The Lowdown on Pine
Pellets
Changing
what you thought you knew about Horse Bedding.
By April Hall
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| Shavings
have long been the most popular material for horse bedding.
However, the industry is beginning to see a movement towards
new materials that make our jobs easier and more cost effective.
When exploring bedding options, take into consideration overall
product cost, storage, bedding installation and mucking time,
as well as disposal and handling of manure.
Pine pellets have been around for quite some time, but it
is not until recently that they have begun to draw some serious
attention. They are made from tightly compressed, recycled
pine sawdust that forms small pellets packing a powerful punch.
The pellets absorb four times their weight in liquid and naturally
neutralize the ammonia odor in urine. Their ability to quickly
and effectively absorb moisture makes pine pellets the perfect
horse bedding: They have numerous health benefits, makes stall
cleaning much easier, and since you use less of the product,
you will be saving money.
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Time
to Stop ‘Mucking’ Around
Depending
on your number of stalls, their size and the personal hygiene
habits of your horse, the amount of time it takes to muck
stalls can vary. It is probably one of the least glamorous
aspects of owning a horse but one of the most important. A
damp, dirty stall can affect the health of your horse, leading
to respiratory complications, hoof thrush and/or infections.
In addition, it attracts flies and can result in serious odor
problems in your barn. To prevent this, you are forced to
shovel out heavy soiled bedding and manure almost every day
when using shavings. Furthermore, most shavings users must
strip their horses’ stalls completely at least once
a week.
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Equine
Pine Pellets are made from kiln dried, recycled pine sawdust.
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Today,
makers of pine pellets, such as Nature’s Earth Product’s
Equine Pine, are drastically changing the way horse-owners think
about this dreaded chore. You will still want to pitch out solid
waste and wet bedding every day; however, with pine pellets,
less of the bedding sticks to the manure. Therefore, there will
be less to scoop and dispose of. You can expect to add one bag
of pellets every 5 to 7 days, and you’ll only need to
strip the stall completely every 3 to 4 months. Most users report
that their stall cleaning time gets cut in half after switching
to pellets.
Waste
Less & Save Green
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Manure
management is a concern for many horse-owners, and it is a
chore that deserves careful attention. If not properly disposed
of, horse waste can lead to serious environmental pollution
problems, horrible odors and flies. A complete manure management
system involves collection, storage and disposal or recycling
of manure. Many areas around the country are having difficulties
with the disposal of horse waste, and many cities are imposing
firm restrictions on manure handling. Stock piles of manure
near water sources are a thing of the past. As environmental
restrictions tighten, horse-owners and stable managers will
need to be looking for more effective and environmentally
friendly ways to manage manure.
Unfortunately, manure management can be difficult and costly.
It is estimated that an 1,000-pound horse generates 50 pounds
of manure per day, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
However, with traditional horse bedding, the waste is multiplied.
Manure makes up only 25 percent of total waste volume; shavings
make up the majority. With the use of pine pellets, the volume
of wood to manure is reduced 60 to 70 percent. The use of
pine pellets greatly reduces the amount of horse waste you
will be removing from your stalls.
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Step
1: Begin by cleaning and stripping stall. Mats are not necessary,
but if used, your stall will require less pelleted bedding.
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Make Manure Work for You
With pine
pellets, not only will you be reducing the amount of waste
produced, you can be turning manure into money. Manure removal
can be quite expensive and composting is often an excellent
alternative. Since pine pellets break down much easier than
shavings, composting is a viable solution for anyone, no matter
how many or how few horses you have. Composting converts manure
and other waste into nutrient-rich, time-release fertilizer
that is great for the land, plants and the disposal of waste.
It is a far better fertilizer than raw manure because, with
manure, nutrients escape quickly and pollute wetlands and
water sources.
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Pine
pellets are making composting easier and more effective. For
one, they decompose at a much faster rate than pine shavings,
since less wood is being shoveled out with the manure, allowing
more of the wood surface area to be exposed to microbial activity.
