How HERDD bedding works.
Suitable for horses & foals, & all farm animals, such as calves, chickens, rabbits, pigs, guinea pigs, goats, sheep & Alpacas. Made from 100% untreated NZ pine
Equine use
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. HERDD bedding is suitable for horses of all ages, including foals
. It’s good for young or sickly stock as it’s relatively sterile vs. other options
. Suitable for use on any flooring, as it packs down giving grip & hygiene to dirt, lime, concrete or rubber bases.
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. For a standard sized (~4x4m) box, we recommend 9 bags (subject to your preference for depth - you may want 1-2 more or less; 9 bags gives ~10cm depth). If you have rubber flooring, we recommend 7 bags (7 gives ~8cm depth).
. Cover floor evenly to a thickness of ~3cm with dry pellets. Generously hose with water (apply more water than you think!) & watch HERDD become soft & fluffy
. Wait ~15 minutes before using a rake to flip over the bed to reveal dry pellets. Sprinkle with more water & leave to fluff
. Any dry-ish pellets will continue to expand over the next few hours (animal can go in straight away)
. If there is no hose nearby, lie the bags on the floor of the stall, evenly dispersed. Slash bags with a knife width-&-length-ways (make a +). Add ~20 litres water from a bucket into each bag’s opening (get water in corners/sides/middle). Leave for 15 minutes. As the bedding expands, the bag will burst, if not, use your knife to extend the cuts. After 15 minutes, tip out the bags & use a rake to spread across the floor. You can add more water if you need. Use a rake to agitate the bed until it looks soft & fluffy. There is a video on this on HERDD TV
. It’s normal for some pellets to still be visible. These fluff up over time (Tip: If an animal urinates in the same spot, leave unactivated HERDD in that area to soak up dampness)
. Dispose of the empty bag in the manure pile to compost, burn it in your (legal!) fireplace, use it as weed mat in your garden, or simply recycle the bag in your council collection
. Soiled bedding can be used in the garden for compost (but you may like to avoid around vegetables due to manure) - the bag makes a compostable weed mat too!
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. We recommend topping-up 1 bag per fortnight, using the same process (as described above)
. Clean out manure, hay & clumps of fully saturated HERDD before putting in your top-up bag
. Over time, HERDD darkens in colour - this is normal
. Watch our videos on HERDD TV for 3 different ways to Top-up > The ‘Standard’ Method, ‘The Barrow Method’ & ‘The Bucket Method’
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. Respiratory issues & allergies in horses are frustrating to deal with as owners. Keeping your horses' rest environment as DRY & low dust as possible is key to managing respiratory conditions when stabling (along with good ventilation) 🤧
. HERDD's innate charateristics are particularly suited to making animals with sensitive airways, comfortable
. HERDD is low dust, dehydrated to ~7% (that is super duper dry), & can be used UNactivated (like a litter).
. HERDD is happily used by cats, rabbits, chickens, puppies - all of which have the tiniest of lungs & sensitive airways.
. Why not give it a go for your horse who needs some help with its airways? 😷
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. HERDD bedding expands ~4x, that means you get bang for your buck… you may like to start with less bags in a box, & add more as you wish
. Have an animal that always urinates in a particular area? Purposefully sprinkle dry HERDD over that spot. Keep an open bag of HERDD in the barn, with a feed scoop. Put a scoop of UNactivated HERDD in regular ‘wee spots’ after you’ve mucked out & opened the wet patch up to dry. The pellets will absorb leftover moisture.
. If you open bags at the top by releasing the string, you have yourself a muck out sack that you can throw in the manure heap to compost (great at shows!)
. You can add a product like Fixine for Equine’s DRYline product to the bed every so often - it smells of eucalyptus
. Watch HERDD TV, we have heaps of visual know-how on there
. Read our HERDD hacks to repurpose your bags
More horse stuff
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HERDD bedding is a convenient solution for adding to your truck or horse float bays
Give travelling horses (or stock) grip while catching manure & absorb urine during trips
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Travelling to overnight competitions & want to have some fresh, clean bedding to top-up the box at the show?
Take 2-4 bags of HERDD bedding with you - even 1 bag adds a substantial amount to an existing yard floor, & bags are compact to fit into tight truck or trailer spaces.
HERDD adds an absorbent & soft layer of bedding to a ‘stale’ show yard, & with its natural anti-bacterial properties & very low moisture content, HERDD improves the hygiene of ‘stale’ yard beds.
TIP: Open the bags at the top to use empty bags as muck out sacks during the show. Once they are full, throw the whole thing in the manure heap to compost! (yes, including the bag!)
