Understanding Bedding Shortages

Many horse owners in North America are finding that the availability of traditional bedding supplies (shavings, sawdust, etc.) is becoming increasingly difficult, due to changes in the wood supply for these products.

Wood Supply is Renewable, But Residue Use is Changing

• wood residue (sawdust, shavings and fines left over from processing of trees for lumber, wood products) is the traditional source for bedding products
• residue is now being captured at source and pelleted to replace natural gas and fossil fuels
• pulp and paper industry is increasingly using sawdust in manufacturing process
• increasing use of residue in composite panels, i.e. medium density fibre (MDF) board
• computerized sawmill operations reduce waste

Cyclical Changes

• large increases in natural gas, oil price affect demand for wood
• construction slowdowns reduce lumber production, waste
• projections suggest these trends will continue and cause further bedding material shortages

Beating the Shortages

• replace shavings with finer fiber to reduce pick out waste and disposal
• improve bedding efficiency with better absorption, thereby reducing quantities needed
• consistent with changes in wood residue use, the capacity to pelletize is increasing
• compactness of pellets allows shipping from remote sources
• convert now to MBC Magnum Horse Bedding!