Hi all. So I just stripped out 2 12 x 16’ stalls (dirt floors, not clay). Someday, we will dig them out and add bluestone or something to improve drainage- but for now its dirt. I added 8 bags of Tractor supply wood pellet bedding to each stall. I added some water (sprinkled on top) which broke it down a little bit- though not completely. These horses are only locked into their stalls which open into 12 x 24’ paddocks at night. During the day they have that plus a decent sized turn out area. So I usually pick the poops out of the stalls 2x per day. I think I need to be more diligent about the pee spots. I’ll try to stir them up/mix in dry bedding daily and shovel out any saturated spots at least once per week. Does this sound like a plan to keep stalls nice? Will also probably add a bag or 2 of new pellet per week. How often do ya’ll end up replacing all of the bedding? Thanks in advance for any wisdom on the topic.
My understanding is you need to take the pee spots out daily, as well. Pee and poop, both out, every day. The advantage of the pellets is that the pee spots tend to stay more contained, so you’re not getting as much soiled bedding as with shavings, and of course the bedding just sifts off the poop so you’re not throwing away bedding that got stuck in with the poop.
I kept the bedding just barely damp throughout, with water, to prevent the bedding from disintegrating and to minimize dust. I added about a bag a week to a 10 by 10 stall with good-sized attached paddock (maybe 30 by 40); door was always open for horse to come in and out.
I take out the saturated bedding (dark, fully expanded/looks like wet sawdust) on a daily basis. There is usually a 1" ring of wet stuff after I scoop out the middle, which I then mix into the rest of the dry bedding.
I can’t really imagine it staying nice by only pulling out the soaked stuff once a week, honestly.
I have 11x11 stalls, and add a bag a week when they are inside every night. If they’re just coming in here and there during the nice periods, I regularly go over a month without adding a bag.
OK, I’ll up the pee patrol.
Yes, you must remove the pee. I think of pelleted bedded stalls like cat boxes: the poop gets picked (shake, shake, shake!) and the pee spots must be removed. The pee seems to clump together, especially in broken down bedding (sawdust like).
I pour in a bag in a pile, spray well with the hose while filling buckets, and then spread around. Like you, I start a bare stall with 5-6 bags, fluffed with the hose. I add about 1 bag every 5-6 days. My boys are in every night, for about 12 hours. I also sweep the bedding away from all 4 walls (I have a sliding door inside, Dutch doors opposite that open to the paddock/overhang) so they have a “bed” that is 11x11 and 5" deep.
I found they best thing to do with the pellet bedding is leave some in pellet form where they usually pee.
^ Yeppers! I found with matted stalls it breaks down to a flour type consistency but too heavy to “puff” like flour when it’s completely broken down, so I like to keep some non soaked pellets in there too for the pee spots. I love the stuff myself.
I think starting with a deep bed and being willing to add 2 bags a week you should not have any trouble at all keeping the stall nice. I am a lot stingier than that- both for the base and the amount I’m willing to add per week and I am pretty happy with this bedding method. My horses are also just stalled overnight. My favorite stall by far is the 12x12 one with my little pony Spirit …he has his own personal plastic pony pitchfork and I always feel like I’m having a barn chore version of a doll’s tea party when I go in there and start fussing with all the miniature stuff- I haven’t stripped it in months.
I remove the pee spot a daily, but I also think on a stall that size you need more bags of pellets. My stalls are 12 x 12 with mats and the minimum I would use is 8 bags.
The only way I strip the stall is if I don’t put enough bedding back in and everything gets gross. The nice part of pelleted bedding is you can only remove the wet spots and leave the dry behind.
As a recent convert to the Wet Pellets First school, I’ve worked out my own version:
I dump a 2gal bucket of water into a bag of pellets (after cutting an X in the middle) but only to one side. After sitting for ~10min this leaves a portion of the pellets unmoistened/unfluffed.
When I dump the bag I start with the fluffed end & try to keep the dry pellets for the favored pee spot.
For my 12X12 stalls - stonedust flooring, no mats - I start a stripped stall with 3-4 bags and then add a bag every week or so as needed.
My horses are seldom stalled - they have free access from pasture & come in to get fed and sometimes to spend a few hours napping or hang out in bad weather.
My WB doesn’t lie down often, he’s a big guy (17h+) and will lie down outside, but the 12h pony goes down flat out at least once a day - as evidenced by the coating of pellet dust on whichever side he laid on.
I strip stalls only in warm weather, and then maybe once or twice a season.
So I’m using a variant of the Deep Litter method & it’s working well for me.
No urine odor in my barn, so hock sores or scalds & accrued bedding is around 5-6" deep in the middle of the stalls.
I also sweep bedding away from the doors to the aisle and doors at the back that lead to pasture as well as from the area I have their ground pans & hay.
I never strip the stalls. I take out wet spots. I do not wet down new pellets, I just mix the bag in . I add 1-2 bags a week. There is a point where the stall looks like it needs to be freshened. If I add the bag then, it will continue to be nice. If I forget, it is harder to reclaim the stall.
Everyone has their own way with the pellets - read any pellet thread and you’ll see what I mean.
I use the TS pellets. 3-4 bags to start a stall 12x12, but I add 5 gallons to each new bag so I get a large volume per bag. I’ve written other posts with the details of my method. I add a bag a week, mine are in at night. I pick out the pee clumps. I LOVE the pellets.
We rarely have to strip. We take out pee and poo as often as possible and sift older bedding into areas as they get bare. So old bedding goes in the toilet area, leaving bare areas.
I cut open a bag as described above by cutting an X and pouring in a bucket of water. After it poofs up I spread that around the newly bare areas.
In another thread last week someone also mentioned a good tip for those of us who soak the pellets: If you know it is going to get cold enough to freeze, soak a few extra bags and pile the fluffy stuff up the sides of the stall. That way if it’s freezing outside you can just rake the “waiting pellets” down onto the floor.
12 x 12 stalls. Started out with 6 bags per stall. Clean out the wet spot and the poop daily and add about one bag per week. Only time I had to strip down was when DH decided to be helpful and “cleaned” stalls for a week. I do not wet the pellets down because I’m the PNW and the humidity is plentiful this time of year. They break down very nicely on their own. Will probably wet down some in Summer.
Thanks all. Well it’s day 2 and everything is looking good. It ought to, it’s only day 2. I am going to be super diligent about the pee spots- it’s mostly the gelding. I’m stocking up on the TSC stuff because it is $5 per bag until Feb 22. The stalls look so nice and smell good too!
