Old Oak Farm goes GREEN!
What is Pine Feathers?
Like pine shavings only "green"
Pine Feathers is similar to pine shavings except it’s BETTER! Our bedding comes compressed in 3.8 cubic feet bags and opens to approximately 6.2 cubic feet.....Our bags weigh 38-42 pounds depending on the type of cardboard used. Keeping in mind that one bag will be equivalent to at least three bags of wood shavings, it typically takes 2 – 2.5 bags to comfortably bed a 12 x12 stall. There is a huge savings to the customer in the amount of product purchased, the time and labor to clean and bed the stall and the amount of manure that needs to be hauled away. PLUS unique added benefits for the horse and farm. It’s truly a unique product that we are very proud to represent.
Pine Feathers is itself a post consumer recycled product that helps to reduce landfill waste. Our manufacturing process involves cutting the cardboard, adding shredded recycled paper to the mix, and treating the product with a wonderful pine scent and an odor and ammonia neutralizer called “metazine”, a product that is safely used in many pet odor control products. Because of our unique manufacturing process our product is patented. There are other types of recycled bedding on the market but we truly feel Pine Feathers is the very best. We have also found pinefeathers to be the most cost effective based on our personal experiences with many types of bedding.
What are the BENEFITS of using Pine Feathers?
Odor Control, Dust Free, Safe & Easy to Use, Therapeutic
Pine Feathers bedding is three to five times more absorbent than wood and straw and our bedding composts much more quickly (30 days) compared to wood chips (1 yr) and straw (90 days). In a study performed by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, the composted material was safe for use on an organic farming operation. The product is EPA approved as of 2004. It’s better for farm land than composted shavings or sawdust as the pine feather compost won’t burn the crops.
Pine Feathers absorbs as the urine goes through to the bottom layer, so the wet spot is smaller. More surface area means quick absorption and the corrugations hold the urine so the wet spot doesn't spread out and contaminate the surrounding bedding.
Pine Feathers is DUST FREE... Our bedding products go through a dust extraction process that leaves them virtually dust free, with no need to dampen the bedding to get rid of dust.
Pine Feathers is SAFE... It is completely non-toxic. All of the aromatic resins that are present in wood chips, sawdust and pellets have been removed during the manufacturing process of the cardboard. All of the inks used in printing are soy based and have no heavy metal components per EPA regulations. The "glues" used are starch based and completely edible although not palletable so animals are not "inclined" to eat the bedding in the first place. If the animal happens to ingest some of the bedding there are absolutely no adverse effects.
Pine Feathers is veterinarian approved... our bedding is recommended for use post surgery, in foaling, and for allergy prone animals. Perfect for animals with respiratory issues. From setting up the stall to mucking out to blowing or sweeping the aisle, the dust is GONE!
Pine Feathers also has therapeutic benefits for horses with joint health or chronic lameness issues. The honeycombed layers of craft create a cushion of air that holds up well even when tested with draft horses. The bedding has a higher insulating quality than wood products. It is very similar in insulation value to straw but without the seed and mold spores. The product is “cushiony” and horses are more inclined to lay down. It is easier for horses and especially foals to walk around on. It is not slippery and “stays put”. Even with a stall walker that gets down to the mats no matter how deeply you bed him, you will see a huge improvement in the maintenance of his stall.
Pine Feathers is great for shipping. The therapeutic and the dust free benefits of our product makes it the perfect solution for shipping horses. No more particles of dust and mold flying around the trailer. The surface is shock absorbing and non-slip. Since it is more absorbent and neutralizes the ammonia odor it will make the confined spaces of equine transport more comfortable.
Pine Feathers is ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE.
Recyclable, Renewable & Biodegradable
There is a big push for farms to "go green" these days and your customers will appreciate your efforts as we all try to do our part to protect the environment. Farm animal manure is seen as one of our biggest polluters by raising phosphorous levels in American water supplies. Phosphorous in the environment comes from many sources. One major source is improperly handled animal manures. If too much manure is applied to soils, or if it is improperly stored, phosphorous can run off or leach into water supplies.
The most cost effective way to solve phosphorous problems is to utilize the fertilizer nutrients in the manure in agricultural or horticultural crop production. Phosphorous used up in growing, harvestable crops is not available for leaching or run-off into the water systems and becomes a valuable resource turning your liability into an asset!
Unfortunately, because most horses are bedded on wood chips or sawdust, the manure is not suitable for crop production. The very wide carbon to nitrogen ratio, (C:N), of horse manure and raw wood products, induces a nitrogen deficiency in growing crops, which reduces yield. Therefore, farmers and horticulturalists won’t use the manure, and it often ends up stockpiled, in ever growing piles, near the stable. Our byproduct (the muck) is a richer, highly compostable, product that does not induce the nitrogen deficiency discussed above. Because it is so highly compostable, it is extremely valuable in stabilizing manure, and reducing the volume so the manure phosphorous and other fertilizer nutrients can be easily recycled into growing crops or as a fertilizer that is beneficial to be spread directly on your pasture fields in 30 days.
