Comments on "concentrated sawdust" for bedding??

[dazeworkfarm]

Guys- since Mr Willey's is hit and miss and SOuthern States is a bot of a drive and somewhat pricey, does anyone have experience with the "sawdust in a bag" that you add water too and it blows up? The hen yard is really wanting me to switch, but I like good old fashioned bagged, fluffy bedding. I did see some positive reviews and info on it and that it saves money- and since we did not build a sawdust bin here we just store 10 to 15 bags for freshening- the horse are always "out" anyway, but do use the stalls as run in in rainy times. If you guys have used it at all I would love to hear the pros and the cons.....should I switch and just get a few bags from Joe?
T

 

[mingiz]

I have a friend that uses the pellets and loves it. He used to used regular sawdust. He tried it and said in the long run it's cheaper to use, less waste, I use sawdust myself. He got his at the hen yard.

 

[persimmoncf]

I get sawdust from the mill. I have seen the pellets at Elams and find them interesting, but I have not gotten the nerve to invest in a stalls worth.

 

[persimmoncf]

Guys- since Mr Willey's is hit and miss and SOuthern States is a bot of a drive and somewhat pricey, does anyone have experience with the "sawdust in a bag" that you add water too and it blows up? The hen yard is really wanting me to switch, but I like good old fashioned bagged, fluffy bedding. I did see some positive reviews and info on it and that it saves money- and since we did not build a sawdust bin here we just store 10 to 15 bags for freshening- the horse are always "out" anyway, but do use the stalls as run in in rainy times. If you guys have used it at all I would love to hear the pros and the cons.....should I switch and just get a few bags from Joe?
T

T...To my limited knowledge of this stuff you are not to water the product the horse does that naturally.

 

[mingiz]

Persimmoncf which mill do you get yours from? Amish or the farmers market? My friend put 3 bags of the pellets in his stalls to start with and he said that there isn't alot of waste and that 3 bags last a long time. I'm a back yard horse owner with 4 horses so for me it's cheaper to get the sawdust. Just wish they wouldn't cut it so fine....Is yours?

 

[persimmoncf]

Persimmoncf which mill do you get yours from? Amish or the farmers market? My friend put 3 bags of the pellets in his stalls to start with and he said that there isn't alot of waste and that 3 bags last a long time. I'm a back yard horse owner with 4 horses so for me it's cheaper to get the sawdust. Just wish they wouldn't cut it so fine....Is yours?

Yea, dust can be a problem if the sawdust stays on the stall ground for too long. My brother has a dump truck and picks it up for me from the amish 236 mill.
I have alot of horses and stalls but mostly they are out and have runins for shelter. The pellets are they dust free?...do they last a long time on the ground for seldom used stalls I wonder?

 

[mingiz]

My friend only has his horses in at night. It seems to be dust free. He's a penny pincher and believe me if it wasn't worth it he would go back to sawdust. I wanted to try it but I was like you is the expense worth it. K... I know you try it first

 

[persimmoncf]

Lets see a dumptruck full...65.00. Sawdust will do all stalls 3 times. 6 pellet bags or so to startup a stall...6.00 ea or so = 36.00 . 36.00 x 20 stalls=720.00. You can do the experiment and let me know Looks like im broke and old-fashioned

 

[dazeworkfarm]

Okay- I'll be the Giunea Pig and go get some pellets tomorrow- I like the shavings not the true sawdust- you are right, way too fine and respitory issues there- Yeah, I will check his brand, but supposedly you actually put water on them for the intial "blow up"- then I hear it is just maintainence to keep the stalls freshened with a little bit of pellets here and there, depending on how deep you like your bedding- mine stay out unless they duck for cover on their own- which this winter (knock knock) they certainly haven't had to get in from the weather very much!!

 

[spellbound]

I have used Equine Fresh as a supplement to my regular sawdust. I usually put it where they always urinate and it sticks together kind of like kitty litter. I don't water it.
It is very fine once the pellets break up so I wouldn't want to use a lot of it because I think it would get a lot more dusty than regular sawdust.

 

[Four*Leaf*Farm]

I have used Equine Fresh as a supplement to my regular sawdust. I usually put it where they always urinate and it sticks together kind of like kitty litter. I don't water it.
It is very fine once the pellets break up so I wouldn't want to use a lot of it because I think it would get a lot more dusty than regular sawdust.

That's exactly what I do... Makes a big difference. As soon as I install the mats, I'm sure it will be even better.

