Wood pellets users - best fork to get those annoying little bits of poo?!

[ecrozier]

Switched both my boys on to wood pellets last Friday, clean one been in since and so far so good, filthy one came in for winter last night (both out 7-7 still but in at night). So far so good - tried filthy one with hay in a trug last night which was a mistake, back to nets tonight sadly as he just spreads and tramples it!!
But only thing that is annoying me is that the littlest bits of muck fall through my old school shavings fork - is there a specific fork available with smaller holes to catch more?
Also wet patches - how often do you all take wet out? Been told once a week or so unless it comes through to top of bed but mix the top layer up every day?

 

[smiggy]

not much help now but spoke to the company that make those nice shavings forks at YHL, they have a new wood pellet one with narrower spaces in design. should be available in the spring!
in the meantime a garden rake will help

 

[Thistle]

Are you deep littering or using with mays? I remove wet every day with mats. You can get extra fine tine shavings forks, I like this one http://www.robinsonsequestrian.com/...isite-xdeep-shavings-fork-blk-blue-146cm.html the high sides mean you can sieve more easily without it all falling off. But I'm tempted to get a really fine fork to do a final run through the beds sometimes to get all the tiny bits out.

Aquamax do one http://aquamax.co.uk/stable-accessories.php

 

[ecrozier]

Thanks both. Thistle I have mats, have sort of deep littered so far, taken out the wet I can see but not dug down into bed (this is for my very clean 14.2 as filthy 16.2 only came in for first time last night!

When you say you remove wet every day, do you just muck out like a shavings bed? Or knowing where wet patches are scrape away top layer and lift out darker patches of pellets?

 

[Cupcakes and Horses]

Rubber gloves and hands for me find it quicker than anything else. I take the really wet bit out everyday then mix up the rest with the dry.

 

[Thistle]

yes, I have a half bed a couple of inches thick on mats. I flip the fork over like a rake, scrape away everything that isn't stuck together and take ot the dark clumps. I don't move all the bedding or sweep the base, just re lay the bed, add more if necc (I dump a bag under the drinker, then clean out the drinker into the pile (I like multi tashking!) I then incorporate the clean bedding into the bed over the next few days.

I've been using pelletts for the last 7 or 8 years and wouldn't use anything else now. I had a mare on straw over the summer as she was due to foal and really hated it.

 

[Thistle]

Rubber gloves and hands for me find it quicker than anything else. I take the really wet bit out everyday then mix up the rest with the dry.

That's OK until you get old and creaky like me!

 

[ecrozier]

Lol I may not be technically old but am certainly creaky! Have gone over relaid bed by hand with rubber glove this morning but don't fancy doing that every day.
Interesting re taking out wet like that though, I think I will try doing that as I can see myself getting annoyed with deep litter. Beds so far are about 4 inches deep over back half of stable. might go back this evening and take a bit of wet out Does it all clump together again when properly wet then?
Excellent idea re the drinker! Will definately be copying that one!

 

[Thistle]

The wet that I take out is darker and sticks together in a hard clump, I tend the throw the half wet stuff back into the area where they pee so it gets taken out the next day. With 5 horses every penny counts.

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Found this

http://www.discountedpetproducts.net/14700_WONDER_FORK_BLACK-UKP120856.html

I know this one is from USA but I'm sure I've seen it from UK supplier but can't find it at mo
http://www.horse.com/item/basket-stable-fork-with-handle/BRW23/

This one is a little expensive, it does work, but they break easy in my opinion

http://www.yardbedding.co.uk/products.php

 

[NOISYGIRL]

Found another

http://www.fynalite.co.uk/plastic_fork.html

 

[ecrozier]

Thanks will have a look

 

[Blythwind]

At YHL, Aquamax bedding were selling 'Fine Tine Forks' which looked like they have narrower prongs, and are also curve shaped so you could shake it more and waste less bedding. Does anyone have one?

I will follow this thread with interest to see what people recommend, as I also get obsessed about picking all the little bits out!

 

[saffytessa]

I have about 3-4 inches of bedding over rubber mats. I don't lift the bed just remove the wet patches daily and sweep back and level it.

I hate the small bits of poo left behind. One stable isn't too bad but the other mare box walks so breaks it up into little pieces. I get as much out every day as I can using a fynalite shavings fork. When the bed has run down a bit and needs topping up, if it is looking grubby, I sieve it with a garden sieve. The little bits eventually do my head in and it only takes ten minutes to sieve. I only do it once a fortnight or so and it looks so much better

 

[dartmoors dennis]

I have only been using wood pellets for a year now but am finding them great, so much quicker and more economical to use. I have found a product called the "Golden Gark" you can get them from http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.562978.cm_scid.BazaarVoice. Not cheap at nearly £30 but I managed to get mine at their outlet shop and it was about £12.... they are great, much better than a shavings fork they have a small area at the bottom that will hold the poo while you shake it, have found it to work really well.
I also remove the really wet bits, but after I have set up the bed originally I rarely add more water, just put a fresh bag in around once a week and mix it into what is left, it mixes well and the pellets go powdery as they soak up anything that might have been missed.

 

[mcnaughty]

I use an Aubiose Fork like this one below. Yes there are tiny bits of poo but I have to say I don't get to anal about those as the horse doesn't care!

For is uber-light and the prongs are slightly shaped at the end so slide across bumps and grooves in mats and floor rather than hitting and stopping if you know what I mean.

http://www.horze.co.uk/Aubiose_Fork_Shaft,_Aluminum_(fits_50204)/50210,en_GB,pd.html

 

[grandmaweloveyou]

Gloves? I just use my hands unless he has a messy bed which is rare (then its a fynalite). He wont wee in it either so its very dry but because of that, rather dusty