wood pellets vs shavings...

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charlottenicol

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Normally I use straw, my boy lives out unless it's horrid and on a normal winter only spends the occasional night in, but obviously this weather means he is in every night and the straw is costing me £3.00 per night which is adding up. So wood pellets or shavings seem to be my option but have never used them. Can anyone help
 
It depends on the horse and how you muck out tbh! Wood pellets are a cost effective and easy to manage bedding, but wouldn't be as suitable if you wanted to take the bed up everyday and tae all the wet out. They work better slightly damp.

I really like shavings, and as long as I keep a large enough bed, my very messy horse is cleaner on shavings thn she is on pelletts... as poo doesnt get messed up as much as it can with pellets!
 
I wouldnt touch wood pellets as you have to mix some of the wet in to them. They are a haven for bacteria and even if they feel dry they are actually damp. A horse standing (or sleeping) on damp wee soaked bedding is not a good idea. When to dry they are dusty
 
Pellets are not wee soaked nor a haven for bacteria - they are however extremely cost effective, super quick to muck out and highly absorbant.

They are not for everyone - if you like to give your horse a deep fluffy bed then don't bother with pellets. If you can think along the lines that horses are not nesting animals and are happy to use a minimal bed and rubber mats then, yes they are fantastic.
 
Its difficult to advise as i think its very much a personal thing. I have worked with both and prefer shavings however wood pellets are definately the cheaper option. Having also worked with straw whatever you try will take you a while to get used to.
 
teddyt said:
I wouldnt touch wood pellets as you have to mix some of the wet in to them. They are a haven for bacteria and even if they feel dry they are actually damp. A horse standing (or sleeping) on damp wee soaked bedding is not a good idea. When to dry they are dusty
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Have you ever actually used wood pellets?

You don't have to add water if you don't mind the bed a bit crunchy for the first night.

They are not dusty in our climate except perhaps in the middle of summer when they've been left in a corner for a month.

The pellets are very absorbant and when managed properly, they provide a dry and comfortable bed.

My horses have a drier and cleaner bed now then they ever did with straw, shavings or chopped straw.
 
I love wood pellets. I have a filthy filly who I can't keep dry on anything else. Because they soak up so much liquid she doesn't end up standing in a puddle overnight now.

Of course they don't harbour bacteria. You pick up poo every day and unless your horse is poorly sick there isn't any bacteria in its wee!

They don't look lovely though if you like a fluffy bed :)
 
It would be (and is) shavings for me!
hated wood pellets and danced around the yard like a crazy lady when i used the last sack!

have you thought of something like cushionbed? i also use that for some and quite like that.

i think it really is a personal thing what you do and dont get on with.
 
If you have a horse that likes to mash up & bury his poo wood pellets don't really work. With Jason I spend longer seiving out his poo particles than I would doing a full muck out on straw. I found the Liverpool Wood Pellets too dusty with HP, but not with Jason so I aaume he wees more. White Horse are less dusty but not cheap.
 
Ive always used shavings, not really tried much else, apart from different types/makes.. and i find just normal shavings easiest..

i have fairly 3 messy horses, and 2 of them i have to take out 70% of the bed each day, so its not very cost effective..
 
With 14 horses in atm wood pellets are worth their weight in gold, can get round them in less than 2 hours. We take the wet out every 2nd or 3rd day, once they have settled, no need to do more than fluff up the top layer. We did get one lot that was powdery, but have made sure to get premium grade since.
Why not put a layer of pellets under the straw to absorb the wet, while still leaving the straw dry on top?
 
Prefer wood pellets to shavings myself any day.

My horse treds his pooh into the bed so what ever I use it is not easy however it is easier to seperate with the wood pellets than the shavings, far easier to muck out.

As others said wood pellets unlike fresh shavings do not make an atractive bed, however what they do make is a very comfy bed that is very dry absorbant and does not move at all.
 
Another vote for wood pellets although I do get the premium version.

I have 11 horses in and it is much quickerto much out and cheaper than shavings plus the muck heap is much smaller.

Yes, the bed does not look as nice as shavings but given my horses are quite happy to lie down in the mud in the field I'm not worried. Also, has been said, they make a much more stable bed which doesn't move.

All our stables are matted but when I used shavings one of my horses always to have big holes though to the matting but doesn't with the wood pellets.
 
Oberon said:
Have you ever actually used wood pellets?

You don't have to add water if you don't mind the bed a bit crunchy for the first night.

They are not dusty in our climate except perhaps in the middle of summer when they've been left in a corner for a month.

The pellets are very absorbant and when managed properly, they provide a dry and comfortable bed.

My horses have a drier and cleaner bed now then they ever did with straw, shavings or chopped straw.
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What Oberon said ^^^

love them and won't go back to anything else now!
 
I am another who has recently tried wood pellets and was not impressed. They have been freezing when temp is not at extremes and before anyone suggests they have been soaked too much (which might well be true whilst getting the hang of them) the ones in the bag I opened tonight were frozen into clumps before they came out of the plastic!

Shavings and rubber mats for me!
 
As we have rubber mats, we only put down a thin layer of bedding for absorption/anti-pee-splash and I honestly prefer wood pellets. I find that when using a thin layer of shavings, you end up with a reddish brown mush - I find that pellets are better at absorbing though are not as soft - when we do thick beds I prefer shavings/straw.
 
I currently use shavings for my messy mare.

I have spoken to people on the yard regarding pellets and a lot of them are saying how heavy they are to work with.

There are lots of different beddings out there, it depends on what's available in your area, your management and what your horse is like in the stable.

Some beddings, like straw, are designed to drain while others, like shavings, are designed to absorb. Which type you choose will be based on your circumstances.

I've not use hemp based beddings but have heard from others who have that they are good.
Paper can be a cheap option, but it can be messy to handle.

Maybe worth asking around to see what others are using and how much they are paying and how much they are using.

As I said, my mare is on shavings which I personally wouldn't change.
It's easy to work with, virtually dust free, easy to keep and a cheaper option in my area.
 
Pellets are really good if you have a wet horse underneath their shavings. We semi deep litter in that during the week we allow the wet to soak through to the pellets and be absorbed there and just take the poo off the top. The shavings stay nice and dry and clean. Then at the weekend they have a full muck out and a new bag of pellets put in (dry) and any new shavings that are required on top. Keeps their beds in place and nice and thick. They dont smell and definately arent damp this way.
 
I use wood pellets and find them fantastic, they are much cheaper than shavings and do not stick as much to rugs/bandages/tails etc. You do have to use a fair amount to initially build up the bed, but after that I normally only have to add 3 bags every 10 days for a horse that is in most of the time. It keeps the bed very clean and is exceptionally easy to muck out. The only real problem I have ever found with it is that in extreme cold snaps the bedding does occasionally freeze due to the water in it which can make mucking out difficult!
But overall it is great and I would always choose it over shavings.
 
ANY bedding can/will harbour bacteria. bedding is a very personal choice dependant on your time, how dirty/wet your horse is, and how good your mucking out is!and how you like your bed to look! mine are on shavings big full beds with mats underneath. i have a couple on wood pellets(again big full beds with banks) which work exceptionally well and are cost effective. i have none on straw as cant stand the stable y smell, nor the amount of waste in the muck trailer.it really is an individual choice.
 
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