pellet bedding

[jen0601]

I searched for a previous thread but couldn't find one that fit my question. I just bought some Equine Fresh bedding for a 15x12 stall. I bought 8 bags and it doesn't even cover the ground completely. I am going back tomorrow to get more bags for the initial bedding. How deep do you lay it before you mist the top layer? How often do you have to strip it and start all over? My goal would be to not use the stall except in bad weather.

[S1969]

Well, 12x15 is a big stall but 8 bags....that's a lot.

I find that they more than double in volume once wet, and "mist" isn't really the right word for wetting - you really need quite a bit of water. In winter I use a garden watering can instead of a hose and for every bag I usually use at least one full watering can...(I'm thinking it's about a gallon?)

My motto is -- you can always add more! So I might suggest [if you haven't wet it yet] is to remove quite a bit of it [maybe put it in a clean muck bucket?] and wet, then decide if you need more. I usually clear a space on the floor, dump new pellets and wet the pile, then incorporate. You don't want to re-wet your already fluffed bedding or it might get soaked.

If you're only using the stall in bad weather, you may not want it bedded too deeply, it might just be a waste. It's a bit of trial and error, but if your horse isn't using it regularly it can be too dry/dusty.

[jen0601]

Thanks, I will go wet it and see how puffy it gets.

[equusvilla]

Also - be careful. I used these and when I was 'misting' mine - I stepped on them and busted my butt! They roll under your feet before you 'mist' them!

[BuddyRoo]

What I do is lay the bag on the stall floor, make a slit in the bag, then insert hose...or in winter, pour about 1/2-3/4 of a bucket of water in. Let sit for about 10 min, then dump bag and fluff.

With pelleted, I didn't have trouble with urine seeping around and "infecting" shavings. So the wet spot was easy to remove. AND, no big fluffy hunks of shavings to waste when pulling out poo.

I honestly never had to "strip" a stall when I was using pelleted. However, a lot of people find them too dusty (mostly because I don't think that their stall floors are appropriate--mats do seem to work best--or because they're not wetting them down enough)

But anyway, I loved pelleted and it saved me a lot of money.

[shawneeAcres]

Good lord! When you wet 8 bags it will be halfway to the ceiling! LOL I use 2 - 3 at MOST in my stalls. You do have to wet it very thoroughly. I think you will change your mind about 8 bags once you get them fluffed up!

[Calvincrowe]

You need to remember, pelleted bedding is not used in the same way as fluffy shavings, either. It will "fluff" up, but is more fine sawdust at that point. It is important to wet it, and let it break down a bit. You must clean out the pee spots each day (I find) or it turns into a stink pile. I don't use mine the way you'll be, but I clean stalls daily.

I begin with 6 in a 12 x 12 matted stall, then only add 1 or maybe 2 a week (if they are in more than usual, and mine are in about 12 hours a day). My stalls have about 2-3 inches of pelleted bedding in them, over mats. That is a mix of broken down sawdust and fluffed pellets and hard pellets. My guys lay down each night, stay pretty clean (except for Mr. PiggyPoopsalot) and I save a ton in bedding and disposal.

[jen0601]

sweet. Bedding to the roof, that I can't wait to see. I will go wet them before I buy 8 more bags. I read somewhere to make sure they are 3" deep, but apparently that is after fluffing.:)

One more dumb, new to stall care question. When I add new pellets, do I soak it or just let the horse take care of that?

[S1969]

One more dumb, new to stall care question. When I add new pellets, do I soak it or just let the horse take care of that?

I always wet them at least partially. Clear a space on the mats, dump the bag and wet. Or as BuddyRoo suggests - wet them in the bag and then dump. I think that if you don't wet them enough they get "crushed" and are much more dusty, plus I think they are wasted because what could have been 6" of bedding is only 2" when dry....so you're not getting as much cushion out of them if you don't get them at least 3/4 wet/fluffed.

It is an art form, to some degree. Based on your stall size, your horse's patterns, your climate/weather. You can always add more water, but you can never take it out. So wet carefully at first until you get a feel for how much to add. Every brand is a little different, and again, how you handle them in hot dry weather is definitely different than spring monsoons.

[equusvilla]

I used (or tried) these only because I cannot find sawdust shavings. FYI - just in case someone is wondering the reason there is such a shortage now - it is because new building is down, as in construction..therefor less sawdust to sell.

Anyway - I have thick rubber mats in my stalls - so I can get away with a minimal amout of fine shavings ..used basically for their good smell and to soak up urine. The pellets were more costly than shavings. I only used 1 bag of pellets per stall which seemed to be the equivilent to about 3/4 bag of shavings after misted. It had no scent and because I live in a very humid climate, I did not like adding to that. I just like dry clean bedding - so even though you did not really ask...I still prefer fine shavings over pellets.

[Foxtrot's]

That's quite the picture - your horse climbing up to get into bed. Horseloverz, where are you? I use about two or more icecream buckets on a bag - to heck with the "misting".
Once they are fully fluffed, they are quite economical. It is a paradox - add more water to make them more absorbent! I love them - the bags are easy to lift and I don't have to wheelbarrow tons of shavings in.

