Bedding: My bedding layers

[fridzalone]

Just want to share my bedding layers and want to know what you think.
I've been thinking about what is the best bedding for my piggies, and i've tried to combine materials so I could come up with the bedding that easy to clean, need less maintenance, and comfortable for my piggies.

First I tried using woodshavings, but it got messy around the cage. Then I tried towel and fleece, they just didn't work out for me as well because I do handwashing and i don't have much time to do handwashing for both towels and fleece. Besides the poor quality of the towels made them wet very soon, and it smells more than when I used woodshavings.

So I decided to try combination of woodshavings and fleece. And it works for me. I put a layer of (from the bottom) newspaper so the coroplast won't get messy a lot, then I put woodshaving above the newspaper, then another newspaper above the woodshaving. Last but not least a layer of fleece.

It really works for me, the woodshaving don't get wet very soon (it's already 2 weeks and the woodshaving is still dry, and I'm still using it). I only need to change the newspaper above the woodshaving every 4 days and change the fleece every 10 days.

By the way, my mother using these layers of bedding as well, and she told me that maybe after the woodshaving get a bit wet, we can just put it under the sun and wait until it's dry and we can use it for once or twice more. She did it and she told me that after it dry, the woodshavings are very dry and doesn't leave any smell at all. Is it acceptable?

[Matt Ceja]

Originally Posted by fridzalone

By the way, my mother using these layers of bedding as well, and she told me that maybe after the woodshaving get a bit wet, we can just put it under the sun and wait until it's dry and we can use it for once or twice more. She did it and she told me that after it dry, the woodshavings are very dry and doesn't leave any smell at all. Is it acceptable?

I would worry about all the bacteria in the wood shavings. You don't throw out bedding because it smells... You throw it out because it contains waste and bacteria. I can't imagine that would be healthy for the piggies IMO.

[fridzalone]

Originally Posted by Matt Ceja

I would worry about all the bacteria in the wood shavings. You don't throw out bedding because it smells... You throw it out because it contains waste and bacteria. I can't imagine that would be healthy for the piggies IMO.

I'm thinking about that too, that's why Im asking

[ferndalezoo]

Wood shavings don't hold onto any more bacteria than a towel would... I don't see why shavings and fleece wouldn't work,, but I DEFINITELY wouldn't recommend saving and reusing the shavings. THey're called "disposable bedding" for a reason.

[distancel]

I used to use the paper kitty litter as one of the layers in my bedding because it is so absorbent, but I found it stuck to the other layers pretty badly, because I didn't put newspaper in between. Silly me.

But yes this sounds like a fine idea apart from the reusing. I mean I guess the sun would evaporate the wetness but it wouldn't be the same as using clean fresh shavings.

I think I might try something like this as the towels I'm using just seem to need washing every 3 days and it is costing me a lot to use the laundrymat as I don't have my own washer.

[Matt Ceja]

Originally Posted by ferndalezoo

Wood shavings don't hold onto any more bacteria than a towel would... I don't see why shavings and fleece wouldn't work,, but I DEFINITELY wouldn't recommend saving and reusing the shavings. THey're called "disposable bedding" for a reason.

That is what I was getting at. I would not dry my towels and reuse them without washing them. I wouldn't want to live on old dried urinated on wood shavings so I wouldn't make my guinea pigs either. Even with the fleece barrier they are still breathing in whatever is living on the shavings and their undersides are exposed to all bacteria built up from reuse.

I know there would be health risks associated with me living in my urine so I can't imagine it would be that healthy for the piggies. It would also start to smell after a while.

[lissie]

fridzalone, I remember you mentioned on another thread that you were not sure what kind of wood the shavings were. Please make sure it's the safe kind for them even you have fleece on top. It's also better not to keep them in the cage for too long. I'd say they should be replaced at least once or twice a week.

[fridzalone]

Originally Posted by lissie

fridzalone, I remember you mentioned on another thread that you were not sure what kind of wood the shavings were. Please make sure it's the safe kind for them even you have fleece on top. It's also better not to keep them in the cage for too long. I'd say they should be replaced at least once or twice a week.

Don't worry, I already figured out what wood are they made of. The local one made from teak wood, i don't know if it safe or not and it's not really absorbent so I don't use it. I use Vitakraft Woodshaving which is pine woodshaving, but i don't really sure if it's kiln dried or not, so I just air dry it for about 4 days till a week before I use it. It's pretty pricey, but as always price always can tell about quality