Wheat v Rape straw

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RyanJoker

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Hi everyone

Does anyone now what the difference is between the above for bedding please?

Horsey has to be on a straw bed but I have just discovered the wonder of chopped straw bedding and love it - thing is the current stuff I am using is really expensive and made with Rape straw so I have found another one a lot cheaper but is made with wheat straw so not sure what the difference is? maybe less absorbent in which case won't be any good.

Its treated so he shouldn't eat it.

If anyone knows it would be much appreciated as I would have to buy a pallet to get it delivered up to Scotland so can't even try a few bales first.

Thanks in advance x
 
I've not used rape straw myself but I have heard of two people using it that had problems with bits becoming embedded under their horses skin after laying on rape straw.

I use wheat straw (sometimes barley straw) as I like them to be able to eat it if they want to.
 
I use the chopped rape straw bedding. I have found it to be quite inexpensive as it really goes quite far. One bag was enough to do a decent size bed on rubber matting. Last year I was using a combination of shavings and wood pellets and I think this was probably more absorbent as my horse is quite wet. I have noticed when uncovering the wet patch it is a little smelly so I may have to include some pellets in his wee patch. But it seems to hold the pee well, once Ive collected the wet part there isn't a big wet patch left on the matting if you see what I mean.

I have only been using it for a few weeks so maybe not enough experience of it to suggest any major down falls but so far it seems ok.

I used to have a lovely big (wheat? I think) straw bed at my last yard and in all honesty if you have plenty of time to muck out I don't think anything beats this although that wasn't the chopped straw version, I used to want to lie down in it myself!!
 
I can't understand how rape straw has become expensive, I suppose it is a mare to bale it. I don't like it at all and won't use it as bedding, it's sharp and fiddly and not particularly absorbant, I'd put it on a par with linseed straw to be honest.

I bed down on wheat or barley straw - is chopped straw not harder to muck out on?
 
RunToEarth said:
I can't understand how rape straw has become expensive, I suppose it is a mare to bale it. I don't like it at all and won't use it as bedding, it's sharp and fiddly and not particularly absorbant, I'd put it on a par with linseed straw to be honest.

I bed down on wheat or barley straw - is chopped straw not harder to muck out on?
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Its more along the lines of mucking out a shavings bed than a proper straw bed. I really don't think anything beats a lovely thick straw bed but with him being on DIY and an hour trip to work I just don't have the time anymore. One think I have found annoying is that it really sticks to his tail and where shavings just brush out the bits of straw seem to stick around and I have to pick them out.
 
Never tried the bedding but if you ever walkthrough a harvested rape field you'll find it incredably sharp, my dog had her face cut to ribbons runnig through it ! I wouldn't pay for it over wheat/ oat straw
 
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