affect a stabled horse's lungs. Also, there can be big chunks of wood, nails, god knows what mixed up in it. I know "free" versus £7 a bale is tempting but I honestly wouldn't recommend it. Better to track down the cheapest of the dust extracted makes. You can cut down on bedding by putting rubber mats down and a smaller amount of shavings on top but I deep litter my 4 on shavings. They're only in for about 4 or 5 hours a day (summer and winter) and I get through half a bale per stable per fortnight!
 
I use pine shavings from our local sawmill which costs €5 a ton, it is not a bit dusty (much less than 'proper' shavings) and is easy to muck out. The only thing I sometimes find plastic bags in there but I've found that with 'proper' shavings too. The guy I get them off knows it's for the horses so only gives me the good stuff. It has to be pine if you're using the sawdust though.
 
Can you buy shavings in bulk? Maybe club together with a friend or something, if we buy 2 pallets of shavings each bale is £4!
 
Thank you everybody for your replies- I did kind of think they would be a bit rubbish but just wanted everybodys thoughts on it :o:oWith the deep littering how many do you think to start a bed off? And the pellets/wood chips what sort of price/usage are you looking at? Thanks again :D
 
wood pellets vary from about £2-2.50 a bag if you buy in bulk, to about £4.50 if buying singly. Bear in mind that if you happen to have a wood pellet boiler at home (or theoretically might get one :-)) then theres a 20% reduction in the cost as theres no VAT then, but you would have to in theory show the Revenue man where you are using them as
fuel....

They are brilliant, like a lovely forest floor! It takes me a third of the time to muck out on pellets as it did on shavings and they dont get stuck to all the rugs, have to be separated out, they just pour out, and are easy to handle (tho they do have to be stored in dry place).

I use mine 5 pellets to one of Aubiose hemp, which I find adds a bit of duvet fluffiness and which I use for the chickens nest boxes as well. But thats not essential.

I can do both my messy nags in 40 mins now, it used to take me about 2 hours+ as the big hunter used to poo through a sieve and then dance on it when on shavings, hes much happier now. and so am I!
 
Shavings from the mill give me nosebleeds! Too dusty so I dread to think what they are doing to the horses airways.

I've moved to wood pellets and will never look back. It's saving me £60 every month!
 
thanks for that- the wood pellets sound really good ;)can you deep litter them as well then? I might have a look at that as mine is def eating the straw bed, despite being out on grass/lots of roughage! :cool:
 
Yes you can...I have mine on rubber mats and do a full muck out daily (well semi full, I take out the pee spots but don't turn the beds from edge to edge until weekends) but I would say it would deep litter really well.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top