[Little Valkyrie]

I use a muck bucket to soak mine. I put in the whole bag plus 3/4 of a bucket of water, let sit for a little while and viola! shavings. This way the stall stays nice and dry and you get an entire bucket of fresh shavings! (just don't leave them in if it's going to be super, super cold because it will freeze and it's a PITA, but I've only had that happen when its -15)

[VarsityHero4]

The wetting method I use is to use an old corn oil jug. Make an "x" in the bag and pour in a jug full of water, let sit for approx 10 mins, and then dump. I think it expands them just enough but still leaves the horse to do some of the breaking down. I usually do 5 bags per stall and add more as needed.

[TrueColours]

If you are close enough to make it economical to purchase, also consider the EcoStraw pelleted bedding, made from chopped straw and not wood

www.angelfire.com/on3/TrueColoursFarm/EcoStraw.html

The wood pellets are extruded and need water to puff them up to use them, which is a PITA in cold barns as they then freeze. The EcoStraw is compressed and doesnt need water - the horses walking around on them break them apart very easily.

Wood pellets take 6-8 months to break down where they can be re-used and spread on fields and used in gardening applications so they dont leach nitrogen from the soil any longer . EcoStraw takes 2-4 weeks to break down and since they are not wood based, there are no nitrogen leaching issues associated with them

Also - dont fool yourselves. The shortage of shavings, sawdust and wood pellets has LESS to do with the economy and shortage of housing starts than it does with Kyoto, Carbon Credits and the fact that North America is the WORST complier of the Kyoto Accord and 99% of the wood by products are being shipped overseas where governments are heavily subsidizing homes and business to convert to pellet burning technology and they are the heaviest buyers of the wood pellets and it will only get worse through 2009, 2010 and 2011. It is predicted by 2011 that you will not be able to find ANY wood based bedding products any longer and if you do, the prices will be astronimical. It is already happening now -over the next 2-3 years it wil get progressively worse.

So - honestly - dont think all is good if you can find pellets today. It wont last and it will be smart move if you can look now and find an alternative bedding source for the years to come as you are going to need it ... badly ...

Good luck

[GoshenNY]

Question;
What is the cost of the pelleted straw? It seems like there are no reps in the US.

Interesting product,
J

[jen0601]

Thanks, I would definitely look into all environmentally friendly bedding. I will check out the staw.

[Gloria]

If you are close enough to make it economical to purchase, also consider the EcoStraw pelleted bedding, made from chopped straw and not wood

www.angelfire.com/on3/TrueColoursFarm/EcoStraw.html



I tried to look for pelleted straw not long ago. Cannot find any in USA. The feed store called around and found that they needed to be imported, and we will have to buy by the "container"... Definitely not feasible for us.

If you know any in USA, please pass on. thanks.

[TrueColours]

Question;
What is the cost of the pelleted straw? It seems like there are no reps in the US.

Interesting product,


I am now working with VT, MD and NJ to set up some dealers in those areas. I have farms in PA, MI and NY that also want product delivered to them. Those areas are all do-able at an affordable landed cost either with me delivering in my trailer or using a commercial carrier to do so.

I have had a ton of enquiries from Alaska, OR, CA, TX, OK and there is simply no way of getting the product there in a cost effective manner. Even if I come down to bare bones profit margins, we cant do it with the trucking costs and if fuel rises again and we have higher freight costs to contend with, any possibility of doing so today wil be gone by tomorrow ...

[deltawave]

I start with 5-6 bags for a 12 x 12 stall, so I don't think 8 is excessive for a bigger stall.

[ponygirl]

It's available for small animals and has been for quite some time. It looks like they've expanded to large animals. If it's similar in cost to the small animal bedding, I'd need a loan to buy it.

[clivers]

I usually start with 10 bags for a 12x14 stall! and before you ask, YES, I wet them - slit the top of the bag, add a gallon or so, and let sit. I WISH this gave me bedding to the ceiling.

Slightly off topic, but I have a horse who has started walking his poop right into the bedding so there are no discernable 'nuggets'. I'm starting to question whether pellets are economical or not for this type of horse. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Thanks!

[deltawave]

IME the pellets do desiccate the poop to the degree that they can become just dry, crumbly turd-lets instead of pickable balls. It helps to wet the bedding a bit more, but then (in my barn, at least) freezing gets to be a problem in the winter.

I find that a gallon per bag is nowhere NEAR enough to "fluff" them adequately. More like 3+ gallons here. FWIW.

[NMK]

Not so good...the straw pellets just disintegrate and they are dusty. They also don't absorb like wood pellets. It's a shame because they are environmentally friendly and I would like to use them.

For the OP--once you get the base done, you can "fluff" the pee area for a day, maybe two, before it becomes dense enough to want to take out. Once you have removed enough, I simply replace the "pee spot" with one bag of pellets, NOT SOAKED, and then cover them with the other bedding.

I use some sawdust with the pellets, about a bale every other week. That way you are just using 1 bag about every 4 days, roughly. Mine are out of their stalls 8 hours a day.

