stall bedding

[Mini Glaciers]

I have used straw for bedding material in my stalls that open to the outside. I now have a barn where the horses will spend the worst of the winter went it's -40 degrees and 4 ft of snow. All the stalls, the ones I'm using now and the new ones in the barn, will have stall mats. My question is - straw or shavings? Which is healthier, safer and easier, especially for the stalls in the barn. I welcome all opinions.

 

[muffntuf]

I think that is trial and error. I use shavings = pine, but when it is that cold - it freezes, so some of it might stick.

 

[eagles ring farm]

We used straw years ago then shavings

we use peletted bedding now with mats

and wish we had switched to pellets years ago

although we are careful with new foals we usually mix

a bunch ahead of time and wet so the pellets break down

before we use with young foals

The only time we use hay not straw for bedding (because we don't buy straw)

is till a new foal is about 1 week old

 

[Horse Feathers]

I have used straw for bedding material in my stalls that open to the outside. I now have a barn where the horses will spend the worst of the winter went it's -40 degrees and 4 ft of snow. All the stalls, the ones I'm using now and the new ones in the barn, will have stall mats. My question is - straw or shavings? Which is healthier, safer and easier, especially for the stalls in the barn. I welcome all opinions.

[SIZE=12pt]I complain when its 40 degrees, I would freeze to death at -40

[/SIZE]

I think straw might be better, if they eat it they should not be hurt.

 

[Minimor]

Straw! At least that's what we use, always have & will continue to use it as long as we can get it. Doesn't matter if it's in the barn our out in the sheds, straw is our favorite bedding.

For us it's still the cheapest bedding available but it is getting harder to find, especially in small square bales. The last two seasons a lot of farmers have just scattered the straw, rather than drop it in swathes & then bale it...and most that does get baled is in big round bales. Our hay supplier puts up thousands and thousands of bales of straw but it's all on contract and goes to the trucking companies and stockyards--if we're lucky he will be able to come up with 300 bales for us again this fall!

I like to buy oat or barley straw, and then if the horses want to eat the choice bits of it they're welcome to do so. They'll pick through wheat straw too but that's less palatable and often not as nice for bedding either.

 

[Marty]

I use shavings.....and there is some downside to using straw....BUTTT! Under your circumstances I would most definately go with very deep straw for bedding. I think it is much better for warmth where they could hunker down real tight. I would be very generous with it and keep it very clean and fluffed up, plenty of warm water and great hay for them to munch on to keep warm. BRRRRR I'm freezing just reading this.

 

[minih]

You could use a combination, when our mares foal we like to put shavings down then put a layer of hay/straw on top. The shavings help with soaking up the extra wetness and does seem to help keep the top layer from getting so wet.

 

[Dorrie & Frank]

We useoody Pet - its one of the pressed pellet shavings - over dirt - especially good for foaling. Soak the pellets until they fluff up - squeeze out excess water and scatter them - as they dry they soak up moisture and hold on to the chemicals while releasing the moisture into the air. They are not slippery for the horses to stand on and from our experience horss do not eat them. for really heavily urinated areas we scattered the pellets themselves.

 

[targetsmom]

I LOVE the pellets (Woody Pet or generic brand) but you must dampen them first or they are like ball bearings. Once they have turned to sawdust, they make stall cleaning a breeze and the horses seem to like them too. They seem to last a really long time. And I do scatter pellets over a cleaned stall to add a nice smell. BUT, that said, in the dead of winter here (not minus 40 thank goodness), I add shavings on top, especially in areas where they tend to not poop. (like the middle of the stall). I do think the shavings make for better insulation, or maybe that is just because they look deeper. Straw is very hard to get here, but I use it for foals.

 

[Leeana]

The only time that I use straw is during foaling season when I bring mares into the barn. I use bagged pine shavings all other times for the rest of the horses, I have tried buying saw dust (not really "dust", just really small flakes) and it does cost a lot less but I like the fresh smell the bagged bedding puts in my barn. Also, finding a space that would stay dry to store the saw dust in bulk was an issue too. We would put tarps over it but it was just more work then it was worth and still got wet. Have also tried the pellets, I liked them as well but with our stalls being matted they would break down very fast and would actually not last as long. Sure are a lot easier to clean out though but i over all prefer the shavings.