That is truly a matter of personal preferences; both products have their own characteristics and unique qualities.

Shavings: Shavings sold in North America are not a manufactured product, but a by-product of the production of lumber. Even screened shavings maintain a certain amount of residual dust. We take great care to control the dust level in our shavings at any time and particularly during the blending and bagging process.

Pellets: Pellets are a manufactured product and we have developed a quite unique process that reduces the dust level to a minimum. Comparison with other leading brands has proven that our pellets are virtually dust free.

Shavings: We sell different grades of shavings based on their end use. A larger flake might look better, but will absorb less liquid than a finer grade of shavings. An equine surgeon will insist on the biggest flake obtainable in an effort to control the amount of dust that could affect the animal with open wounds. The same product however would prove unsatisfactory to a dairy farmer using a barn equipped with a "flush system" as it would likely clog the drains. A mink loves to chew on his bedding and requires a very soft and particular grade of shavings that will go through his digestive system without harming it.

Pellets: The pellets are bedding in a highly compressed form to facilitate storage and transport. We strongly recommend to wet the pellets before allowing the horse or animal on the bedding. On contact with a little water, the bedding will instantly fluff to its original form and provide a soft, highly absorbent bedding. Unprepared pellets don't provide a stable footing for the animal.

Shavings: We believe in good husbandry. The stall should be mucked daily and wet spots removed as soon as possible. Every horse owner has his/her preferences and the number of bags used to prepare a 12' by 12' stall will greatly vary from one user to the other.

Pellets: It is a matter of good common sense, use it in the same manner you use shavings, remove the manure and wet spots daily, do not mix the wet spots with the dry bedding (as some of our competitors recommend). There is no need to strip the stall as often as you would if shavings were used for bedding. 5 to 6 bags will be enough to start a stall of 12' x 12', 1 to 2 bags per week will be needed to maintain the proper volume in the stall for a horse in at night and out during daytime.

Shavings: None, the product is perfectly safe if you ensure that you use only dry, pure softwood shavings. Many hardwoods are toxic and should NEVER be used for bedding.

Pellets: Other than a matter of comfort, it is important to fluff the bedding before use because some horses might think of the pellets as some form of food pellets and eat the bedding despite the fact that the pellets taste like wood. We use only pure softwood in the manufacturing of our bedding pellets.

Both our shavings and pellets can be kept and stored outside. Our shavings are packed in sealed, U.V. resistant bags, the top of the skid is covered with a cap, and the skid is double wrapped very tightly. Our bags of pellets are covered with a heavy gauge shroud and then wrapped.

Absolutely, thanks to their superior capacity for absorption, pellets can constitute an ideal "liner", shavings can be used as a top layer to achieve a superior bedding.

Please call us Toll Free at 1-800-350-8046 and we will do our best to answer it; we are always delighted to talk with our dealers and the end users of our products.