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B1u3

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i had unibed rapeseed last year but i really like the look for the wheat straw lavender. Can i use the wheat straw just by itself? or is it better to mix it with the rapeseed one? Stupid question i know but its a lot of money to spend and i don’t want to make a stupid mistake like i tend to do 😭
 
We used it on a yard I worked at. I'm really not fan of chopped straw like that but some people love it. I'd say most people would use it by itself yes. Its fine for a clean horse but really awful with dirty or wet ones, we were having to put half a bale a day in to keep beds looking decent.
I WAY prefer the rape type.
 
poiuytrewq said:
We used it on a yard I worked at. I'm really not fan of chopped straw like that but some people love it. I'd say most people would use it by itself yes. Its fine for a clean horse but really awful with dirty or wet ones, we were having to put half a bale a day in to keep beds looking decent.
I WAY prefer the rape type.
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Aww right, i like the rapeseed but it’s not fluffy and from what i’ve seen in photos the wheat straw looks fluffy? He’s not really in much tbh, only during the day when i'm up so he doesn't really have a chance to make his bed dirty. Is the smell strong?
 
Ive just ordered the lavender to be delivered tomorrow. I hope i have made the right choice. Whilst he's not filthy he's a big horse and on Adlib hay so quite a lot of poo. Will let you know how I get on
 
B1u3 said:
Aww right, i like the rapeseed but it’s not fluffy and from what i’ve seen in photos the wheat straw looks fluffy? He’s not really in much tbh, only during the day when i'm up so he doesn't really have a chance to make his bed dirty. Is the smell strong?
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May be fine then, as I say Im not a fan but lots live it.
I don’t actually remember the smell bit sorry!
 
I’ve used both the unibed chopped rape and the lavender chopped straw. The lavender does make for a lovely fluffy bed, and he loves lying down on it at night. There is not much of a lavender scent - tbh I can’t smell it at all (but may just have a bad sense of smell).

It’s the scent that is supposed to stop horses from eating their bed. I have suspicions that he may have been having the odd nibble, which he didn’t do with the chopped rape straw. On the other hand…how different is this bedding from a chaff, I wondered.

I have it on top of straw pellets to soak up the wet.
 
I've used both their rape straw and now the wheat straw version (not together). The rape straw is coarser, and probably stays put a bit better as a bed. Think I prefer the wheat straw version though. I've always had shavings beds previously and just treat it in a very similar way (poo out daily, wet out once a week), the only real difference is that the chopped straw looks 'fluffier'. My boys are pretty tidy and it stays looking nice. Don't think they've ever considered eating it
 
mini-eventer said:
Ive just ordered the lavender to be delivered tomorrow. I hope i have made the right choice. Whilst he's not filthy he's a big horse and on Adlib hay so quite a lot of poo. Will let you know how I get on
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How are you getting on with it?
What did you think about the smell? Strong or not? I’m just trying to work out whether I have no sense of smell ; )
 
teacups said:
How are you getting on with it?
What did you think about the smell? Strong or not? I’m just trying to work out whether I have no sense of smell ; )
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Its ok, i am still undecided.

I tried leaving the wet in to take out once or twice a week. But that didn't work for me. It is a big deep bed but he does seem to mix it up. He is a big horse though

I now take the wet patch out everyday but dont disturb the rest of the base, and that works better

I am using more than shavings but it works out cheaper per bale so that is ok.

On the odd day he has to stay in i have found it gets quite wet.

If I could get shavings as conveniently and at the same price I would use shavings.

But on balance and looking at cost I would order this again. I might try the rape straw next time and see what that is like

I cant smell the lavender and I have a good sense of smell.
 
I had a pallet of the straw arrive last week. Not put the beds down yet but I can't smell any lavender, even from the open bale. I was using Burlybed chopped straw (stopped using it because it was too dusty) and that has a noticeable smell. The Unibed seems much softer.

I have sawdust and Bioprofessional powder to go underneath.

Actually really hoping that they can stay out all bloody winter and I won't have to use any of it!
 
Ok, I have laid three beds and there is no smell, other than straw. If you want something that the horses won't eat, this is not it! Mine love it, they think they are coming in for the aperitif 🤣

The bales are very well stuffed, I used three on top of the sawdust in a 11' x 10' stable, with about 2/3 of the floor covered and it's a nice, soft bed.
 
mini-eventer said:
Its ok, i am still undecided.

I tried leaving the wet in to take out once or twice a week. But that didn't work for me. It is a big deep bed but he does seem to mix it up. He is a big horse though

I now take the wet patch out everyday but dont disturb the rest of the base, and that works better

<snip>

But on balance and looking at cost I would order this again. I might try the rape straw next time and see what that is like

I cant smell the lavender and I have a good sense of smell.
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Thank you: not just me who is not able to smell any lavender, then! My sense of smell must be ok and am also not mad: most reassuring.

I have a base of straw pellets and take out the wet patch of straw pellets twice a week.

I have also had the rape straw. I like that too. The wheat straw makes a much fluffier bed, which is pleasing to humans, and my horse has a lie down most nights whether it’s rape straw or wheat straw.
Both rot down really quickly on the muck heap, which is essential for me as space is restricted.
 
Beausmate said:
Ok, I have laid three beds and there is no smell, other than straw. If you want something that the horses won't eat, this is not it! Mine love it, they think they are coming in for the aperitif 🤣

The bales are very well stuffed, I used three on top of the sawdust in a 11' x 10' stable, with about 2/3 of the floor covered and it's a nice, soft bed.
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Thank you, too, for feedback on smell. Now that no one can actually smell it, I wonder whether unibed could do with some feedback: perhaps their lavender-adding minion has been putting it in their bath instead, and has got away with it so far 🤣

The lavender is supposed to stop them from eating it, iirc. Clearly your horses can’t smell it either!
 
teacups said:
Thank you, too, for feedback on smell. Now that no one can actually smell it, I wonder whether unibed could do with some feedback: perhaps their lavender-adding minion has been putting it in their bath instead, and has got away with it so far 🤣

The lavender is supposed to stop them from eating it, iirc. Clearly your horses can’t smell it either!
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I did email. Not that I'm too concerned, but they did ring me up for an extra tenner for the smelly version, as the unscented has been discontinued. Apparently, there have been no other reports of odourless, lavender-scented straw.

I had 13 bales in my car all day. All windows and doors closed and all I could smell was wheat straw. Maybe it's homeopathic? 😁
 
I've used Megazorb under straw with good results. I switched back to sawdust due to cost this time around, but it is easier with a more absorbent base, or a free-draining stable. Straw on its own isn't super absorbent and urine tends to spread underneath, making the bed wetter and the horse and you both smellier.
 
Beausmate said:
I did email. Not that I'm too concerned, but they did ring me up for an extra tenner for the smelly version, as the unscented has been discontinued. Apparently, there have been no other reports of odourless, lavender-scented straw.

I had 13 bales in my car all day. All windows and doors closed and all I could smell was wheat straw. Maybe it's homeopathic? 😁
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‘Maybe it’s homeopathic’ made me laugh. Plus I then had a mental image of you, sitting in your car with your 13 bales, all windows closed, for hours on end 🤣

Assuming there really have been no other reports, sounds as though it’s time for more feedback from people who can’t smell lavender..
 
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