Bedding advice please?

[Kubilee]

It's me again, you can all run and hide again if you like... GO!! lol

I'll try not to go too long winded here this time.

We usually don't have too much rain, so I have a run in, nice enough size and they all do well in it..... until the past week, and the rain has been coming by the truckloads, it seems. It's nothing too special, but has worked like a charm until now. I've been looking at a full on barn, but it's looking like the spring is about the time I'll be able to afford that one.... but I have whatI have now and it's so wet under there. We've put up barriers on the outside but it's so absorbed that it's needing something more than what they have.

I've tried:

straw - they eat it

shavings - they eat it

I know not to use sand..... and have heard good things about pellets. But I want to get them the best thing I can to help absorb some of the water under there. It can't be good for their feet to have so much water under their feet.

I want something they won't eat but will help with some of that moisture under there. It doesn't leak so much as it rushes UNDER them.... we're trying to redirect it, but with not much luck on that either.

 

[Eagle]

I use coco peat in my shelters and I love it. I have rubber mats and then loads of coco peat on top and the water does seem to soak in. The good thing about it is if it does get wet you can dry it and use it again. The horses don't eat it and you can even sell the manure in bags at your gate

http://www.horsebed.org/horsebedding.html

 

[shelterwood]

I have seen success in this case with stone dust, or a stone dust mixed with some gravel, packed down and then with mats over top. My run in is up high, as we built it ourselves, but I still chose to back fill even higher with gravel, then stone dust, then mats. The only time I need shavings is when it is below zero and I want a place my girls can lay down and warm up. Otherwise they often lay right on the mats, rarely urinate or defecate in the shed on the mats, and its stays dry in there. It sounds like if you built up the floor with something that has good drainage, like gravel then packed something like stone dust over it and topped with mats, at least the water would be way under them, and have somewhere to go. We got a ton of stone dust gravel mix delivered for under $300 a couple of years ago, and I get smaller loads about every other year to fill in low places. Seems to work for me. Good luck, wet sheds and stalls are the pits for everyone!!

Katie

 

[targetsmom]

I agree, build it up with something like gravel or stone dust, and put mats over that. We have a run in that was built up like that and we still put bedding in it - my favorite is pellets. Be sure to get the ones for livestock and not for pellet stoves, and they need to be wet to work. They soak up LOTS of water!!

We also put a tarp over the open side that comes down a couple of feet and keeps the rain (or sun) out but does not interfere with traffic.

We also put bedding down OUTSIDE the shelter for them to poop and pee on and it works to some extent. The bedding outside needs to be deeper and more appealing than that inside.

 

[Kubilee]

We built this one ourselves too and it works wonderfully until we get loads of rain like we've been getting. The kick in the head is that we built it on the highest spot on the 1 acre lot we bought specifically for them, so we thought that would work great, but as MY luck always goes, we built it right in the drain line of the water coming from the land behind it, which isn't mine, so I can't just go and redirect HIS flow off. lol

The water comes in under it, it doesn't leak into it, which isn't something we even gave thought to, as it's the highest spot on the lot. The other kick in the head is that the absolute lowest spot in this land is the driest spot on the land, so that's where the barn is going to go... we initially weren't going to go with a barn, but after this, it's a must have when I get past Christmas and all of that expense..... so for Christmas, they'll get a dry footing, I think.

I have been on the phone this morning looking for some of this stuff mentioned and managed to find some of those pellets, for horses, and will run and get some of that to hold them and at least absorb some of it without them eating it. THAT is my main concern, does no good to get them things they are just going to eat. I am looking for this coco-peat but have yet to find it here local to me.... but I am expanding to next towns as well, I will find it.

I really like the idea of the gravel and mats as well... I am also pricing those.

SIDE NOTE:

Let me say how very much I appreciate the help I always get from you all here. You have all helped me so very much and anytime I have an issue, I know exactly where to go to get very kind help.... you haven't one time treated me, or anyone I have seen like an idiot, you are always so very kind to me, and to others. I am not sure if you are aware, but for a community that's passionate about their "subject matter" it's extremely refreshing to know that I can come here and get help without being judged as being an idiot.... which I am in some ways still. I don't even have the words to express how grateful I am to all of you for the help this past year. I have learned so much, all of which benefits my babies....

 

[wingnut]

I've tried everything but the newspaper shavings that some have tried and loved. I haven't been able to find them locally.

The only thing that I've found that works for me is sawdust. I am careful to not get it too fine and look to ensure it doesn't have wood from trees like walnuts (which is toxic to horses, I'm told).

The shavings sift through a muck ruck really nicely, so I'm not replacing bedding constantly as I pick up manure in their stalls.

It's also generally much cheaper to use than anything else I've tried. I can get a truck load for $20 and a whole trailer load (large dump trailer pulled behind our truck) for about $40.

I think for many people, you have to try a little of everything until you find what works for you.

 

[Lori W]

Just a note to be careful when using pellets for bedding. A horse at the stable actually ate the pellets and colicked (I don't think they were properly dampened first, though).

If you decide to use pellets, you might consider just buying one bag (and make sure it's for bedding, not for stoves, as someone else had mentioned), follow the directions for use, and see how they do with it before you buy a bunch. Most likely, they'll be fine and not eat it - but better safe than sorry!

 

[Carolyn R]

Just a note to be careful when using pellets for bedding. A horse at the stable actually ate the pellets and colicked (I don't think they were properly dampened first, though).

