What is the trick to cleaning med-large flake shavings?

[AMackechnie]

I’m another one who prefers the large-flaked shavings. They add much more volume per bag then the fine and I use one bag to two of the finer shavings.

I’ve been doing the toss method for so many years it’s become second nature. Toss and toss until no more manure rolls down the bank, then pull the bank away from the wall and you’ll usually find a few more and you can pick those up individually. I then use a rake across the stall back and forth, which may pull up a few more manure balls, and you can catch those with the end of the rake and fling them into the manure skip.

[Alterration]

The smaller fork sizes were definitely the ticket. I also started tossing like one would toss an omelette and that seemed to help. My flinging also seemed to improve. It also helped that Mr Poop Mountain did not cover his piles last night.

I’m not convinced that I got it as clean as I do with the pelleted stalls, just in terms of “poo balls” left behind, but it certainly looks cleaner. I do like how the pee falls through, just like with straw, so the overall top seems a bit drier and more comfortable. I put pellets and pdz on the wet spots and then covered them up with older bedding and the large flake.

The bed is fairly deep, maybe ~4" of fluff. I could probably use some more, but I didn’t want to overcommit until I figured out a system.

I love the lack of dust, not going to lie. The stall definitely seems dry without the dust, even with the layer of old & new pelleted bedding underneath. I might add a late night picking when I do night check to reduce the morning time, but no one had poop stains, they just all had a lot of bedding in their tails which is good news because it means they all slept.

[Angela_Freda]

I definitely like un fluffed pellets if they routinely pee in an area of their stall.
Standing in pee is so bad for their feet. Blech!

[Alterration]

@Angela_Freda

I definitely like un fluffed pellets if they routinely pee in an area of their stall.
Standing in pee is so bad for their feet. Blech!

He will not stand in it which is somewhat hilarious. He knows where he pees and he knows where he poops, and he has designated those spots as the urinal and toilet respectively. Very tidy horse. The pellets and the pdz just keep it from stinking when I dig it out.

The other saddlebred does that as well - has his toilet spot, although he seems to have varying locations for his pee spots.

The quarter horses? Oh no. They just go wherever they feel like it. Then they shuffle it all around the stall so that you’re constantly playing “find the poos”. laughing I love the dears, but man are they messy. That was what was so terrible about them with only the pellets. One day with a fresh stall and they had it all pee-spotted up. Plus I had to use SO much pelleted bedding to get them comfortable and they really didn’t ever lay down much in it.

[candyappy]

@Alterration

Very tidy horse.

Have you tried training him to poop in a certain corner? That way you could leave that area basically un-bedded?

[sascha]

@Alterration

Then they shuffle it all around the stall so that you’re constantly playing “find the poos”.

My WB mare is generally reasonably tidy until she’s in heat. Then she’s like a 6yo kid who’s been given an entire bag of sugary candy, a couple of coca colas, a disco ball, some perfect kiddy dance music, and an entire container of glitter. I swear she lifts her tail and spins.

[glitterless]

I prefer large flake because they seem less dusty than finer shavings. I muck out with a 5-tine metal manure fork rather than a basket bedding fork and find it very quick and easy.

Edited to add that I miscounted - it’s a 6 tine fork.

[Pico_Banana]

I’m with you on not loving the larger shavings and use pellets whenever I can. That said, I have two stalls where I need to use shavings. I use the small ones and the mini future fork. I find it much easier to flip it upside down to scrape off the good stuff and then scoop/sift. I used to fling against the wall, but my one mare usually poops outside so it’s not really worth it to fling two manure piles that are obvious. The other mare poops a lot and it’s not well formed and all in one place. I scrape off the top and then scoop in small portions, sifting a bit. Yes, I waste more shavings than I would like, but her manure is so wet shavings stick to it regardless.

That said, I am pretty slow.

Oh, and I have the shake n fork. I sometimes use it, but generally just use the small fork. If you do get it, definitely upgrade to the carbon fiber handle. I have some of their forks without the motor in the fiberglass handle and find them heavy. Pretty indestructible though.