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  • Lyn Adams May 10, 2011 at 7:22pm
    We use pine shavings, it's a dirt floor with a gravel base underneath the dirt. I also use a product called Sweet PDZ, stall refresher.
  • Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres May 10, 2011 at 7:07pm
    My barn smells WAY better than my friend with a cement floor. I really think the dirt floor has something to do with that.
  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle May 10, 2011 at 11:12am
    Hay isn't really absorbent. It's better than nothing, but straw is definitely better as bedding.
  • Marin Waddell May 10, 2011 at 10:37am

    If straw is available it's cheaper than hay, but if hay is all you have around then they'll probably nibble on it at first, but once they've peed on it they won't eat it anymore.

    If the roll of hay is accessible to them before you put it down on the ground then yes, they'll climb all over the roll and pull it apart and snack on it. 

  • Jessica Furnish May 10, 2011 at 10:29am
    Ok, do you guys think if I bought a roll of hay that they would try to eat it. Sometimes the rolls have good hay, sometimes it is just ok. But it is a whole lot cheaper to buy. I have the feeling that goat berries and pee will not make the dirt smell good, plus it will be much easier to clean. I just don't want them to eat hay that is not the best for them.
  • Deborah Niemann-Boehle May 10, 2011 at 9:58am
    We use straw. We did use pine shavings until I realized straw would cost 1/5 as much!
  • Marin Waddell May 10, 2011 at 9:43am
    We use straw. Mostly because it's more readily available around here, but also because I hate the smell of pee on sawdust/shavings.
  • Rachel Whetzel at MigMog Acres May 10, 2011 at 9:00am
    It shouldn't end up with a mud floor. Eventually, it will go to dirt, but in my experience, the dirt hasn't turned to mud. I use hay on my floors, but there are folks that use wood shavings or other bedding. It's really a personal choice, and mine was based on  affordability.
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