Users of aubiose bedding - what am I doing wrong?

[Echo24]

Youngster has been out all summer and started being stabled overnight as per yard policy. This is his bed when I first made it:

And this is how it looks after 5 days!

I wetted the bed as the instructions said but my youngster (12.2h 2 year old) churns up his bed and it's soaked in the morning and the poo completely mashed into the bedding. He currently has thrush at the moment and I find his feet are wet when I pick them out in the morning. I thought the urine should soak to the bottom and the poo stays on top but I find the poo is buried in the bedding and wet bedding on top! If anyone can tell me what I'm doing wrong that would be great. Should I be using more bedding? Do I need to soak it more? Should I just leave the wet alone to compact to a solid base?

At times I'm having to use two bales a week as I'm having to take the wet out due to his thrush. I chose the bedding on the basis that with semi deep littering you can poo pick every day and dig out the wet every three days, but I'm having to dig out the wet everyday as there's so much of it! Being an expensive bedding, I'm seriously considering switching! If anyone can recommend a good, cheaper alternative that is effective please let me know!

 

[WelshD]

I use it mixed with shavings but a higher percentage of Aubiose if that makes sense. I'm so pleased with it, best bed ever

I dont wet it at all though

 

[Dustygirl]

I used Aubiose all last winter but have got fed up with it. Our boy is messy too and it's been taking ages to muck out. So I've just switched him to wood pellets, so far so good - much easier to muck out.
I have never wet the Aubiose though?

 

[Echo24]

Thanks for the suggestion, I am tempted to do that. A livery suggested mixing with wood pellets to help soak up the wee.

 

[FestiveFuzz]

I haven't used aubiose in years but I don't recall ever wetting it when we did use it.

 

[Echo24]

Thanks Dustygirl. Which brand of wood pellet do you use? I only have one bale of aubiose left and may start switching to wood pellet.

Can you make banks with wood pellet?

 

[WelshD]

Arden Safemix is pretty good, i use it in chicken runs - its shavings and softchip mixed and very cheap

 

[Echo24]

I haven't used aubiose in years but I don't recall ever wetting it when we did use it.

I got in touch with the company and was told to wet it first.

 

[TelH]

I love aubiose. I use it for a very neat Shettie and a messy 13hh pony. It does tell you to dampen it but I never have done.

 

[WelshD]

I think the official instructions for Aubiose is to wet it first but i never have

Perhaps mix the last bale in to the existing bed without wetting it? - that would probably salvage the bed

 

[Bobbly]

I used Aubiose years ago when it first popped up and had a representitive come and lay one bed for me and ws horrified when she took the hose pipe to it and watered it thoroughly to activate it. Generally the idea of wetting it was that it formed a 'mattress' under the top layer that didn't move. After that I loved it, for the clean horses, but the messy ones it made not a jot of difference, they would churn up any bed put down. It got too expensive for me just to throw away

 

[dunkley]

I used it some years ago, and loved it. I wet it thoroughly first, the amount it said on the bags. The bed itself was about 6 inches deep, if not a bit more, I can't remember. The trick is to only take the poo out in the morning, and then sweep the edge back. Don't take any wee out, and disturb the base as little as possible. I did a full muck out once a week, and just swept the dry bedding back. The wee would have settled into a red clump underneath, a bit like cat litter. Never used more than half a bag a week - that was with a seriously messy 16.3 IDX. I only wet the first bed fully, after that I just sprinkled the new stuff in, at the back. If I remember it was about 8-10 bags to lay a 12 x 12 box, with no matting.
I wouldn't use it on a fully matted box, though. When we had those, I alternated between shavings, shreddings, and pellets, and they literally only had a wee patch - Far, far more economical

 

[GlamourDol]

I used it some years ago, and loved it. I wet it thoroughly first, the amount it said on the bags. The bed itself was about 6 inches deep, if not a bit more, I can't remember. The trick is to only take the poo out in the morning, and then sweep the edge back. Don't take any wee out, and disturb the base as little as possible. I did a full muck out once a week, and just swept the dry bedding back. The wee would have settled into a red clump underneath, a bit like cat litter. Never used more than half a bag a week - that was with a seriously messy 16.3 IDX. I only wet the first bed fully, after that I just sprinkled the new stuff in, at the back. If I remember it was about 8-10 bags to lay a 12 x 12 box, with no matting.
I wouldn't use it on a fully matted box, though. When we had those, I alternated between shavings, shreddings, and pellets, and they literally only had a wee patch - Far, far more economical

Why wouldn't you use it on a rubber box?

We've just tried one on it, liked it for the first week but by the end we were putting a new bag on every day just to keep the bed looking half decent. We did dampen every bag tho which is probably wrong, but to put "cubes" on a bed looked uncomfortable.
We've gone back to shavings with him, but for a few days had a base of the pellets down and then shavings on top which was fab so may go to that. .

Not impressed with it though I have to say.

 

[risky business]

I tried it on my messy mare but personally I didn't get on with it, sometimes certain beddings just don't suit certain horses I find?

With my dirty mare I had rubber matting and minimal shavings bedding that I removed everyday and found that most efficient.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

I like it, but currently use Eco Comfybed on a 50% bed at the back.

