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T O P I C R E V I E W
ali bali
Posted - 18 Jul 2011 : 2:21:01 PM Hi, I know this topic has been covered recently but Im trying to figure out if these would be economical for me to buy. I currently get a great deal on Bedmax so not sure it would be cheaper for me to change... I currently use one bale of Bedmax every other day, can anyone with experience of using both shavings and pellets suggest how many bags of pellets I would need to use, ie does two bags of pellets equal about one bale Bedmax or is it closer to one for one? Thanks Alison
ETA - I would be using 15kg bags not 10kg bags....
5 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Zan
Posted - 18 Jul 2011 : 6:56:00 PM Yes --I did wonder if I had done the right thing to start with. My mistake was making the beds too big and deep to start with I think---it went dusty because it was a hot dry spell, and there was so much of it that I didn't need to add any for quite a while--hence it was getting drier and dustier. Once I got a system going where I add a new bag per bed every two to three days it stays a nice texture, and hasn't turned to dust again. We had -20 some nights last year and the beds did freeze then. There was still a bit of give in them for the horses, but they were quite difficult to work with. Just when I was thinking of getting some shavings to put on top the temp rose and they were okay again. I keep hoping we won't get another winter like that for a while!!
ali bali
Posted - 18 Jul 2011 : 5:35:45 PM Thanks very much everyone, that has just made my mind up, I'll get a pallet and give it a go! Zan I happened across your old post from when you were changing over to pellets, so I am prepared they might take a little getting used to. What depth of bed works best for a bed that gets a fair amount of walking? My 3 just wander in and out of the barn and have a 24 foot long 'bed'to share so they tramp about a fair bit...
My only other concern is that as we have temperatures of minus 15 or below every winter for the last 4 years the whole bed might freeze solid! Anyone had this problem?
Has anyone actually tried to burn these things? We have a stove and are thinking we might give it a try instead of logs....
kathleen
Posted - 18 Jul 2011 : 4:55:32 PM I wonder if a Chimney sweeping hubby can get them trade? i am realy going to have a look in too this more i am sitting here with a load of straw logs as a free sample to show our customers how well it burns
Zan
Posted - 18 Jul 2011 : 4:26:27 PM I used Bedmax for years before changing to Stovies. I reckon it costs me about half as much with the Stovies. Also much less waste---I always had dry Bedmax blowing off the muck heap making a mess but because it is only wet bedding and droppings that go on the muck heap with Stovies nothing blows off it, and it is a much smaller muck heap.Also rots down faster--Bedmax took forever. Like Callisto, I would never change back to Bedmax or any other shavings.
ETA--- one 15kg bag of Stovies, when dampened to fluff up, probably doesn't look as bulky as a bale of Bedmax, but because it is a more efficient bedding--- i.e. very absorbent, and there is no waste because dry bedding is not contaminated by wet, and you don't land up throwing out dry bedding stuck to the droppings because you can lift the droppings on their own---it lasts better, so I would think you would get at least one to one, possibly use less wood pellets.
Callisto
Posted - 18 Jul 2011 : 2:49:29 PM I used 10 kg bags of pellets last year, about 6 inches deep in 3/4 of the stable on rubber mats. Took about 10 bags to start it off, then 1 to 2 bags per week, mucking out droppings and wet patch every day, horse out all day, in all night. Must admit my girl is pretty clean - doesn't mash the bed etc. One bag of pellets made a wheelbarrow load of bedding when moistened, I would say it was two 10 kg bags of pellets to just over one bale of shavings
It worked out much cheaper than the shavings that I had used before, you throw a lot less away, quicker to muck out and easier on the back, I would never go back to shavings.