Nancy

[regeventer]

Where in MD might you be setting up a dealer? I live in western MD - I'd be interested in looking at the product if it is close enough to me to easily get.

[Bravestrom]

We have soft stalls - that is rubber crumble inside cloth tubes and then covered with a rubber matting.

We have always used pellets except last winter - we thought we would try shavings - to see the difference in cost and usage.

We have gone back to pellets - Barn stays neater, less manure in the pile, less waste taken out of the stall daily and more convenient for storage of bedding.

All in all it works much better for us. Our horses for the most part are very neat - most of them poop and pee at the back - only the boys pee in the middle - but the same spot - so stalls are very quick and easy to clean - we take out very little bedding from most of them - except the colt.

We use the wet in bag method - put the bag in the stall - slit an X - use the hose or water bucket to wet - let sit - then I like to dump the bag upside down - let it sit a little longer and then spread.

The caviet I would say is that our horses are outside during the day unless there is bad weather. If horses are inside all the time it may not work as well.

Not dusty and the barn does stay cleaner if the bedding is wetted properly.

[ESG]

Good lord! When you wet 8 bags it will be halfway to the ceiling! LOL I use 2 - 3 at MOST in my stalls. You do have to wet it very thoroughly. I think you will change your mind about 8 bags once you get them fluffed up!

Exactly! With eight bags, you probably won't be able to get the horse into the stall! :eek:

I LOVE the Equine Fresh. I've used just about every brand of pelleted bedding there is, and I like this the best. Best price, best durability, best availability - bar none.

[JoZ]

It entirely depends on your flooring. We have dirt floors in one part of the barn (partially matted -- each stall is 12x12 and has two 4x6 mats across the back third where most "duty" is done). In another part we have mats over concrete. We are in Washington AND in a flood plain. For the dirt stalls we'd have to be insane to wet the pellets at all! We put down two bags per stall and replenish as necessary. On the mats over concrete, we do have to dampen them but never with a hose or in a wheelbarrow -- just a light mist of water is plenty. Must be the ambient water!

I am not a fan of deep bedding and if I am going to use 6-8 bags of pellets, I'd rather have a base of 2-3 bags and replenish. The horses seem to do fine -- they enjoy their flat-out naps, and have no hock rubs.

If TrueColours is correct about the impending LACK of wood-based bedding, wouldn't that be a perfect business opportunity for alternatives? There is a company in BC that has a machine that converts manure into bedding but the machines cost over $1 million, and are most economical for a very large establishment. We need co-ops of local barns to buy such a machine and put it in a central location... X pounds of poop gets you Y pounds of bedding.

[kmp2707]

another alternative to pellets, shavings or straw is this: http://www.bestcob.com/horse_bedding.php

One of my boarder's mothers is a distributor on the other side of the state and she brought me some to trial. My stalls are 12 * 14 and horses are in about 12 hours.

They were more expensive per bag, but I only added about 1 bag per week to each stall when I was using them, so actually runs less $$ to use. I found in the very dry, cold weather they did get dusty, but it is a heavier dust that settled fairly quickly. And, in more damp/humid weather they really didn't get dusty at all. Very easy to clean as well.

When I run out of my current load of easy pick bedding I may very well go to the corn cob bedding.

[Calvincrowe]

I reuse my pellet bags to sell/give away composted manure in the spring. I fill and then tie with leftover hay twine. It makes them easy for my "town" friends to haul in their cars, and is in small, usable amounts for potted plants or small beds.

I just cut across the top and pour in a pile, wet with the hose.

I just hate throwing all those bags away!

[CanterQueen]

Thanks, I will go wet it and see how puffy it gets.

Be VERY careful with how much you put down. Try a little, wet it, wait, inspect, and add more if you think you need to.

Short story: We bought our place last year, first time I've had the horses at home. I bought pelleted bedding and put in a lot 'cause a little "just didn't look right." Well, the barn flooded in the spring and I had two feet deep of bedding in the two stalls I had bedded. Think explosion . . :yes: Then it molded and stunk -- what a mess!!!

:D Less is more!!!!!!!

[jen0601]

I just wanted to report that the pellets were fluffy, but not too fluffy. The floor is dirt so I think I needed the 8 bags. I ended up putting them into buckets and adding water. They look great and the floor is so soft. I hope the beastie sleeps well in his new home.

[TrueColours]

kmp - I tried the corncob bedding and hated it. Totally despised it. It broke down to a cement dust consistency and everything was coated in a fine silt when the horse even moved around the stall. If she rolled, the dust cloud went everywhere ...

I also found it had a sour smell that I couldnt stand and the urine spots clumped well enough, but you couldnt effectively pick the entire wet spot up with a fork - you needed a shovel and broom to do so, to get all of the soaked bits up, so it took MORE time for each stall

I just tried some coir as bedding in 2 of my stalls. It was an interesting experiment, I love the bedding itself, the absorption rate was fabulous and it was easy to muck. The cost is a factor but I am now seeing if I can import it direct by the container load to sell