However OP - I would close off that window at the back completely - I mean put boarding over so there is no light at all & then see how the stable is over the next few days.

Having had a bed trasher, when it was put in a stable with 2 visible openings all the fuzzy did was to eat, poo & turn to look out of either opening, hence mushing everything in, on their constant turning round. As soon as rear window was closed off, then bed was a vast improvement as nothing there for Fuzzy to keep turning round to see.

Good luck

 

[Echo24]

When I spoke to someone at Aubiose they said it works best with rubber matting. I want to really like it as I used to loan a horse on it and it worked brilliantly. Sadly my youngster is a stable trasher so I might have to switch to wood pellet.

 

[hobo]

I have used it for years now. The best way is to put plenty to start it and I do not take any wet out for months and the beds stay dry and clean I do use maybe a bag every 6 or so days. I only wet a new bed at the start of the season after that you do not water it . It should not be in cubes!

I think the inventor of rubber mats did cows and horses a bum note as they encourage people to skimp on bedding. But maybe that is just me lol.

 

[Echo24]

I like it, but currently use Eco Comfybed on a 50% bed at the back.

However OP - I would close off that window at the back completely - I mean put boarding over so there is no light at all & then see how the stable is over the next few days.

Having had a bed trasher, when it was put in a stable with 2 visible openings all the fuzzy did was to eat, poo & turn to look out of either opening, hence mushing everything in, on their constant turning round. As soon as rear window was closed off, then bed was a vast improvement as nothing there for Fuzzy to keep turning round to see.

Good luck

Thanks for the suggestion. His stable was getting quite smelly so I left it open for ventilation (and he was getting hot in his stable due to the mild weather) but will try it to see if it stops him mashing up his bed.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

My friend used to deep litter it and it was very economical but her horse pooed in one place and didn't dig it up.

My horse on the other hand tramples everything into small pieces and is known for amusing himself by digging his bed up and it just didn't work and was very expensive. Currently on small flake shavings with rubber matting but still looking for that elusive economical easy to muck out bedding

 

[lhotse]

I would say that you need a deeper bed. It's not forming a solid base, just being scattered about.

 

[Perissa]

I use it with my stallion and use ...... wait for it...... one bale a MONTH!! I take the wet out once a month, scrape the bed into the middle and make the banks up with half a bale. Then a week later add another quarter of a bale and a week after that the other quarter. However he never poos on his bed, its in a neat little pile off to the side.

I also use it for my two shetlands who share a stable and I use three bales a month for them. I only take the wet out once a month. Add a bale after I muck out, then about half a bale a week after that.

If I am starting a new bed from scratch, which only happens in the autumn when I first bring them in (they are out in the summer) I wet the bed with a hose but after that, even when adding a bale I do not wet it at all. I think the trick is to get it to settle into a mat. My beds are never wet on top and almost gopping on the bottom after a month, but you would never guess that until you take the top layer off. I think it works better if you are generous when first starting the bed.

When I muck out I take the top layer off with a broom. I sweep the dry top layer off and the wet stuff stays as a mat underneath, makes mucking out so easy and quick. I can do a muck out with a months wet in, in about 20 mins to half a hour.

 

[Echo24]

I would say that you need a deeper bed. It's not forming a solid base, just being scattered about.

I'll try and get some more bales and add some more in. I have a 12 x 12 stable and used 6 bales to set up the bed as the pony is only 12.2h and covered half the stable. I do wonder if he has a tendency to wee at the front of the stable which is why the bed is so wet. I'll give it one more go and hopefully sort it out.

Thanks for all your helpful hints and tips!

 

[JustKickOn]

Arden Safemix is pretty good, i use it in chicken runs - its shavings and softchip mixed and very cheap

We use these under out straw beds to absorb the wet. They are really absorbent, and cost effective BUT... I wouldn't want to make a full bed out of them. Even though they are dust extracted, they still are rather dusty and I can imagine a full bed of them would be hard work.

 

[Perissa]

When I could still breath pre asthma I used to have straw beds and used megazorb underneath to absorb the wet. That worked really well too.

 

[Ladyinred]

I like it, but currently use Eco Comfybed on a 50% bed at the back.

However OP - I would close off that window at the back completely - I mean put boarding over so there is no light at all & then see how the stable is over the next few days.

Having had a bed trasher, when it was put in a stable with 2 visible openings all the fuzzy did was to eat, poo & turn to look out of either opening, hence mushing everything in, on their constant turning round. As soon as rear window was closed off, then bed was a vast improvement as nothing there for Fuzzy to keep turning round to see.

Good luck

We have an open window at the back as well and for the first two/three weeks the girls are in they make the sort of mess described by OP. The joy of nosey natives! But then they calm down, realise nothing is happening that they are missing and both girls have a poo pile and a wee spot... makes for nice quick muck out although we are on straw.

Either grit your teeth and see if yours loses interest or try as Fuzzy Furry suggests. Closing it off would be a no go for us as we are in an American barn arrangement and YO closes the barn doors early every evening and it gets too stuffy for my liking.

Good luck!

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

LiR - that would be a definate problem with lack of air at night with barn doors closed!