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HERDD doesn’t have a shelf-life, you just need to keep it dry. It doesn’t get dusty, & is kept clean in its bag until needed.
Buy a few bags at a time, & store them in a dry place, so you have long lasting bedding right there when you need it
You may even need some emergency garden mulch, & that spare bag of HERDD bedding in your shed is your answer!
HERDD bedding bag calculator
Work out how many bags you need.
Once your base bed is set up, each fortnight top-up with 1x bag per stable {e.g. for 4 weeks of stabling, you’ll need 2x bags of HERDD for top-ups}
HERDD HQ’s every day stable kit!
Every day we use these 7 items & do 2 boxes in 20 minutes! Right to left, we have:
140L barrow - for the muck & hay bits
Ryobi mini workshop blower - for the final wet patch blow-out & breezeway tidy-up
Broom - for the sweeping that we just have to do to keep things tidy
One open bag of HERDD handy at all times - for soaking up excess moisture…
A scoop for 4. above - we throw 1 scoop over open wet patches to absorb residual moisture
Rake - our fav is the Millenia rake with high sides
DIY finishing sieve - for perfecting beds & getting the teeny bits of hay / manure filtered out
But you know us, we don’t just horse around… HERDD bedding is for all your farm animals!
Farm animals
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HERDD is suitable for all farm animals including calves, lambs, chickens, pigs, guinea pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits & Alpacas - & anything else you can think of who need a soft & hygienic bedding solution
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Perfect for Ag Day pets as you get them ready for show time :)
Your little humans will love activating HERDD bedding; watch it grow like popcorn & turn into a soft, fluffy bed for their lambs & calves
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. Instructions are also on the bag
. For 1 or 2 lambs, we recommend 2 bags. For calves, you may like 2-3 bags.
. The number of bags is subject to your preference for depth - you may want 1-2 more, especially if you pen is large, or you have more than 2-3 animals using the bed
. Cover floor evenly with dry pellets, and generously hose with water (apply more water than you think! It’s approx. a 1:1 ratio of water to dry pallets)
. Wait at least 15 minutes, while you do something else, or watch the HERDD pop like popcorn
. Use a rake or your hands to flip over the bedding to reveal any dry pellets underneath. If needed, sprinkle with more water & leave to fluff
. Any dry-ish pellets will continue to expand over the next few hours (fine to put the animal on it in the meantime)
. Admire your furry farm friend’s soft and fluffy bed!
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. Put a piece of old carpet under the HERDD bed, if you are concerned about keeping your lambs/calves warm
. If you don’t have access to a hose nearby, no problem! Use “The Barrow Method” or “The Bucket Method” to activate your HERDD bed - See HERDD TV for videos on both of these methods
. Clean your animal’s bed out daily, picking out manure droppings and any wet clumps. HERDD bedding clumps together when it can’t absorb anymore moisture - scoop these clumps out
. If you have an animal that urinates in a particular spot, purposefully leave un-watered (dry) HERDD in that area to soak up dampness
. Use the empty bag as a muck out sack, or dispose of it in your compost, use it as weed mat, or simply recycle it in council collection
. Soiled bedding can be used in the garden for compost (you may want to avoid around vegetables due to manure)
Other uses
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. HERDD bedding can be used as mulch in your garden or vege patch to keep weeds at bay
. Easily carry bags to the spot in your garden you’d like to mulch. Tip the dry pellets into an even layer over the soil (and over the flattened bag if using as weed mat), and generously sprinkle with water from the hose (or leave the rain to do its thing)
. You’ll have fluffy, 100% pine mulch within 15 minutes. Over time, the pine will darken in the sun and blend into the garden
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. Use HERDD bedding around potted plants, over the top of potting soil
. This will keep any weeds at bay, while giving your pots a tidy finish
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. Use the compostable bag as a weed mat (under HERDD bedding and/or your manure waste). The bag will break down organically over time
. Simply cut the empty HERDD bag longways down 1 side and through the bottom, then flatten it out and lay it down where you want it
Sanitise show yards & stables with HERDD bedding
Sanitise stale bed layers that have been used by unknown horses
Absorb moisture to reduce proliferation of microflora & parasites
Soften sharp woodchip for your horse’s comfort
Make yards cleaner & comfortable faster with convenient oversized HERDD bags
Fill empty HERDD bags with manure & dispose of in the manure heap to compost
Travel with compact HERDD bags in your truck or float, they will come in handy!
Add 2 or more bags to your show yard bed. If there is dampness present, add at least one HERDD bag ‘unactivated’ (not watered) - this will very effectively soak up moisture & freshen a stale yard.
