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Post by blueskyes on Nov 14, 2014 6:27:43 GMT
We're seriously thinking of ditching straw this year as daughters' allergic to it. Now in the throws of researching and trying out the alternatives, but what a headache so many different types! Have tried the snowflake shaving which is lovely but rather expensive. Currently trying Equinola, however made one daughter sneeze constantly (could be getting a cold I guess). Does anyone use Premierbed products, I see you can get card, teabags and eggbox??!!! We are in North Yorks any suggestions please would be great. What you use and where you get it. Thanks
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Post by jacksprat on Nov 14, 2014 7:00:06 GMT
we use shavings and mats with 2 of ours and a full shavings bed with the third, she is a heavyweight cob. i have also used the cardboard bedding in the past and really liked it, no dust at all but a bit strange to get used to at first, not sure of the brand we used, however, it was made in west yorkshire and was really cheap
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Post by Ashenvalestud on Nov 14, 2014 10:32:27 GMT
I am interested in this as well as we seem to have a lack of local suppliers with good quality straw. Having so many to muck out through winter I am looking for something economical but easy to muck out.
I am tempted to try the Verdo bedding, however I do have a box walker and I fear that will create such a mess.
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Post by brindlerainbow on Nov 14, 2014 13:28:51 GMT
Verdo is the quickest, easiest bedding i've ever mucked out and it's cheap ( around £4.75 a bag in Devon ) but it doesnt look all that nice, not particularly warm looking like straw/chopped straw. As it's very fine it's not brilliant if you're wanting to keep plaits/tails clean for shows as it gets in everywhere!!! I've tried chopped straw with citronella but mine just thought all their birthdays had come at once and that I was bedding them on chaff
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Post by judyh on Nov 14, 2014 15:24:57 GMT
Green Mile do shredded cardboard that makes an excellent bed. The one made in West Yorkshire is in squares and makes a flat bed . Cardboard is very absorbent and virtually dust free, I mix it with confetti shredded paper and love it.
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Post by blueskyes on Nov 14, 2014 16:34:02 GMT
Thankyou for replies and yours did make me chuckle brindlerainbow I am pretty tempted to try the shredded cardboard, can get a new customer offer of £4 a bale. We need the bedding for 3 and one of those is just a dirty little devil in the stable so hope it stands up!!! I had intended to go to Thirsk and buy the Equinola direct as really impressed with the stuff. However, daughter still sneezing everytime she goes near it...!!!! Apparently they sell like a 'seconds' range of it for £5 a bale. I paid nearly £7 for it from a local feed merchants.
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Post by rumble on Nov 14, 2014 18:08:01 GMT
How about the pellets which you soak? Work well as a sprinkle on Matts or deep soft beds!
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Post by indie on Nov 15, 2014 14:08:06 GMT
I use elite dream shavings but if I'm honest they are a bit of a pain - the shavings are too big for my fork so i can't just shake them out when I get clean ones mixed in with the poo on my fork.
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smalley
Full Member
Horses lend us the wings we lack
Posts: 419
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Post by smalley on Nov 15, 2014 15:07:29 GMT
We use Equinola and I think I have allergies to it too, it always makes me sneeze! Have to agree it makes a nice cosy bed and is easy to muck out but my horse makes it stink! Chopped cardboard again is good but I wouldn't recommend it for box walkers because it all gets mucky and you end up using a lot. We won a pallet load of verdo recently and are really impressed by it, it stays smelling nice even if you deep litter and it stays dry on top. We will probably end up using Verdo for all of them when we finish up all the other sorts we've got!
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Post by blueskyes on Nov 15, 2014 17:42:29 GMT
You were a lucky girl smalley I too like the look of the pellets but to make them economical I think we'd have to buy a tonne!! Haven't got the storage for such a huge quantity at the moment. I have however in spite of daughter's allergy been down to Thirsk and bought more Equinola. I mucked out the one who is the guinea pig at moment for the trials and I thought it was fab!! Not sure yet what to do about the dirt monsters bed though!! I am also going to try the cardboard see how we get on.
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Post by rumble on Nov 15, 2014 18:06:19 GMT
Tip on the pellets is purchase them as fuel and not bedding! Fuel is 5% vat and bedding 20%
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Post by Toaster on Nov 15, 2014 18:34:14 GMT
We supply bedding where i work so I have gone through the lot of them at some point I think!
I love Aubiose and also Plospan shavings and have mixed those to great effect but its a pricey bed even for me getting it cheaper
The best bed I've found which is also a great budget option is a chip and shavings mix, commonly sold as Safemix and 'Best of Both' the chip in it creates a stable firm bed which stays put quite well and is easy to muck out, looks clean and banks up well
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Post by lottiemayday on Nov 15, 2014 22:03:42 GMT
We cant use straw either joys of piggy ponies....tryed wood pellets and loved them too muck out very cheap however I love a big bed and it looked horrible and my rugs stank!!! I now use laysoft mixed with shaving and love it...my daughters pony has a party in her stable everynight and this doesnt seem to move that much but definitely better as a full bed with a proper muck out once or twice a week and skipped out twice a day...now down to half a bag of each every 10ish days xx
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Post by sjw87 on Nov 16, 2014 8:25:49 GMT
It depends on how they are messy - if they are really wet, something as absorbant as possible like aubiose is best as although expensive, you take less out. If on the other hand they just mash wet, poo and clean bedding in together, something cheap that you wont feel like crying at putting it on the muck heap! As others have said, safemix, or mixing laysoft/easibed in adds to the stability of the bed so may help.
Just as an aside, we don't have equinola round here so I googled it. Looking at it, it may not be the actual rape seed straw your daughter is allergic to - I can't use bliss as the treatment they put on it makes me cough yet nedz bed pro doesn't give me any problems. If you like the equinola, it may be worth trying some nedz pro or bliss (if you can get it at a comparative price in your area) to see if it's the straw or coating that is causing the problem.
Sent from my GT-I9195 using proboards
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