[Lesley Silvester]

I know some people are having problems accessing hay this year but I find that straw in small bales is almost non-existent.  My farmer friend who supplies me with hay and straw didn't make much straw last summer due to a poor harvest, and only has huge bales left.  He has offered to split a bale and lend me some food sacks to keep it in and it looks like I will have to accept but we keep the straw quite a distance from the goat shed so moving it will be a problem.  A small bale is easy enough to shift - OH can carry it or we have a sack truck - but a huge bag which will then have to be taken back is another matter. 

[plumseverywhere]

When Reggie had mange last month, I wasn't sure if it came in off the straw or the fox (or somewhere else!) but  a friend who breeds toggs, recommended Easibed, a dust free equestrian bedding. Not sure if anyone else here has used it? might be a good alternative for you MGWoM?

[Anke]

Or try Hemcore, it needs less mucking out than straw as more absorbent. Also apparently doesn't form heavy huge mats as straw tends to do making it really hard work to lift it with the fork. But quitre dear I think...
 
I am stilll on straw as at the moment I "pay" a couple of jars of honey per large bale and we can bring it home easily with the trailer and (wo)manhandle it into the shed. Then just peel off what we need..

[ZaktheLad]

I have used Easibed with my horse but found it gave him sore patches on his hocks when he led down.  I now use Bedmax which is superb stuff and cheaper than Easibed.  I do still use it for my hens though.  I recently noticed an advertisement in my local Countrywide store advising it is also very beneficial to use at lambing time in the pens, so should also be fine for use with goats.

[Lesley Silvester]

I'll look into these, thanks.  I wish we could have a large bale but one would never fit into my trailer.

[ballingall]

I tried to get Hemcore earlier this year, and I was informed they were out of supply    The other brands that were in stock were very fine, little bits, more like woodshavings, and I didn't like that as much.


Beth

[sokel]

we use the large round ones and 2 of us can roll them into the horsebox for storage, we then just pullt it off into a dumpy bag to take into the goat shed.
The farm we get our whole oats from has loads of small bales at £2 a bale

[lachlanandmarcus]

I tried to get Hemcore earlier this year, and I was informed they were out of supply    The other brands that were in stock were very fine, little bits, more like woodshavings, and I didn't like that as much.


Beth

Ive just used the last bale of Hemcore in our area so its def in short supply. Aubiose is the other make of hemp bedding (which is fantastic tho expensive per bale), that is imported from France so not sure if it might be available still.
I get oat straw from a farmer who rebales the large rounds into small bales for me. Altho the quality isnt brilliant this year, but at £2  a bale even if some of it goes straight to the compost heap its still cheaper - I use aubiose underneath to soak up any wee and the straw on top.

[ScotsGirl]

ZakTheLad how many bales of Bedmax does it take to cover same area of straw? Does it work out as cheap or near enough as using staw and does it rot down well for muck heap?


I have to barrow my muck about 200yds which makes cleaning out a marathon job plus a huge pile of straw.

[ZaktheLad]

For a 12x14 stable and circa 8 inches in depth (More around the banked stable sides) I initially used 4-5 bales.  I top up with one new bale a week.   It's priced at £8 per bale at Countrywide Farmers.  It probably works out more expensive for me with the horse, due to the fact that I could buy small bale hay at £1.50 per bale from my neighbouring farmer, but also the fact hat I do like the horse to have a deep, comfortable bed.  I am also unable to use straw with him as he would eat it all and he does have a slight allergy to dust.   I find cleaning the stable using Bedmax is so easy - it is much better than standard shavings as the wet doesn't spread so far and keeps the bed much cleaner and drier.  I would definitely not use anything else now and I have tried lots and lots of different beeding materials over the years.     If you are thinking of Bedmax for sheep bedding or for your goats, you would be able to use a lot less quantities than for a horse and would just need to pick up the droppings daily and then the wet sections at weekends.  A bale or two would last you quite a while for this usage.   It rots down very well too but when in use does not turn to dust as some shavings seem to do - stays in lovely large comfy flakes that smell of pine!  It's also very light to manoeuvre around - even when very wet!

[SallyintNorth]

The farm we get our whole oats from has loads of small bales at £2 a bale

Is it any good?  Would the crop have been sprayed at all, would you think?

We have just a little of some exceptional small bale straw left but would always buy some more, provided it's good stuff and, most importantly, wouldn't have been sprayed (since everyone loves eating a straw bed )

[sokel]

Well they use it for their animals including the horse. They are only at Haydon Bridge aswell.
They also have small bales of hay at £3.50 a bale

[Lesley Silvester]

Too far away for me.

[sabrina]

I was lucky to get 25 round bales of hay on Saturday. I use the round bales of straw, about 22 over the winter. its not been so good but does the job. We have rubber mats in the stables so do not need so much and David takes my muck heap away every year. apart from shaving I have not tried other types of bedding.

[wytsend]

I use sawdust only these days.................get from a local factory that makes bee equipment.
It is green sawdust not dried so is far less dusty....................even use for the horses !!!
The goats love it...................keep it deep and hardly any mucking out.
It is also cheap.............roughly £3 a bag for one weighing over 25kg.