Wood pellet convert

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mudmonkey17

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I have recently changed bedding on to wood pellets and have to say that i love them!

Have previously had my very messy and wet gelding on straw, shavings, eaisbed and aubiose and was using loads of the stuff. The wood pellets are amazing and so absorbant i am so happy and my horses rugs no longer smell of pee.

Bit of a pointless post lol but had to share xx
 
I totally agree. Nearly our whole yard are using them now, it takes a bit of getting used to and if you're anal about a white fluffy bed, don't use them, but we love them !
 
Yes another one here, I'm recently converted too!!

I did have some problems with delivery which will probably mean I source them from somewhere else next time, but other than that its been a really smooth & successful change over.
 
Not pointless at all OP.

We are thinking of changing over (only 4 bales of shavings left so need to decide soon).

Have you any pics of your new pellet beds, and do you use it on top of mats.

I have mats for my two, so just use a thin layer of bedding plus banks.

One mare is a poppet (so cleen she poohs in a big pile, and pees in a bucket for me), but the other mare is a real minger (box walks and tramples everything).

Would love to see pics/hear experiences of others.

Fiona
 
I was doing a research project for my coursework last week, on alternative bedding I was really impressed with what I read and am now trying to convert my boss to my way of thinking! I ordered my first lot yesterday and look forward to changing my own yard over at the weekend.
 
Im tempted to give these a go these, but my gelding wont wee on anything that doesnt look like a relatively deep bed. So im not sure if he'd wee on wood pellet bedding!
Also, those of you who use it, do your horses lie down much?
x
 
Toast said:
Im tempted to give these a go these, but my gelding wont wee on anything that doesnt look like a relatively deep bed. So im not sure if he'd wee on wood pellet bedding!
Also, those of you who use it, do your horses lie down much?
x
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I do make relatively deep beds of them and my horses lie down happily every night:)
 
Mine won't pee on it as she doesn't like getting her legs splashed. She holds out until she gets to the field in the morning. Very obliging and cost effective too.
Very smell reducing and not dusty at all.
 
Why would your horse get their legs splashed on wood pellet bedding? Mine don't. It soaks straight into the bedding.
 
How deep have you got it then? When the pee lands in the same place it splashes back up with her big jets, even on rubber matting
 
My pellet beds are probably only about 5-6 inches deep. I rarely get wee coming to the top of the bedding. I have to scrape the top back to scoop the wee "puck" out once a week.

My only complaint with wood pellet beds are that they go dusty quite quickly when the horses start living out. It's easy to resolve though, quick sprinkle of the hose.
 
Aah I see, mine (as is everyone else's on the yard is only about 2 inches deep with high banks, that'll be why then. We all have fantastic quality rubber flooring, very pliable and comfortable under
 
I have some stables with traditional matting and others with the softer cow mats in. I don't think it would work as well on a thinner bed. The way it absorbs must be compromised unless you have a decent depth.

For my stables, I only need to top up with one bag of pellets a week.
 
Me too, sounds like you made your bed initially with more bags than me - I just do the same as the others on the yard, might try it a bit deeper now though and see how we get on, though I don't need that much absorption as she doesn't pee in there, at present. Deeper and she might
 
See i would worry about him not weeing on it, if he holds it he makes himself ill. I suppose it could be worth trying to see if he will wee on though! Sounds like the majority of users like it a lot
x
 
I love them. My two are on thick absorbant mats with about 4" deep bed on top. I use 1 - 2 bags (15k) a week on Stinky and take the wet patch out weekly, but Farra is a large and filthy clydesdale, very wet and mixes the poo into the bed, so with her, I skip out in the week and I take out most of the bed at the weekend and put another 3 bags in. I have finally managed to get a bed that copes with her and is not soaked all the time.

This keeps them with dry and nice beds and they are in a fair bit at this time of year.

