The Bedding Issue
I use pine shavings as bedding in the stalls. Old hay, if the Boys don't eat all of it, can also serve. Some of the bales of hay I get are not as appetizing as others, so at times, it ends up as bedding instead. But the shavings are the prime bedding.
There are several different suppliers, apparently, and I've found that the bedding from where I now buy my feed, though more expensive per bag--plastic bales, actually--is finer texture and offers more coverage than the bedding sold by the tack store--both in the same town, actually.
When I pulled into the feed store this morning, I noticed that the usual bags of bedding were not there, but there was another brand. I purchased my feed, and some bags of bedding. I looks like that wasn't the best decision for the day. The shavings were of the larger texture--not as absorbant, and the bags themselves were smaller. I would have made out better by going to the tack store, I think. Apparently the shipment of bedding was due at the feed store some time this afternoon.
I'll go back later in the week to see if I can get some of the finer stuff as I'd rather have that on hand. This stuff is OK, but I don't like it as much.
I used to supplement my bedding by taking the shavings from the carpentry shop at school. At one time I would average three good sized bags or more a week. But then the new teacher modified the collection system in the back room and instead of separating the very dusty sawdust from the planing machine's shavings, everything got mixed together and the stuff I got was far too dusty to be used as bedding for the Boys.
There are, I think, still some places where you can bag your own bedding at a lower price. Some stables buy the bedding loose in in bulk, which is also cheaper. Because my Boys do not get locked in their stalls every night, I usually don't need a lot of bedding, but this winter has been a little harder.
I'm a bit frustrated about my purchase today, but, as they say, "It is what it is." The important thing is that the Boys will be comfortable.
And in the end, that's all that really matters.
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Bedding's always a hassle. We now use pelleted wood bedding, and have found it easier to clean and easier to dispose of - ours goes to the next door organic farm and they prefer more manure/less bedding so it works out for them. I believe if it's used properly, it is also less dusty than many other forms of bedding. Cost wise, if we use a proper amount, it's about a wash with shavings. We also have limited storage space, so it was a plus for that, too.
ReplyDeleteAll that said, I've used shavings as well, for years, and it works pretty well too. When we were traveling to and from Colorado, our horses had the chance to stay at a place that used straw - they absolutely loved it although the stalls were hellish to clean.