Strawmax on trial...

STRAWMAX straw pellets, produced by equine bedding experts, BEDMAX, are made from straw. In the manufacturing process, the straw is chopped, milled and dust extracted, before being turned into pellets. This is done under pressure and at a high temperature to eliminate bacteria and spores. In this way, the main issue of the dust associated with a regular straw bed is eradicated. Another big advantage for owners is that once the initial bed has been laid (usually between six and eight 15kg bags), the very high absorbency of the pellets means only one or two bags are needed every week as top up, as wet areas in the bed tend to be confined and therefore easy to remove. This not only makes straw pellets an economical choice for owners, but the reduced storage space needed makes them practical for owners and retailers alike.

Other positive selling points for Strawmax straw pellets include the facts that they are:highly absorbent, sustainable, generally using locally sourced straw and low-energy production method, They produce a smaller muck heap that composts very quickly.

Furthermore, because of the type of bed produced, horses are disinclined to eat straw pellets, in contrast to straw, which is highly palatable to many horses.

Straw pellets give owners everything they want in a bedding and when properly used, they create a healthy, hygienic bed with very little breathable dust and plenty of depth and volume for comfort and support.

CHN were delighted to be given the opportunity to test the Strawmax pellets.

We read of several methods for making up the bed, and opted for the ‘wheelbarrow’ method.

We emptied a bag into the wheelbarrow, added water, then waited for the pellets to expand which was a quick process. Once the pellets had expanded and looked nice and fluffy, we simply wheeled it into the stable and tipped it up - the process could not have been simpler.

I like a nice thick layer of bedding and also banks, so we used 12 bags for the initial bed in our 12 x 12 stable.

With plenty of extra bedding around the sides, I pulled this forward as the days went on, meaning it was four days before I needed to add an extra bag of Strawmax. The wet urine patches were easily removed and the droppings easily picked up, and are now helping our roses grow!

How to lay and maintain a STRAWMAX

Straw Pellett Bed

There are two methods for starting a straw pellet bed.

One is to lay the bags of bedding out in the stable and split them open, the other is to empty each bag directly onto the clean stable floor.

In both cases, the pellets should be watered generously using a hosepipe and then left for an hour to absorb the water. When the hour is up, any full bags should then be tipped onto the floor and, for both methods, the pellets fluffed up and spread out.

Enter ‘CHN Cybil’; she looked at her new bedding with some intrigue. She had a good sniff around, nuzzled the bedding, then sank down and had a rigorous roll - she absolutely loved it. By the time she was back on her feet, the bed wasn’t looking so pretty! It was a very quick job to tidy it up, a good insight into how easy the bed was going to be to maintain.

For maintaining the bed, wet areas and droppings should be removed daily using a close-tined fork

We were extremely impressed with the Strawmax bedding. The bags were a nice size making them easy to transport and store. The used bedding took up very little space on the muck heap and was great to recycle in the garden.The initial set up of the bed and maintenance of it thereafter was very efficient, and I have no doubt that a great deal of time was saved by using this bedding. CHN Cybil and her happy owners very much recommemd the use of Strawmax bedding.

For further information about Strawmax bedding, please visit: www.bedmaxshavings.com/strawmax/ and the bed replenished as needed. As this is similar to a deep-litter system, it’s advisable to remove all the bedding and sanitise the stable from time to time.