Silly pellet bed question

texas

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Sorry, first time confused pellet user here. So, I soak them before I put them in so they all crumble.

first of all, all googling suggests half a bucket of water. How big is this mythical bucket?? I have every size bucket going I think!

Secondly, how do I know when they are too wet and I need to take them out, versus damp but still good for soaking up wee?

Thanks!
 

SEL

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My gelding is very messy so his have 1/2 small bucket, so pretty dry. When you take them out depends on how pretty you like your bed!

My YO takes stuff out of her stable-kept horses that I count as clean. Mine is kept out in the day so they have to soak up muddy wet legs as well as a lot of wee. His bed is a rather muddy brown colour a day after going down, but I deep litter so remove the base in sections over the week.
 

poiuytrewq

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I use a normal water bucket- the type of bucket you can buy anywhere. I dont actually use them at the moment but found if i scraped the dry bed back the wet patch would be a small obvious wee patch. Its really easy once you get going.
 

poiuytrewq

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Another thing, I saw a thread on here when i started using pellets where the user had laid bags of pellets out in the stable and cut a X shape in the bags, poured the water on and just walked away for half an hour. Then empty out and spread. This was the easiest way i ever found.
 

Diddleydoo

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Another thing, I saw a thread on here when i started using pellets where the user had laid bags of pellets out in the stable and cut a X shape in the bags, poured the water on and just walked away for half an hour. Then empty out and spread. This was the easiest way i ever found.

This is how I do mine. I use somewhere between 5 and 8 litres of water in a 20Kg bag of Five Star pellets. I like them to be mostly broken down.

I take out most of the wet most days because I like a really clean bed
 

mytwofriends

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I used to water White Horse wood pellets until the water began running out the front of the bed. I’d scrape back the top pellets daily to expose the wet and remove it. I’d put a new bag (sometimes 2) in weekly, and put it at the front of the bed and just water that.

I know Aquamax was designed to be left undisturbed for several days (just removing the poo), then remove the wet all at once. We used that on a yard I worked on years ago and we’d take the wet out weekly. Never really liked the concept of that, but it worked and there was no smell.
 

texas

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thanks for the clarifications and ideas people! I've got some Liverpool pellets, the bags seem to have small punched holes in them for some reason so I emptied them into a wheelbarrow to add the water. Maybe I can cut the bag as suggested but in the barrow. So I don't need to mix them then?

I was using wood fibre type bedding that the wee used to drain through to the bottom so I'd deep litter for a few days - a week. The pellets seemed to have a dark wet patch at the top so more like the wee was caught on top if that makes sense? I'm sure I'm overthinking this!
 

meleeka

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I think you can tell if it’s a wet patch that’s come through and it’s generally quite solid. I’ve tried deep littering and taking wet out daily. With deep littering you do need a much thicker bed. I gave up on that when the solid base got too high in the middle. Taking it out daily uses more but it’s easy to locate the wet, just scrape the top of and it’s there. I like pellets because it doesn’t all mix up together like it does with shavings.
 

Auslander

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I cut my bags and use 4 scoops of water per bag - one in each quarter. I take the poo out every day, and remove really wet bits every other day. I know some people mix the damp into the dry, but I find that that makes the beds darker, which I hate - so I try and leave the bottom layer undisturbed as much as possible. Do a good clear out once a month.

This is my ideal scenario - I find letting liveries muck out two days a week tends to make the beds much messier than I'd like them to be! I've also got a box walker, who is intent on making her bed as grim as possible - so I have to turn a blind eye to that one for my own sanity!
 

PoppyAnderson

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I'd deep litter for a few days - a week. !

That's a contradiction of terms! Deep litter means you leave it be indefinitely- perhaps removing once a year ish. You don't disturb the base at all and just keep building. Even semi-deep litter is left for a while - a good few weeks. What you're discribing is no-mans-land!
 

henmother

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I use half a watering can , it's a normal bog standard size watering can . I find it easier to evenly wet the pellets without flooding the stable . I also throw around 1/3 - 1/2 of a bag of dry pellets in his wee patch . They soak up great when wet but when they're dry the wee breaks it up , for me , this keeps his bed drier . This means I just need pick out the poo and at the weekend take his wet patch out . Some dry pellets mixed into his banks helps keep the bed looking clean as I can pull the dry into the wet bit so he isn't standing in sodden bedding .
 

texas

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That's a contradiction of terms! Deep litter means you leave it be indefinitely- perhaps removing once a year ish. You don't disturb the base at all and just keep building. Even semi-deep litter is left for a while - a good few weeks. What you're discribing is no-mans-land!

Fair enough but as lots of people take wee out daily, I couldn't think of a better description!
 

Fiona

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If its possible for you to use hot water, I use half a kettleful of boiling water onto a bag of pellets in a tubtrug. Fluffs up the pellets, without adding too much moisture.

Our two (one mare and one gelding) will normally go 5-7 days with only poo being lifted out, then there may be a big enough wet bit to be dug out and filled with a bag of pallets.

I use a few shavings on the top to make the bed look lighter, and because I like big banks.

Hope this helps...

Fiona
 

BOWS28

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I use Platnum Plus wood pellets for my very wet mare!
I cut the bag down the middle and poor half a small bucket of water inside. If there are holes in the bag and water leaks out, just take a handful of dry pellets and put them down there the water is leaking out.
I take the wet out every day and only need to add bedding once a week!
She does have a very big bed, but the pellets that haven't soaked, expand during the week and keep your bed lovely and big :)
 
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