# Chopped rape straw v shavings



## Muddyboots (23 October 2013)

Just about to move to a new yard and need to decide between the two. Horse is currently on straw. Don't think he is a particularly wet/messy horse (difficult to judge when you only muck out one and nothing to compare it to!).

Once at the new yard, I would ideally like to be able to skip out in the week and do a full muck out at the weekend. 

I have no experience of chopped rape straw so no idea what it is like. I'm told it is £6 per bag but don't know how the bag sizes compare to shavings? 

What would you recommend? How does chopped rape straw compare to shavings (or straw??) 

Thanks.


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## pinklilly (23 October 2013)

I had mine on this but got it off a farmer who had his p2pers on it, I also worked for him part time, he'd made it himself so can't comment on price but they were all deep littered and I found it quick and easy to muck out and we just filled a tub trug and sprinkled on top, bed was always clean and dry.


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## Muddyboots (23 October 2013)

That's great! Thanks.


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## Oscar (23 October 2013)

If your deep littering I'd go for shavings as chopped straw just won't be absorbent.  If shavings are cost prohibitive the put a few bags of wood pellets under the straw otherwise it'll be a stinky mess.


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## Muddyboots (24 October 2013)

Ive been looking at other threads and i am favouring shavings at the moment.  does anyone know what it would be like if i mixed the two (just to save a bit of cash!!)???


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## Lgd (24 October 2013)

Don't mix rape straw with shavings - horrendous to muck out, I tried it. 
Rape straw quite hard work to muck out without losing clean bed even with my really clean mare. Not as absorbent as shavings. Didn't semi-deep litter very well either. Made a nice bed though.
I tried the Equinola Bedwell but had to stop using it as I was allergic to it - I'm allergic to rape seed oil pollen but thought I would be OK with the straw - Wrong!

I have shavings on rubber matting. Mats well worth the investment. I semi-deep litter my three clean ones taking the poop out each day and wet comes out once or twice a week. My scruff-bag mare gets a minimal bed to soak up the wee. That way I get through a bag of shavings a week for each one.

I have used the pellets under shavings for the dirty mare and that did work quite well. Unsoaked pellets where she widdles and shavings on top. Didn't work out any cheaper for her, and the rest of the bunch are too clean to make a difference.


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## Muddyboots (24 October 2013)

Lgd said:



			Don't mix rape straw with shavings - horrendous to muck out, I tried it. 
Rape straw quite hard work to muck out without losing clean bed even with my really clean mare. Not as absorbent as shavings. Didn't semi-deep litter very well either. Made a nice bed though.
I tried the Equinola Bedwell but had to stop using it as I was allergic to it - I'm allergic to rape seed oil pollen but thought I would be OK with the straw - Wrong!

I have shavings on rubber matting. Mats well worth the investment. I semi-deep litter my three clean ones taking the poop out each day and wet comes out once or twice a week. My scruff-bag mare gets a minimal bed to soak up the wee. That way I get through a bag of shavings a week for each one.

I have used the pellets under shavings for the dirty mare and that did work quite well. Unsoaked pellets where she widdles and shavings on top. Didn't work out any cheaper for her, and the rest of the bunch are too clean to make a difference.
		
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Thank you! certainly sounds like shavings is going to be best!


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## VioletStripe (24 October 2013)

for deep littering I'd always use shavings


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## Aspire (24 October 2013)

I love the rapestraw bedding. I am actually allergic to shavings which badly affect my breathing in the winter. Despite also being allergic to the rape pollen thge straw is fine for me. I semi deep litter but all mine are on rubber. My muck heap trailer fills slower and my farmer is far happier to empty it as it biodegrades much faster and charges less as a result.


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## Potato! (24 October 2013)

i use chopped straw but its not rape straw. I prefer it to shavings


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## jl359 (24 October 2013)

Shavings every time.

I moved onto straw last year as my horse was going through 3 shavings a week!! 

However the straw just does not absorb as well and it smells. I've now gone back to shavings although we use Bedmax which I've found is more economical.


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## Hurricanelady (24 October 2013)

All my beds are on top of nice thick 34 mm EVA mats, however I still find a decent amount of bedding is required, the last thing you want is liquid and solid waste all over the mats to make the horse filthy and uncomfortable plus my lot just will not lie down on the mats without them being covered with bedding, even though the EVA is warm, thick and comfortable.   I have tried wood pellets (far too dusty), miscanthus pellets (ok but my experiene was definitely not if it wasn't fully turned every day) and chopped straw.  I absolutely hated the chopped straw it was so heavy to muck out, just couldn't get a fork through it plus the greedy ones were eating some brands which was very undesirable.  Back on bedmax now and as much prefer it.


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## Muddyboots (24 October 2013)

Id not really thought of mats aswell. Maybe its time to get some....


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## kirstyhen (24 October 2013)

I have literally tried every bedding! My Mare is horrendously wet and chopped rape straw is the best by far! It's actually much more absorbent than most other beddings, because the chopping exposes the core which is very spongey.
Hemp was the next best thing, but far more expensive. I used to love shavings, for my tidy gelding they were fab, but I was getting through at least two bales a week with my mare, now I use one bale max. I skip out during the week and take the wet out at the weekend, I have got rubber mats, but I wouldn't use anymore bedding than I have down on concrete.


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## alsxx (24 October 2013)

Having used both shavings and chopped rape straw, it would be chopped straw every time! IME it is far more absorbent than shavings, smells nicer and makes up a really nice bed. I deep litter and its great for that. The only downside is you don't keep a lovely white bed, but I've never managed that with any bedding tbh!


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## LCH611 (25 October 2013)

Oscar said:



			If your deep littering I'd go for shavings as chopped straw just won't be absorbent.  If shavings are cost prohibitive the put a few bags of wood pellets under the straw otherwise it'll be a stinky mess.
		
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I find chopped rape straw to be extremely absorbent and one bale seems to go a long way. I use on top of rubber matting and find it is as quick just to scoop the wet patch out each morning/every other day.


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