What Are Dry Nest Pine Vs. Pine Shavings?

Pine shavings are used for horse, chicken and poultry farm bedding. Pine is used as bedding because it controls the odor of animal waste and repels parasites and other insects. Pine is an absorbent wood that facilitates cleaning horse stables and chicken coops by soaking up liquid waste. There are many grades of pine shavings, from low-grade to dustless compressed kiln-dried DryNest pine shavings. DryNest is a brand of packaged pine shavings manufactured by Kraay Enterprises Inc.

  1. DryNest

    • DryNest pine shaving bales are compressed during packaging for ease of transportation. The compressed shavings will relax, or expand, overnight after being placed in a horse stall, which increases the volume of the bedding without you having to add more pine shavings to it. DryNest pine shavings are kiln-dried to less than 8 percent moisture content. This makes the pine shavings able to absorb more moisture than regular pine shavings. DryNest material can hold more than four times its weight in liquid due to its low moisture content.

    Shaving Size

    • DryNest shavings are smaller, and more consistent in size and quality.The finer grade of shaving also contributes to its absorbing ability, making it a more efficient absorber of urine than coarse pine shavings. Urine wet spots cause the DryNest shavings to clump up like kitty litter for ease of removal. The shavings absorb all of the liquid to prevent puddling underneath the bedding on the stall floor. This clumping ability makes it easier to sift through with a manure rake to remove the waste and not tossing out clean shavings with it.

    Pine Shavings

    • Regular pine shavings are a byproduct of the lumber industry and may not routinely be a consistent size of shavings or quality of wood. Pine shavings tend to have a moisture content of 12 to 15 percent. Regular pine shavings that are not kiln-dried become dusty due to the fast breakdown of the material when exposed to liquid. If horses are constantly exposed to dusty bedding, they can develop a respiratory condition called the "heaves."

    The Difference

    • DryNest pine shavings are fine, evenly sized pieces of shaved pine that are highly absorbent and easy to clean. DryNest pine shavings will not break down into dust like regular untreated pine shavings due to their manufacturing process and high-quality wood source. Bulk pine shavings vary in size and are prone to breaking down more quickly than kiln-dried shavings, turning into dust and possibly affecting the health of your animals. Pine shavings are not usually compressed for shipping, and 1/4 cubic yard of loose pine shavings takes up the same space as 2 cubic yards of packaged DryNest.