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Cornerstone wrote:
First of all, the bags themselves, most made in Canada, all state
that they are not to be consumed by human or animal. Since they are
"pellet" in shape I find it hard to believe that a horse wouldn't try to
eat them at some point; epecially a fjord, who as we all know are led by
their stomachs most of the time!
This is why we are buying WoodyPet pellets @ 5.25 per 30# bag and not
HomeDepot wood stove pellets @ $4.00 per 40# bag.
Secondly, I did my own absorbing tests using amounts of pellets in
containers, over time with water in the house to see how they absorb,
they do. They still feel damp to the touch. My feeling was that if a
horse urinated in the stall and the pellets absorbed the urine, you
still have damp urinated bedding in your stall. Sure it would break the
pellet down but I for one want the soiled, damp bedding out of the
stall. Just my opinion.
The wet pellets break down and are then mixed with the remaining bedding,
while not in the habit of running my hands through bedding, I was curious
and checked, yes it was damp immediatly following mucking, however when I
checked later it was dry. Since switching to pellets, I haven't gone out
to find one or both of the boys sporting a huge wet spot from laying in
their urine during the night. Which I attribute to the absorbancy of the
pellets over shavings.
Lastly, when I spill some on the loor at home as I am apt to do
when I pour them from a fourty pound bag, it hurts to step on them. I
just cannot see them being soft and comfortable like shavings or sawdust
is.
Our boys seem to supply their own padding.
We in our 6th week of pellets, the dumpster isn't full yet, I stripped the
stalls on Friday, so cost to date
- 22 bags @5.25 =$115.50, dumpster rental $30.00 total $145.50
Cost over the same period with shavings 16 bags @ $3.00 = $48.00, dumpster
emptied 2x @100 = $200.00 Total = $248.00
