Cheapest Bedding?

kurzon said:

What is the cheapest type of bedding that is good/safe for piggies and that is not newspaper (it stinks when soiled)? I have a 2x4 CC and currently use a huge bag of pine shavings. (is pine shavings good? it's very light and fluffy). Preferably a type that I could buy in Canada.

Thanks

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Pine is OK but must be kiln dried. Also make sure the pigs are in an open cage (like a C&C cage). To get it the cheapest buy from a stable or a tack and feed store. I bought a huge amount (8 cu ft +) for only $8 US.

Horse bedding is usually really good i.e. woody pet. You can buy it in HUGE bags and the bedding is clean, dust extracted and safe.

Fleece is the cheapest and least messy option I have found. I have a 7x2 C&C cage plus two upper levels. I change it every other day and have no odor problems.You can get fleece at any fabric store and it should be on sale this time of year. I got mine for 3 dollars a yard, I spent about the same amount of money as I would have spent on carefresh, only the fleece can be washed and used again and again. Do a search on bedding-there is lots of info on here about fleece and towels.

Do you put anything underneath the fleece? Also, how do you clean it before putting it in the washing machine. It sounds like a good option.

Pestell Kiln Dried Pine is a Canadian made bedding. We get it in the US for $5.99 for 5 cubic feet.

fleece

Piglet, I shake the fleece over the garden to remove any hay and poops, then throw in the washer and dryer. You can also shake it into a large trash bag. I don't put anything under the fleece, but I do use 2 layers of it.

Katie said:

Pestell Kiln Dried Pine is a Canadian made bedding. We get it in the US for $5.99 for 5 cubic feet.

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We use Pestell for our rabbits litterboxes. Do you use it for your Guinea Pigs? It seems so hard and uncomfortable. But it is so cheap and is great for odors! I've been thinking about using it for the GP. Does it hurt thier little feet?

Fleece Bedding

Jo-Ann Fabrics will have alpine fleece on sale for 2.99yd starting Sunday the 25th of July. I plan on getting some and trying it out, as many have recommended it. One person lays some newspaper down and then lays the fleece on top. Each morning she shakes out the fleece and replaces the newspaper. About every 3-4 days she washes it. I'm going to try this and see how it works and I'll post what happens.

I also have used cellsorb which I get for $34 for 40lb bags at Animal Kingdom in Davis. This works great too but remains costly. Its much better then carefresh and does not mildew. When used in combination with newspaper and puppy pads (found cheaply at Target) the bag can last months.

what does everyone think of towels? Better/worse/the same as fleece? Its just that they are so much cheaper and easier to get hold of!

When I tried it, I found fleece kept the surface dry much better than towels did. Seems to draw the moisture in whereas towels just get soggy very quickly and I had to change them several times a day so they didn't have to lie and walk around on damp material.