Straw Pellets trial (pic heavy)

[Oberon]

Having been a die hard fan of LWP for the last 3 years, I've decided to give straw pellets a try. I've had a tonne delivered and have bedded my elderly Arab on them tonight.

The price was approx £15 cheaper. The gentleman on the phone was very nice and efficient. Delivery was the day earlier than I had expected and I wasn't there, but there were no problems.

Started off with clean stable.

I start off a bed with 13 bags of LWP - I opted for 20 bags of these - just for fun

All the emptied bags

Close up

And bedded down

Muddy Arab thinks it looks good enough to pee on....

Pee close up

And I'll take a bow

I'll follow up with how I find them over the next few weeks.

 

[DollyDolls]

I've used LWP for years, how do you think these vary?

Also, I normally wet the bed in a wheelbarrow before putting into stable, any reason why your bed is still whole, dry pellets?

 

[jenz87]

I dont get it...it doesnt look very comfortable? :S

 

[Angelbones]

I haven't heard of straw pellets so don't know how to use them - do you not have to wet them like the LWP? I'll be interested to know how you get on with them, please keep us posted. Good luck!

 

[Mrs_Wishkabibble]

I am debating using these this year, the company isnt too far away.

I will be really interested to see how they compare with the wood pellets and if the smell is the same as a straw bed.

Thanks for the pics and would very much appreciate an update in the future

 

[Oberon]

According to the website - you don't need to wet straw pellets as they break down much easier than wood pellets
http://horsebedding.uk.com/straw-pellet-horse-bedding-questions.html
To be fair - I never used to be bothered to wet the LWP either I found they were only crunchy for one night and after the horses walking on them, they went soft quickly.

I'll update how I find them.

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Hope you mixed that pee through quick lol

Keep us updated

 

[Oberon]

This is his bed after a night - notice the mess! I chickened out and decided to muck out tonight instead....

 

[holmedown]

Thanks for posting the pics - really useful.
I have used woodpellets for last 2 winters and have been putting off ordering some more as very interested inthe straw ones - looked on their website and they are on ebay too.
Have wet / dirty (one horrendous) in stables so would really be interested in how you get on with them / how they muck out how long base to get established etc. I deep litter and the base of mine (about 3" ) is just solid and been down couple of years - just top up / scrape top layer when needed with the wood pellets - do occasionally mix a bag of safemix in with them tho.

So keep the pics coming

 

[odd1]

i use the wood pellets but soak them & i would be a bit worried about not soaking straw ones, what if they ate some they will expand and cause colic

 

[Tammytoo]

I was considering these - keep us posted!

 

[Allover]

I used the straw pellets and really did not like them at all, i found them heavy to use and i like to have a good thick bed. I also thought that they looked dirty even when they were new!

It will be interesting to see how you get on with them!

 

[Oberon]

i use the wood pellets but soak them & i would be a bit worried about not soaking straw ones, what if they ate some they will expand and cause colic

When you open the bags, the straw pellets have a chemical, industrial smell, which I actually found rather unpleasant.

Obi loves straw and would happily eat a straw bed all day. When he went into the stable for the first time he put his head down and gave it a really good sniff and deduced these were not edible and went over to his feed.

I can't imagine my horses being stupid or desperate enough to try it

When wood pellets were filtering on the market, years ago there was a lot of hysteria about them eating the pellets, but I've never heard of it happening.

See my previous pics for the state of his bed after a night in. This was the barrow I took from that bed.

I'm finding the straw pellets comparable to LWP - but a bit dusty. Even though I never used to wet LWP - I'm finding the straw pellets have a little dust, which puts me off as straw dust sets off my asthma whereas LWP never did.

I won't know for sure until I've been using them for a few months if I'll buy again or return to LWP. But at this point LWP are winning.

 

[Oberon]

I used the straw pellets and really did not like them at all, i found them heavy to use and i like to have a good thick bed. I also thought that they looked dirty even when they were new!

It will be interesting to see how you get on with them!

Which bedding did you use prior to the straw pellets?

