I switched to pellet bedding and love it, except for the dust. Wondering if you guys have any tips to reduce dust? Has anyone tried mixing in mag flakes?
Are you wetting it down at all? I’ve found that a little water before it goes into the stall keeps it from getting particularly dusty.
oh, sure I watered it. Which turns it into fluffy bedding, which over time becomes dry dusty sawdust.
I wouldn’t put the mag stuff in there – i find it really yucky and sticky.
A little water daily/as needed is what I have found to be the best.
I’ve noticed the same thing, I love how easy it is to clean with the pellets but they do get dusty. I’ve noticed the areas that aren’t used (along the stall walls and in the corners) the pellets almost turn to powder, so when I clean I pull that to the center so the horses will pee/poop on it and it can then be removed. I also do a ratio of about 3 bags pelleted bedding to 1 bag of swift pick shavings which helps reduce dust.
I’ve found the cheaper pellets are dustier than the more expensive pellets. I don’t like the TSC pellets for this reason. I put the pellets in my stalls as is and the horses break them down.
Take your hose and spray the bedding until it is soaked on top. Misting will not do the trick. If it is particularly dusty and more that a few inches deep, I mix in the wet bedding then spray heavily again. Trust me, it will still absorb urine. Another benefit is it extends the life of the bedding and you use less.
Also, when I add a new bag of pellets I divide the bag into 2 muck buckets and use about 4 1/2 gallons of water to soak. Mix it well with the old bedding - this helps a lot. If you start the stall with the excessively soaked pellets it is too dense and doesn’t work well.
I’ve been doing this for years and it really works. I’ve used shavings which also break down and get dusty, especially the finer shavings that are easier to pick. Watering the dusty shavings doesn’t work at all in my experience.
I agree that the TSC pellets are superior.
I found that the dust is created when the pellets are put into the stall dry. If the horse gets a chance to step on them and crush them before they expand to moisture, they are ground up so fine they are dusty.
I always, always, open a bag and throw a bucket of water in the bag of pellets and allow them to expand. they don’t get ground up and the dust is reduced.
OK, thanks to all for the input. Sounds like watering the stall regularly is what’s needed. I soaked them well when first put in the stall, but have not been watering it since then.
Unfortunately I don’t have water supply right in the barn-- the hydrant is about 50-60ft away. Close enough that with only 4 stalls, it’s not worth a couple grand to run a deep water line, just to avoid carrying a few buckets.
But running (and then draining) hose in sub zero temps to water stalls? Now THAT would be a PITA.
So, might have to re-think the pellets. Or give the mag flakes a try, seems worth it as an experiment.
FWIW, I only water when I put them in, and I don’t soak. A quick spray in the bag, 5-10 minutes to absorb, then dump in the stall. I pile bedding in the middle, and put the fresh stuff on the bottom. In the bitter cold, I don’t add water at all because the bed will freeze (which makes cleaning SO much fun) and it will get a little dusty then, but otherwise it’s good unless horses haven’t been in the barn for a few days.
Maybe you could use the water left over in your buckets to water your bedding?
It’s been a very dry summer, so I have been watering my (already soaked and fluffed) pelleted bedding more often to keep it from being dusty.
Pellets are just dehydrated sawdust, so adding moisture to them will make them expand, but of course it will evaporate as well. I can’t imagine using them without soaking/expanding first, but I know some people do.
I have been spraying them each time I clean stalls - but again - it’s been extremely dry this summer. In wet weather, I sometimes have to add dry pellets to help dry up some of the moisture they have absorbed from the damp air.
Oh just read your last post. A lot of people switch to shavings in the winter because of the complicated nature of watering them in freezing temperatures. Or, adding some quick pick type of shavings in with the bedding to keep it from freezing. I have never used mag flakes; not sure I’d want my horses lying/standing in it.
I found that the Tractor Supply pellets were much dustier than other brands. If your water is a ways from the stalls I would empty the bag of pellets into a wheelbarrow, add water, then wheel them over to the stall. Alternatively, I always have two buckets for my pony, and I’ve found that the amount she doesn’t drink is just enough to wet down the pellets (in a muck bucket). I’m going to change her icky water anyway, so instead of just being tossed it goes into the pellets. Likewise, you could pour some of the water from the stall bucket over the bedding and then mix the wet & dry section.
I’ve also used about 1/3 of a bale of shavings mixed in with bedding when it’s especially dry.
In winter you might have to switch to shavings, but for now, maybe you could just run a lightweight hose from the hydrant to the barn, to make it easy to keep the bedding (after its initial soaking) just barely minisculely damp. It lasts much longer and absorbs better and stays fluffier if it’s given a light spray every few days, too, I have found.
You’ve already been given the suggestion to use water from their water buckets when you change them out. Personally, I would get a hose. I’d rather the fuss of draining it in winter time than lugging the extra water. Can you leave the end of the hose in a stall when you unscrew it from the hydrant, so it drains into a pile of dusty pellets?*
Don’t use the Mag flakes. It would be a waste of $$. You’d need ALOT of it, and you’d be throwing it out with the soiled bedding. You’d be better off investing the $$ into a water line. *The Mag flakes are great for dust control in indoor arenas however.
okfine I will abandon the mag flake idea. LOL I’ll just switch to shavings for the winter.
No problem to dump buckets when temps are 20 & above, but when we get below that, stuff freezes quickly enough that I’d probably just be creating frozen sawdust bricks.
Really not trying to be obstinate here and reject your suggestions out of hand. It’s just that when I use the stalls the most, it’s generally cold enough that working with water is very challenging. As in, I’ve had a hose freeze up while I’m in the middle of using it.
No biggie, not every product works for every setup.
Farm sitter here. Have worked a few barns that use pellets bedding, with different quality pellets and different philosophies on how they’re used. Go in wet or dry, mist or soak, fine or hick layer… They all leave a lot of dust.
Only way to avoid dust in the air is to use them dry on wet spots under a god layer of shavings.
Personally I dislike them very much-- for respiratory reasons.
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Fine shavings will work much better for you in the winter since you are in a very cold winter area.
Frozen pelleted bedding is a pain to deal with.
