Wood pellets vs straw pellets

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oldie48

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Hi, been using wood pellets as bedding for some years now. Most of the muck heap eventually goes on the garden (yes, it's huge) I'm thinking about changing to straw pellets as I think they might make a better compost. I'd appreciate any feedback from people who have used both types of bedding, please.
 
Straw pellets do break down quicker than wood pellets and so probably make quicker compost. They are also slightly more convenient as they can be put in dry and break down more quickly. However, they are darker and the bed doesn't look as nice. I also found that I used more of them and that the muck was harder to see due to the colour. I changed back to wood pellets.
 
when wood products break down, they actually take nitrogen out of the soil-professional gardeners won't take wood products unless they are very well rotted (i.e. years). So straw/miscanthus does rot down far quicker and is better for that purpose. Out of all the bedding I've tried so far I prefer wood pellets (aquamax) as they are better value and give you a nicer, brighter bed-straw as mentioned, doesn't look as nice though very easy to muck out. I give all of my manure away to gardeners though so had to stick with straw pellets. I am about to try miscanthus straw for poultry though and might be tempted to try it for the horses-or at least one of them. Up here we don't get the choice of hemp/auboise etc etc so am limited that way.
 
Having used wood pellets for a number of years I trialled straw pellets with my two wettest horses. They worked as well, if not slightly better than the wood pellets but as stated they are much darker in colour.

I then ordered two tons and moved the other six horses on to them. Unfortunately every one of the six just treated them as an all you could eat buffet - I assume they thought they were pony nuts. I was worried about them colicking as they were really tucking into them so had to put those six straight back on to wood pellets.
 
I tried spraying the pellets with dilute Dettol but it didn't deter the ones that were eating the straw pellets which do have a much stronger smell than wood pellets
 
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i have used both wood and straw pellets and i prefer the straw pellets. They are more absorbent and i dont mind the difference in colour.
My horse doesnt eat the pellets but i did introduce them whilst still using wood pellets.

To stop horses eating them when you start a new bed just activate a few bags with some disinfectant water and then mix the dampened pellets in with the dry pellets.
 
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