Bedding choices

I was trying to figure out how to put this in poll form but alas I am just to dumb to sort it out...So here is the question:

"What do those of you who raise feeder rodents--Rats and Hamsters especially--use for bedding.
This came up on a rodent forum recently with some really unusual choices like rags, etc.
I have been using aspen, but that gets expensive. I used pressed pine from petsmart by Kaytee and it was dusty enough to make everyone from rodents to humans sneeze. Someone spoke recently of kiln dried shavings from a feed mill like they used for horses. I would especially like to hear from some of the small-medium size pro breeders out there. Just want to conserve $$ but not at the cost of comfort for the animal.
Thanks
Scott

I use kiln dried pine for my rodents and get it from the local feed store. A huge bag is under $10.00.

yep, that is what I use too

Great question, I have been using that absorb bedding stuff like you see in the petstores to try to keep the smell down till I move them to the rodent room I am setting up in the basement. But colonies are growing and I need to find something that won't cost an arm and a leg. I thought about pine shavings, but didn't know if that is good due to the snakes.

hartsock said:

Great question, I have been using that absorb bedding stuff like you see in the petstores to try to keep the smell down till I move them to the rodent room I am setting up in the basement. But colonies are growing and I need to find something that won't cost an arm and a leg. I thought about pine shavings, but didn't know if that is good due to the snakes.

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Are you talkig about the colored stuff that smells like flowers. I considered that but I was concerned whatever they use to color it may harm the snake (after they eat the mice).
About the pine, it is kiln dried and 4.0 cubic feet, but expands out to 12 cubic feet. I'm sure about price but under $10.00. I have three mouse colonies, one hamster, 3 rat colonies and it last me at least a monthe but maybe even longer. I've used it for four years now, no problem. I never use it for my snakes, however.

susang said:

Are you talkig about the colored stuff that smells like flowers. I considered that but I was concerned whatever they use to color it may harm the snake (after they eat the mice).
About the pine, it is kiln dried and 4.0 cubic feet, but expands out to 12 cubic feet. I'm sure about price but under $10.00. I have three mouse colonies, one hamster, 3 rat colonies and it last me at least a monthe but maybe even longer. I've used it for four years now, no problem. I never use it for my snakes, however.

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No, I am talking about the little different sized ball stuff. I guess they do make it in colors, but to me it doesn't have a smell. It is meant to trap and absorb the oders which it does a wonderful job, that is as long as you put it about 4 inches deep and then you'll get about 2 extra days out of it compared to aspen. For $16 to fill about 3 tanks, it gets kinda expensive. right now I have 4 10-gallon tanks of mice and a 20 gallon of the ASF, but I need to split two of the mice colonies. I'll look for the kiln dried stuff, it sounds like a life saver for me. I know you don't keep snakes on pine, so I figured that whatever is harmful in the pine to them might be tranferred in the fur of the prey, especially since they wet on each other and lay in the bedding.

The pine I got here was at a local feed mill where I get my Mazuri 6F rodent breeder. It is as you mentioned a press pack and it runs 5.50 a bale USD. I pay about 13.00 for the same size bale of Aspen but the pine is packed much tighter than the Aspen for sure. I have 7 10g tanks, a 30g breeder and 2 of the 20g breeder tanks plus 3 tubs 24x36. I used about 1/2 an aspen bale to do everyone, where today I used less than 1/4 of a bale of pine.
The one pine stuff from the store must not have been kiln dried as I noticed several of my rats ended up with bloody irritated noses and eyes. As soon as I switched to aspen that problem stopped. No sneezing noted today at all. Will keep an eye out and see how the week goes.
thanks for all the input.
Scott

I noticed the red nose and sneezy a couple times and realized in was after I opened a new bag. So now I buy it before I need open take some out so I can fluff it up. No more sneezies or red nose. As I type I can't believe what I do for these animals. No wonder my kids think I'm crazy. susang

susang said:

As I type I can't believe what I do for these animals. No wonder my kids think I'm crazy.

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Boy do I hear that...my significant other is very tolerant of the time I committ to the animals. It helps that I work first shift normally and he works seond so it doesn't normally cut into our "together" time.
It will be nice in a couple of years when the animals start to pay for themselves...Will that ever happen?
Scott

I just run newspaper through a paper shredder that we have to shred bills and stuff. :shrugs:

For the feeder mice and ASF rats I am currently using wood stove pellets. $3.99 for 40 lbs at Menards.

I believe they are made mostly from pine, but are processed so much that the dangerous aromatic oils are hopefully completely gone.

I've found pelleted bedding works best at eliminating mouse odor, far better than any other bedding. I've also tried aspen pellets (Aspen Supreme), Woody Pet bedding (pine pellets marketed for pets, more expensive than the stove pellets), alfalfa pellets, recycled newspaper pellets (Yesterdays News cat litter). All of them work but most cost 3-4 times as much as the wood stove pellets.

For the pet domestic rats I use only aspen shavings.

MerlinsPop said:

I just run newspaper through a paper shredder that we have to shred bills and stuff. :shrugs:

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I thought of that, just didn't know if it would work well with the smell. How often do you have to change it?