# Wood pellets v Aquamax



## IsabelleJ (5 March 2009)

Hello everyone!

I have been reading the discussions about wood pellets and have been getting quite excited (how sad am I?!) They sound brilliant, and just what I need for my boy, Sidney, who is very very dirty. At the moment he is on straw - we get through 3 or 4 bales a week (he does like to munch!) and I hate the way that it doesn't trap wee. When he was on shavings I was getting through 4 or 5 bales a WEEK, so we had to stop that as I couldn't afford it.

Wandered up to one of the local suppliers, and they have Aquamax, but no other wood pellet products. Is Aquamax the same as these other wood pellets? From what I've seen, it's a lot more expensive. Corley Biowood seem to be about £4 for 10kg, but then I would have to store it, whereas with Aquamax I could buy as needed. Is one better than the other? What other makes of wood pellets are there, and which would you recommend?

Does anyone know any suppliers of different wood pellets in Hampshire (I am in Botley, between Fareham and Southampton, but could travel a reasonable distance once a month or so.)

I would stay on straw, but am worried that Sidney will get fat with all the spring grass coming through AND his bed to eat!

Thanks in advance for any replies.

Isabelle


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## spaniel (5 March 2009)

A fellow livery put down a full Aquamax bed when she first moved in as it was all that was available (of that type of bedding) at the nearby feed merchants.  I think she paid around £8 a bag for it.

Now she is settled in she has joined a few of us and has switched to pellets which we buy from a company in south Wales.  With delivery each bag is £4.85 and if you pick up (which we did this time) its £4 a bag.

The pellets are basically the same.  They use a carrier rather than deliver themselves so it doesnt matter where you are.


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## dwi (5 March 2009)

You don't need that much space to store pellets. I have 50 bags on pellets on a space about big enough for four bales of shavings. They stack really well.


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## RachelB (5 March 2009)

We use Ecowood pellets at work. The quality is a little variable but then you would almost expect that from such a product (I mean in that with one delivery a bag will take a bucket of water to be fluffy, and the next delivery will need half a bucket per bag to get it nice and fluffy). It causes us hassle on a full livery yard as we want everything to be perfect (no pellets left in bedding!) but for a normal non-pedantic owner... who cares!!!
Aquamax are just the first well-known brand selling to horse owners (I think). They are all wood pellets. Aquamax are more expensive than most other wood pellet brands.


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## IsabelleJ (5 March 2009)

Brilliant, thanks for the information everyone. Looks like we will be switching to wood pellets soon 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Isabelle


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## pennyh (6 March 2009)

corley are as little as £2.34 a bag delivered if you buy 100 10kg bags , to sr=tore they take up about the same amount of space as a dozen average bales of shavings


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## cazzr (6 March 2009)

[ QUOTE ]


Does anyone know any suppliers of different wood pellets in Hampshire (I am in Botley, between Fareham and Southampton, but could travel a reasonable distance once a month or so.)


[/ QUOTE ]

I'm not far from you (New Forest) and used to be over your way. I sent the OH to Aivily in Ringwood to get some woodpellets. I primarily wanted them for our Guinea Pigs really as my mare is ok on straw but I am tempted to put some under her straw bed to aid absorbtion..

Anyway, OH spoke to people at Aivily and they had run out of Aquamax etc but said to get a bag of their wood pellet cat litter which was about 12 quid for 30kgs (so equivalent to 4 quid for 10kg). 
Now I haven't used any other wood pellets so I can't say whether they are the same but it got me thinking and when I was in tescos, i looked at their wood pellet cat litter and it was about 4 quid for 10kgs...

Anyone else tried the cat litter, is it the same as the other types of wood pellets commonly used for horse bedding? Might provide you with another more convenient supplier at a better price than 8 quid for 10kgs....

p.s. assuming you've tried Botley Mills (obvious choice), how about Kitnocks, they might order it in if they don't get it already as it does seem to be the next prefered bedding to shavings..

Caz


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## horseywelsh (6 March 2009)

We have used aquamax for a long time now - FANTASTIC product, would never use shavings again. Now also trying the wood pellets from LWP, at the minute they seem to be working the same but at a fraction of the cost


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## JS65 (6 March 2009)

I use Brites wood pellets, they cost £2.10 per 10kg bag.

   Used to use Aquamax but won't pay over the odds for more or less the same product.


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## cazzr (6 March 2009)

Where can you get Brites from then?


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## JS65 (6 March 2009)

I get mine from the local merchants.

 i asked him to find me an alternative bedding because shavings went up and he found me these.

   I'm on the Cheshire/North Wales border.


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## IsabelleJ (7 March 2009)

Thanks all, I've tried Kitnocks but not Botley Mills, Kitnocks said that they might look into stocking them so that would be ideal really.

I suppose my ideal situation would be if one of the shops near by would order some in, will have to check. I can always order some in and store them if not, just having somewhere to buy close by would be so much easier 
	
	
		
		
	


	





Not sure about the cat litter though, let us know if anyone has tried it!

Isabelle


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## Natallia (10 March 2009)

[ QUOTE ]
Not sure about the cat litter though, let us know if anyone has tried it!

Isabelle 

[/ QUOTE ]

Cat litter is made from wood flour which is very fine powder - I have used it for my cats and it does get terribly dusty.  I am sure it would be bad for my horses lungs - and I don't want them getting COPD.

There are at least two suppliers cheaper than Liverpool Wood Pellets that I have found when I googled.  dhlogcabins.com are £2.40 per bag and another one on ebay is £2.30 per bag - both delivered prices.

http://dhlogcabins.co.uk/uk/products/325/wood-pellets

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Wood-Pellets-Bio-F...A1%7C240%3A1318


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## cazzr (10 March 2009)

Thanks for letting me know, I wasn't sure if they were diff.. 

Thing is, if you don't want to buy in bulk from main supplier we are stuck with buying aquamax/natures best at much dearer prices from feed merchants... 
Might well stick to straw.. tho think i'd be happy putting this cat stuff underneath to help with soaking up the wee..


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## spaniel (10 March 2009)

Can I ask has anyone started using their wood pellets in wood burning stoves yet??


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## Thistle (10 March 2009)

Can you use them in an ordinary wood burner? I thought they were for specialist boilers.


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## spaniel (10 March 2009)

I honestly dont know.  Thats why I was wondering if anyone used them.


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## wellyboot (10 March 2009)

I use them in our wood burning stove as well!

They are great for getting the fire going and giving a quick boost of heat when the fires got a bit cold.

But they need to be used with logs and you can't put too many in at one go or you sufficate the fire!


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## spaniel (10 March 2009)

brilliant,  thank you for that Wellyboot!


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