 

[WildHorses]

I have used Equine Fresh as a supplement to my regular sawdust. I usually put it where they always urinate and it sticks together kind of like kitty litter. I don't water it.
It is very fine once the pellets break up so I wouldn't want to use a lot of it because I think it would get a lot more dusty than regular sawdust.

I've tried the pellets but have always gone back to sawdust because our horses seem to prefer to lie down at night in the sawdust. But I've never thought of combining the two and I have a few boys who could certainly use some urine spot help. Thanks ever so much, don't know why I never thought of that.

 

[shilo]

equine fresh

We have been using the equine fresh for a few years now and we won't switch. You go so much longer between stripping stalls than with sawdust so it is alot more economical. My vet likes it better, he was happy to see me using it. He says it creates less dust. My mare is pickier about laying down so in her stall only I put the fluffy stuff where she lays down over top the equine fresh. The fluffy lasts longer because of the equine fresh below it. The geldings could care less either way. I don't water it down but if I am doing the stalls from scratch I lightly spray it. The equine fresh is more economical than the woody pet because you get more for less money but they both work fine. The Amish have price breaks on it for buying different quantities. The other advantage is the fact you can store it in a small space.

 

[WildHorses]

Put da equine fresh in da pee hole...

Did it, works great! Thanks.

 

[Labs4Me]

Woody Pet

I've been using the Woody Pet now exclusively for my horses for a little over a year. I love it! It really cuts the stall cleaning time in half. I also think you end up saving more money than you do with regular shavings because you don't use nearly as much. I rarely have to strip my stalls now. I had tried the Southern States brand and I hated it! Those pellets were very slippery and dusty. With the Woody Pet you never have to spray it down and it'll fluff up pretty quick. Where are you all getting it though? I'm still relatively new to the area so I've been driving pretty far north to get it.

 

[dazeworkfarm]

Love It! We bought the Equine Fresh from Joe at the Hen yard- looks like beach sand! But wow- once you get used to the intial consistency, what a dream to clean.....just pick up the dropings, and unless a really big/soaked hard wet spot, have been just shaking that back up too! Less waste, and will refresh again tomorrow after 5 days of "picking".....we did have to get it wetter than we would have guessed, but no problem with the hose- and then fluff.....very different form shavings, but all in all, a great deal/time/money saver!!

 

[persimmoncf]

Love It! We bought the Equine Fresh from Joe at the Hen yard- looks like beach sand! But wow- once you get used to the intial consistency, what a dream to clean.....just pick up the dropings, and unless a really big/soaked hard wet spot, have been just shaking that back up too! Less waste, and will refresh again tomorrow after 5 days of "picking".....we did have to get it wetter than we would have guessed, but no problem with the hose- and then fluff.....very different form shavings, but all in all, a great deal/time/money saver!!

Thank you Dazewk for being the guinie pig. Im going to Loveville tomarrow for some Equine Fresh. Now my question...To start-up a stripped 12x10 stall / How much do I buy? and How do I do it?

 

[dazeworkfarm]

Well I have "refreshed" the stalls now twice- just added some pellets to the wet spot and churned it up- otherwise I just pick- No shavings added at all. When we started our first 12x12 we put in 4 bags, watered more than you would think and fluffed around. They REALLY soak up the water initially to blow up. Now I am at the point where I will have to probably add a bag or two and rewater and fluff- it's getting really "dusty".....all in all it's been what, a month? ANd the stalls are still about 3 inches thick in the middle- I don't worry about the edges cuz I just pick up the poop there! Have fun- I bought 8 bags for start- I still have 1 full bag left for freshen if that gives any guideline!

 

[persimmoncf]

I want to find a bedding that is "less dusty" than say sawdust or equine fresh (which you say is dusty). i just came back from Loveville and his bags are 6.30 ea. The Henyard wanted 7.35 ea.
Shavings are less dusty but hay and poop are sooo hard to remove from shavings.
Any more suggestions???
Also, the SMTR March ride fliers have been distributed to Ryceville, Southern Sates (ch.Hall), LL, and the Henyard. So pick-up one on your next trip out and we will see ya'll at the ride March 19th.

 

[WildHorses]

I just stripped the studs 12 X 14 stall...put 3 WP and 2 bagged shavings in it...honesly like the mix better myself..even though I used straight wp for years..

I'm using the mix in my old man with Cushing's stall and it's working great. He's too wet for shavings alone but likes (or at least I think he likes) the fluffiness. The WP adds just enough absorbency to give him the best of both worlds.