I just put the pellets down and then hose them in place so it is very quick and easy, and even with using a lot of pellets compared to others, I have still have halved my winter bedding bill this year compared to megazorb and shavings, and the mucking out is so quick and easy.
 
I've just started with wood pellets (encouraged by Theresa F's write-ups on them!) - the 16.3 TB who is usually a messy g*t has been on the bed that I laid in the weanling's box since last Wednesday, (but the baby had only been in there for a couple of hours at a time for a week), and since Saturday for the 14.2 Arab. I've just been taking the droppings out of both and levelling the beds so far and I plan on scraping off all the dry and throwing it up on the banks at the weekend and then removing the wet patches. I was a bit worried by people saying that the beds look dirty - I know they haven't been down long but they look lovely and comfortable and they don't look dirty at all. The TB can't wait to get into his to dig it up and roll in it, and both boys are lying down more than they did on straw. I've got the beds 4" deep on rubber mats, and when they pee on it it disappears really fast.

I'm going to convert the (very piddly) mare and foal to pellets at the weekend (weaning weekend....)

My plan is to muck out directly into used alfa-a bags and leave them outside the gate for people to take for their gardens, since the quantities are so much less than on straw - do people think that's feasible?
 
I'm surprised how many bags people use! My beds are about 6in deep, on rubber mats. My mare's very wet but quite tidy - I put two bags in every fortnight. The little lad pees in the same place so I probably only use two bags every three weeks for him. I think the more bedding you use initially, the more economical it is (which is why I always put two bags in together). My beds are always lovely and clean - I am a bit anal about it though.
It may well be quick and easy to muck out but the biggest bonus is you don't stink of horse piss...
 
Rotchana said:
Mine won't pee on it as she doesn't like getting her legs splashed. She holds out until she gets to the field in the morning. Very obliging and cost effective too.
Very smell reducing and not dusty at all.
Click to expand...

Wish she could have a word with my boys. They are out in the field overnight and come into their stables in the morning and have a massive wee. Unfortunately as I have to bring them in together I can't use the old 'catch it in a bucket' trick.
 
Hi, I have tried 6 different brands and the best one is most definately Puffin Pellets. They have a distributor in Sussex but can delivery anywhere on a pallet. Its not the cheapest one but not most expensive either. It swells up hugely and last ages and ages, my horses love it and lay down all the time, also my mare had terrible scabby legs which have cleared up since on the pellets. Company i get them from is Liston PRoducts, ladys name is Debbie on 07810482320, she's really good and give loads of help and advice. I dont know where you are but she comes out and helps you lay the first bed etc., or can advise over the phone. Give her a call, its fab stuff, transformed my mucking out time to nothing !
 
Try Puffin on 07810 482320. Not the cheapest but the quality is far the highest of all the brands, i use alot less to set up initial stable, then less each weeks as it goes so far ! smells amazing too, so fresh.
 
Not pointless, it's interesting to see this. I currently use Megazorb and love how quick it is to muck out and how little waste there is, however it is incredibly dusty and it doesn't seem to matter how much I wet it down. It is also manufactured locally to me so I can collect it directly and not pay any delivery charges.

I stable my horse at night all year, it suits me to be able to keep him off the grass as he is a very good doer, but at the moment he is covered in dust in the morning and I'm sure it can't be doing his breathing/chest any good.

Does anyone have any pictures of their beds?
 
chloe18 said:
Try Puffin on 07810 482320. Not the cheapest but the quality is far the highest of all the brands, i use alot less to set up initial stable, then less each weeks as it goes so far ! smells amazing too, so fresh.
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Welcome to the forum Chloe- shame your only posts are plugging your company...
 
I used to use wood pellets and I absolutely loved them.

The only reason I dont use them anymore is I dont have stables any more. Just fields and a shelter.

In fact, I am thinking about using them in shelter next year but not sure if they will work as good in there.

anyone of you used them in a shelter?

Would be good to hear your views please.

Many thanks.
 
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