Secondly, the wood pellets are high in nitrogen, and the carbon:
nitrogen ratio is much closer to the ideal conditions needed
to yield high-quality topsoil. The compost generated from pine
pellet bedding is rich in nutrients, and the overall process
is faster and takes far less work. Before you know it, local
nurseries and gardeners will be standing in line to buy your
nutrient-rich compost. You will be able to pay for the pine
pellets with money left over.
Crunching
the Numbers |
Step
2: Spread pine pellets evenly in stall. A typical 12 x 12 stall
will take 6 to 10 bags initially. (Click image for a close up
view) |
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Initially,
you can expect to pay a bit more for pine pellets. However
over time, pellets dramatically reduce your bedding costs.
A bag of pellets costs a bit more than shavings, but keep
in mind you will only be adding one bag of pellets to your
stall per week. With shavings, most people go through anywhere
from 3 to 5 bags per week.
“We originally switched over to pine pellets because
of the inconsistency in the supply of shavings,” said
Lee Reynolds of Montgomery, Alabama. “I had been using
shavings in horse stalls for over 50 years. Once I found out
how much pine pellets significantly reduced my product and
labor cost, I never went back."
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Health
Benefits
Pine pellets
have significant health benefits. For instance, for horses
that require deep bedding, they are the perfect solution.
Horses often get hot spots with deep straw or shavings, but
users find that when they convert to pine pellets, the sores
immediately go away. Pine pellets fluff up when they get wet,
so you will notice throughout the first week that the pellets
will continue to expand and usually get 3 to 4 times deeper.
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Step
3: Spray water lightly on pellets to expand and fluff.
(Click image for a close up view) |
“Since
we are a podiatry clinic, many of the horses we see spend a
lot of time lying down,” said Elisa Estes of the Equine
Podiatry Clinic in Lexington Kentucky, where they have been
using pine pellets for over a year. “The pine pellets
keep the horses from getting sores. We recommend pine pellets
to all of our customers.”
To protect against respiratory problems, any stall bedding used
should be free of mold or bacteria. Straw is easily susceptible
to molding, and this can lead to serious health issues. Pine
pellets, on the other hand, are 100 percent kiln dried; they
are not only mold and bacteria free but they don’t contain
any unhealthy hydrocarbons like many unprocessed shavings.
“We have really noticed a difference in the dust levels
with pelleted pine,” said Estes. “Since many of
the horses in the clinic are lying down, they are really close
to the bedding. This leads to allergies and breathing problems
if the bedding is too dusty.” |
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Getting
Started
Making
the switch to pine pellets is fairly easy. First you will
want to thoroughly clean your stall down to the floor. Next,
spread approximately 5 to 8, 40-pound bags out in the stall;
the pellets should be roughly 1 inch deep. Not many pellets
are needed because of their highly absorbent capabilities.
Lastly, moisten the pellets with about 2 to 3 gallons of water
in order to fluff them up a bit and soften the texture. The
amount of water needed will vary on the time of year and humidity
in your area. Once again, you will notice throughout the first
week that the pellets will continue to expand. If at any time
the product begins to get at all dusty, it is crying for water;
it should be kept just slightly moist. You will need to remove
any wet spots and add one bag of pellets every 5 to 7 days.
By following this simple plan, you can quickly be reaping
the benefits of switching to pine pellets.
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Step
4: A stall newly bedded with Equine Pine Pellets. To maintain
the stall, remove solids daily and pick wet spots as they become
apparent. Add new pine pellets as necessary (approximately 1
bag per week).
(Click image for a close up view) |
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April
Hall just relocated to West Palm Beach, Florida from
her small hometown of Romeo, Michigan. She has a degree
in Public Relations, and a passion for writing and informing
others about living green and being environmentally
responsible. Services available at aprillhg@gmail.com
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