Absorbency: Flax vs. Wood

Safety: Flax vs. Wood

Benefits of Flax

Animal Health

A dust-free bedding benefits horses with respiratory and skin disorders as well as overall health. “It has long been known that lower respiratory illness is common in horses, and this is typically attributed to the amount of dust in barns,” says Melissa R. Mazan, DVM, associate professor of clinical sciences at the Cumming School.

Eco-Friendly

A natural renewable source made from 100% natural flax provides a clean, non-dust environment for healthy animals. It also makes an excellent compost with a neutral PH, giving back to the soil instead of depleting it. We package in recyclable paper bags or reusable recycled plastic bags. Flax is naturally high in nitrogen and does not need to be composted. It can be spread immediate;y and used as an organic fertilizer.

Odour and Absorbency

It virtually eliminates all odour by absorbing 4x more than wood shavings and more per square meter than any other bedding. It works by absorbing liquids at the base of the stall bed. The increased surface area of the bedding allows air to act as a natural cushion separating the wet areas from the dry, resulting in the top layer of bedding remaining soft, dry, warm in cooler climates and cool in warmer climates. This makes our product ideal for smaller indoor animals and poultry.

Cost Effectiveness

Less time and on average 50% LESS product is needed to maintain and clean a stall. There is minimal waste resulting in lower disposal cost, if any.

Fire Retardancy

Did you know the flax shive that you receive in the bags will not LIGHT ON FIRE? A natural property of this amazing plant.

History of Flax

Flax is a bi-product from the makeup of linen and is a natural, vegetable based bedding. The actual bedding is exclusively made up from the base of the flax plant. It’s the central and wooden-like part of the flax stalk and is protected by its non-allergic fibre envelope. It has an absorption rate of 12x more than straw and 4x more than wood derived bedding, making it the performance bedding of choice. The natural fibre of flax is environmentally friendly and breaks down quickly unlike wood shavings/flakes. Farmed mostly in Manitoba, it is a 100% natural and renewable Canadian resource.

Testimonials

"Flax bedding is non-allergenic and dust free. It is well-documented that stabled horses are continu- ously breathing in organic particles that generate both clinical and sub-clinical respiratory issues. The lungs of stalled horses produce 5 times more mucous to clear this dust than the lungs of horses main- tained outside. It is also very well documented that straw and shavings are full of allergens and organic dusts. I recommend flax bedding to improve their environment and support lung function."

Flax bedding is 58% more absorbent than conventional bedding materials like straw, pine shavings, pellets or sawdust. Because it absorbs so much more urine it is cost-efficient and produces less muck, which means less weight in your wheelbarrow and a smaller manure pile.

Flax is under an inch per fiber which means it sifts wonderfully easy, allowing more bedding to stay behind unsoiled.

Flax bedding does not burn, it only smolders, making it easier to deter and extinguish a potential barn fire. So go ahead and rest easy with the heat lamps in your chicken coop!

Flax bedding is environmentally friendly! Not only does it composte immediately - so you can go ahead and spread it on your fields on the same day you muck!! But it is a by-product of flax derived manufacturing (like seeds, linen and paper) reducing waste in the supply chain!

“Thanks Flax Farm. We (horses and people) are loving our new bedding. If you have a horse with allergies to wood products I would strongly recommend giving flax a try. It's also super absorbant, easy to clean, composts quick, is not dusty, and can actually add nitrogen back to your soil."

Katie Colfer-Reece / K. Colfer Sporthorses LLC

"I used this bedding when I lived in Ontario. I highly recommend it. I used a third of the bedding I normally would use with shavings. It was easier to clean the stalls, reduced the smell in the barn and was dust free. What else could you want!"

Susan Crosby