If you decide to use pellets, you might consider just buying one bag (and make sure it's for bedding, not for stoves, as someone else had mentioned), follow the directions for use, and see how they do with it before you buy a bunch. Most likely, they'll be fine and not eat it - but better safe than sorry!

I absolutely agree with this! While many owners do just fine with them and many don't even wet them down, if your horses are already muching on shavings, I would advise to not use the pellets in their pelleted form. What I have found works best is to use a knife or blade to put an x over the top of the bag, pull the plastic back and pour about 1.5- galllons of water over them until they fluff up. Many of the brands say nothing more than to lightly dampen down the top layer, very vague...

Do not assume that because the label on certain brands says " don't worry if your animal nibbles a little, they will soon discover they are not tastey" or the fact the bags say "100% safe and all natural compressed pine bedding". Years ago I had a 4.5-5 month old weanling that was in her own stall, maybe it was the stress of being seperated from her mom, maybe it was boredom, long story short she had to be put down from ingesting these pellets and yes I am 100% sure that is what caused the massive impaction. I am not the only person this has happened to, I have had individuals contact me over the years inquiring about this issue. Oddly, the customer service rep. (whose name I will not mention), from this company always plays the same role "really.....I have never heard of this before. this is the first time I have ever had someone tell me this about our product."

As I said, many have no issues at all, I never had a problem using them as saw dust broken down, but if your minis are snacking/rumaging through shavings, I would advise not using them in their pelleted form.

Best thing I have found is small gravel (pea stone) here we call the stuff that has the screening and dust in it composite, it packs down very well, I believe people in Kentucky refer to it as something else. Bedding in one part of the run in on top of this will work fine.

 

[Sandee]

Don't know if it's possible but have you thought of a drainage ditch (small one) around the shelter or at least on the side(s) that the water runs in most.

 

[Hayley~Diaz]

ive heard of people using muzzles...but i think it looks mean. i suggest using matts.

 

[Kubilee]

We have decided to build a floor in it, it'll fix the problem and I won't have to worry about them eating it. I am seriously terrified that a coupe of them will eat it, they are both munch heads and will eat anything they can reach. They get plenty to eat, and you can tell, they get all of that, but they munch like no one's business and I'd just REALLY not like to risk going out one morning and finding one of them in a really bad way.

My husband said he'll build them for me, so that should do the trick. It will get their feet up out of the mud and water under there. And we can put pads or something on top of that... so problem solved. I had seen about the pellets before and someone I seem to remember said they may nibble on them and that is exactly what I am trying to avoid.

We're going out there tomorrow to dig on OUR land to redirect the flow coming from the neighbors land and fix that.. we haven't been able to before because it's been raining for days.

I won't muzzle them either.. I have been told to do that, but in my head, it just seems mean to me too, so that's not happening.... I'd rather spend time and money to make them something that they won't be tempted to eat. lol

 

[Miniv]

Building up a floor isn't a bad idea with rubber mats. I'd also recommend leaving one edge of each stall designed for drainage. Eventually, you're going to want to pressure wash and you'll want the water (and urine) to go out somewhere.

 

[Marty]

The water comes in under it,

Basically you are in deep do-do because of that. You really need to get a ditch witch in there fast and ditch the water and direct it around the best you can. I understand this because I live on a hill myself and its a booger if you don't take care of this now. You can rent a ditch-witch if you look around. They are easy to work and cheap to rent. Also, sandbag it from the inside and out should help some.

Then I would get a load of sand and be very generous. I am talking a really big truckload of sand and build that thing up. Then, get a load of chat. You are near me so you will have plenty of access to it. Its a combination of crushed limestone and sand and crushed gravel. Won't bother their feet one bit and will help a ton. You cannot let them stand in the wet like this or you will have a heep of trouble on your hands so better get to stepping quick on this. Best wishes and good luck to you.

 

[Kubilee]

The water comes in under it,

Basically you are in deep do-do because of that. You really need to get a ditch witch in there fast and ditch the water and direct it around the best you can. I understand this because I live on a hill myself and its a booger if you don't take care of this now. You can rent a ditch-witch if you look around. They are easy to work and cheap to rent. Also, sandbag it from the inside and out should help some.

Then I would get a load of sand and be very generous. I am talking a really big truckload of sand and build that thing up. Then, get a load of chat. You are near me so you will have plenty of access to it. Its a combination of crushed limestone and sand and crushed gravel. Won't bother their feet one bit and will help a ton. You cannot let them stand in the wet like this or you will have a heap of trouble on your hands so better get to stepping quick on this. Best wishes and good luck to you.

This actually makes the perfect sense. It's NOT raining or anything today, it's actually sunny out, so today is the day we take this bull by the horns. I didn't think of the chat, but that's a great idea. My husband keeps saying it is a leak in the top of this shelter, but that's not where the majority of the WET is coming from, it's been flowing underneath it. I made him go out with me a couple of days ago and show him. It has a few little leaks, but the major portion is coming up under them.

It's been so dry here for months and months, so they almost welcomed it for a couple of days, now they are just cranky.... but it got so dry for sometime that their little hooves had started to crack and I'd have to go and wet the pen down to get some moisture on their feet, now I am trying to get the moisture OUT of their feet. I pay as much attention to their feet as I do the rest of them and am very conscious of them. That was one of the first things I learned when Peebie came and her hooves are STILL in bad shape, they were let go and had never been trimmed in the 6 months she was alive before I got her.

We've been out this morning digging it away from them and around the entire pen. It isn't on a hill so much just on a weird level, it's just high enough and that it unloads on them. But like a crazy person, where I decided I wanted their shelter is right smack in the middle of the drain line. I am so smart. lol