 

[Allover]

At that time i was using Alpenspan shavings though in the past have used straw, aubiose (not keen on this bedding when horses have to be bandaged) many different makes of shavings, rubber matting and paper (hate hate hate it!!!). My favourite by far is straw and after that i prefer small flake shavings.

 

[Paint Me Proud]

where did you order them from and at what cost? (sorry to be nosey but would love to trial them myself)

 

[MillionDollar]

Interesting comments. We're trialing them this week. So will be interesting what we think too. We are on Flax at the moment, which I love, but is becoming too expensive..........these are half the price!

 

[Paint Me Proud]

but is becoming too expensive..........these are half the price!

what are you paying for the straw pellets?

 

[Oberon]

where did you order them from and at what cost? (sorry to be nosey but would love to trial them myself)

I bought them from http://horsebedding.uk.com/ and a tonne (delivered to Blackpool) cost £237 although you can buy 1/2 tonne.

I am liking the pellets now. The bed has broken down into a soft sand, which my old boy is happy to lie down on. They are very easy to muck out (like LWP).

There is a bit of dust floating around your feet still when you are mucking out, but I haven't had any asthmatic issues from that. It's too early to say, but I am finding the bed is nicely dry (even with my wet boy) and perhaps even more so than the LWP.

The true test will be when The Tank comes in for the winter (along with his Space Hopper bladder)......

This is the bed after a week

 

[Allover]

Have you added many more bags, it looks fuller than on the first day?

It also looks lighter than the ones i used.

 

[Angelbones]

I've put down some Nedz Advance today for a trial - its a darker colour than yours (actually looks a bit dirty!). I'm fascinated to see how it expands overnight and the next few days. Despite it supposedly not being palatable, my shetland thought he'd got a floor covered in pony nuts when he saw it and is tucking in..

http://www.nedz.co.uk/nedz-advance.html

Will also update so we can compare.

 

[Oberon]

Have you added many more bags, it looks fuller than on the first day?

It also looks lighter than the ones i used.

No, not added any more bags yet. They've just broken down and bulked out.

Better pic here, it was actually a few days ago. I'll get a newer pic tomorrow.

 

[OFG]

Interesting post. Was only doing research today on the alternatives as looking at moving to pellets.

Was looking at Nedz advanced (their straw based pellet which doesn't need watering prior to use), White Horse Bedding and one other which I can't remember at the moment.

Will watch this tread as will be really helpful to hear what others experience.

Am currently using a chopped rape / straw mix which is great for deep littering but can't use with the Welsh A as she eats it (even though it's supposed to be unpalatable ) and have put her on shavings but she is quite wet and am taking nearly a barrow out each day whereas the oldie I only take out his droppings. Would like to have them on the same type of bedding as makes it easier for me.

 

[Oberon]

This is the bed a full week later. It's been used every night (12 hours) by my elderly Arab, who makes a mess of his bed and has been fully mucked out each day. No fresh bedding has been added yet.

 

[FairyLights]

I think i'd wet the pellets I'd be afraid of the horse eating some and causing choke or colic.

 

[Oberon]

I think i'd wet the pellets I'd be afraid of the horse eating some and causing choke or colic.

How would water stop that?

 

[FairyLights]

How would water stop that?

by swelling the pellets so if they are eaten then they dont swell up in the horses gullet or intestines.

 

[NOISYGIRL]

This is the bed a full week later. It's been used every night (12 hours) by my elderly Arab, who makes a mess of his bed and has been fully mucked out each day. No fresh bedding has been added yet.

]

That looks a lovely bed nice and deep, just how I would want it, wouldn't worry about the pellets that haven't swelled, when I used the wood pellets, if I took out a patch of wee I'd put the new bag in the hole and mix it through a little with the existing bed soon fluffed up. Mine had a pick at them when they were first down but soon realised they weren't very yummy

Have you taken any wee out yet or just mixing it through ?

 

[Oberon]

I take out the 'hockey pucks' of wet out every day, then bounce it all loose on a fork and mix it up.

I'm not capable of leaving any wet in....I just can't do it

 

[Tammytoo]

Thankyou for posting this, I'm liking the look of these more and more!

Please keep us updated for a few more weeks,