A CONVENIENT EDGE
When searching for the 1%’ers, your team’s quality of rest is a good place to start
Watch HERDD TV for more ways to use HERDD bedding
Master mucking out
Simply remove clumped ‘wet patches’ (aka soiled bedding), & save the rest
HERDD clumps together when it reaches saturation point. These wet clumps are darker in colour & usually at the base under dry bedding
Look for the area where your animal has urinated & dig your rake in & under the wet patch. Pick up & flip over on to a dry area. Using your rake scoop out the saturated clumps & dispose. Any bedding that doesn’t fall from the rake with a gentle shake, is soiled & can be removed.
You only need to remove manure & these saturated clumps (& hay scraps). The rest can stay, & any mildly wet areas will dry during the day in a ventilated barn. Leave wet patches exposed to dry out for the day if you can.
Natural oils in HERDD, combined with fresh air, help to reduce the smell of ammonia. A well maintained bed, will mean that your HERDD bed will last 12 months+.
You will see your manure pile slow down its accumulation rate, and we know that saves you effort!
Clean HERDD bed
Saturated wet clumps
Cleaned out wet patch left open to dry all day
Follow our Facebook & Instagram feeds for tips, pics & general tricks
We’ve made a few claims on our benefits, so backing those up…
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Finely coats manure droppings and clumps around urine, making mucking out quick and easy
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Reduce manure pile accumulation, with minimal bedding removed during muck out
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Unsoiled bedding lasts months, with a recommendation to top-up one bag per fortnight
Slowww down manure pile accumulation
When we say you’ll reduce your manure pile accumulation, we can prove it. We tested over the course of 12 months, stabling a 12hh pony on traditional shavings and a 17hh horse on HERDD bedding.
See the difference here in bed volume removed EACH DAY during muck out, between traditional shavings (bottom photo) and HERDD bedding (top photo).
With absorbent HERDD bedding, we are only removing moist, tightly clumped bedding, while the traditional shavings are being removed at a higher rate around manure, hay and dispersed urine patches.
All HERDD bedding waste can go on the garden as compost.
HERDD bedding waste from one day of mucking out. Much less!
Traditional option - waste from one day of mucking out, from a small pony.
Let’s keep going, here is proof of another reason to switch to HERDD
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Each bag of HERDD swells to multiples of its dry state (~4x), providing more, long lasting volume
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Easy to fill a stall from empty, and simple to top-up. Our 22KG bags are easy to lift & store
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No bark, tar, chemicals or added resin. Just high density Northland pine
Ultra absorbent, just how you need it
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Unique Northland pine is the highest density pine in NZ. The quality of our bedding is better than anything else
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High density = highly absorbent properties to soak up urine & moisture — complete with natural oils to reduce ammonia odours
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HERDD is dehydrated & compressed, offering better hygiene & long lasting bedding
Hygroscopic \ hī-grə-’skä-‘pik \ The process of attracting & holding water molecules
{essentially explaining timber’s absorbency powers}
When timbers cell walls are fully saturated, it’s reached its ‘fibre saturation point’. Beyond this point, cell cavities absorb moisture until they too are saturated. This is described as the point of maximum moisture absorption. This maximum point can be very high, with pine holding as much as 250% of moisture.
With HERDD, you get 22kgs of super absorbent pine, which swells up to 4x its dry state, giving you more absorbent bedding volume... & it’s sustainably grown & packaged in a 100% compostable bag
The HERDD multiplication effect…
Click here to watch
Did you know?
Pine has naturally occurring resins and antibacterial properties that give HERDD bedding a natural defence. This includes that natural pine oil aroma that has the very pleasant effect of neutralising ammonia odours born from urine. You get all of this, plus all the convenience and comfort, in a bag of HERDD bedding.
Still prefer your own bedding?
Combine it with HERDD bedding.
HERDD bedding darkens and clumps together when it reaches maximum saturation. When urine is absorbed into the bedding over-and-over, it gets to a point where the bedding is no longer able to absorb more moisture — it clumps together for easy removal with a rake. Watch our reel here to see how easy it is to clean out wet patches.
Adding HERDD to your existing beds will contribute to keeping the environment below your animal’s resting place hygienic and absorbent. It may mean you use your current bed as a base layer, and add HERDD on top as you need to top-up. To still get the benefits of HERDD’s absorbency, long lasting and easy-to-muck-out characteristics, use 2-4 bags as a ‘topping’ layer on your existing bed, with 1 bag a fortnight to top up after that. We think you’ll notice a difference!
Give HERDD bedding a go, you may surprise yourself… plus our 100% compostable bag helps you help our planet :)