Bedding New bedding discoverd works amazing

charliespet · Mar 29, 2012

I can't express the happiness my husband and I feel over discovering this new bedding. It's cheap, lasts, virtually NO smell from our pigs can be detected, helps the pigs nails stay reasonably short without causing any foot issues, the Pigs love it, and it looks uniform and nice.

You can get it for 5-6 dollars a bag, :eye-poppi and for a 4x2 c&c cage, one bag per changing works, and lasts up to 3 weeks, depending on how many piggies you have, and how much mess they make.

On a side note, this stuff can also be used for cat litter, for reptiles, rats, and also for farm animals! In fact, its MADE for horses. It's called Equine Pine, and you can purchase it from Tractor Supply.

I know avid Cavy owners just read the word "pine," and probably fell out of their chairs ready to reply to my post so fast I'd freak, to picket against pine.:tearsofjo We all KNOW that pine CHIPS and SHAVINGS are not good because of the oils. Esp in an enclosed cage. Relax.

I know.

These are PELLETS...they have a light pine scent, and a shiny, hard surface. They absorb pee, water, and oder and can be removed as they "puff."

IF you still just can't think Pine and Anthrax aren't distant cousins, there is a similiar product, also at Tractor supply, also made for Horses, which is made of ALFALFA, and they can even eat it if they chose. It's twice the price, but the same concept. Also, don't be afraid to check out horse treats...dried apples and carrots are dried apples and carrots...and your cavy will love it, even if a horse is on the package. I saw cubes of hay in a 40 LB bag for $6 there.

:important HOWEVER, :importantdon't give g. pigs anything less than real guinea pig pellets to eat as a staple, because they have specific nutitional needs that aren't met in rabbit or horse pellets.

So go out there and give this new bedding a try, maybe washing that fleece everyday, or dealing with sopping paper shreds, or expesive saw dust won't be so attractive...:crazy:

PS...the pellets can be dumped in your yard too, FYI, they disintigrate, and the pine also repels insects and fleas...and makes great mulch.

You'll feel pretty smart after this purchase!

Zuidy · Mar 29, 2012

By any chance......... do you have a link.........

Hrm.... You haven't said what kind of bedding, so I don't think we can try it! Haha. I wouldn't mind seeing it, though.

lissie · Mar 29, 2012

I agree that wood pellets work great, however you should have some place soft for your piggies to sleep. You can put small fleece pads for them to sleep on.

This was what I used when I was using wood pellets. I got tired of shoveling them and went back to fleece though. Now I'm only using wood pellets in their kitchen area.

Not sure about leaving it for 3 weeks. I clean mine out every 2 weeks.

charliespet said:
IF you still just can't think Pine and Anthrax aren't distant cousins, there is a similiar product, also at Tractor supply, also made for Horses, which is made of ALFALFA, and they can even eat it if they chose. It's twice the price, but the same concept. Also, don't be afraid to check out horse treats...dried apples and carrots are dried apples and carrots...and your cavy will love it, even if a horse is on the package. I saw cubes of hay in a 40 LB bag for $6 there.

I won't recommend using alfalfa pellets as their bedding. If they eat too much alfalfa pellets, it can cause bladder stones as they are high in calcium.

Also don't recommend dried treats. Those are high in sugar.
https://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/diet-nutrition/26121-can-i-feed-petstore-treats.html

charliespet · Mar 29, 2012

Its there..called Equine Pine...its at all Tractor Supply companies, also probably at just about any feed store that carries horse supplies. Its a blue bag with horses on it. I use it for my cat too...sounds weird, but it really works.

Kimberly713 · Mar 29, 2012

Zuidy said:
By any chance......... do you have a link.........

Hrm.... You haven't said what kind of bedding, so I don't think we can try it! Haha. I wouldn't mind seeing it, though.

"In fact, its MADE for horses. It's called Equine Pine, and you can purchase it from Tractor Supply." -charliespet

They actually did say the brand

It was hiding.

Sounds like wood stove pellets, which come in 40lbs bags and have no scent at all, for $4. But it's seasonal, so this could work in the warmer months.

MissJean · Mar 29, 2012

Alfalfa bedding pellets that they can eat? Sounds like something I'd be wary of.Alfalfa is high in calcium and I'd be concerned of the other ingredients in it, plus the uncontrolled amount they'd be eating since it would be bedding.

Also, you don't have to wash fleece daily. I only need to change mine weekly.

charliespet · Mar 29, 2012

Since I have one pig only in the cage, 3 weeks sometimes is ok, normally, its about 2, depending on her water intake. And I meant dried treats made for pets, not human dried treats. And as long as my Cavy seems happy and healthy, I don't freak out too much about this or that. I Just keep it simple and enjoy the pets, if she'll eat a little dried treats and likes it, I'll let her have it, not going to dump a bag of dried fruit in her cage either. Same wih the alfalfa pellets, I'd be suprised if a pig ate that much alfalfa without feeling sick, and their instincts stopping them. I just wouldn't use the alfalfa simply because its just plain more expensive, and doesn't make sense to spend more on something they poo in. The alfalfa is MADE as bedding, not technically for eating, and the same goes for a horse, too much alfalfa will make them sick, but that logic doesn't make sense, that's like saying the use of hay as bedding is bad for animals cuz they might eat it...:crazy: She has a fleece lined hut for comfort, but often chooses to lie on the pellets, under her basket...

Zuidy · Mar 29, 2012

Kimberly713 said:
"In fact, its MADE for horses. It's called Equine Pine, and you can purchase it from Tractor Supply." -charliespet

They actually did say the brand It was hiding.

Sounds like wood stove pellets, which come in 40lbs bags and have no scent at all, for $4. But it's seasonal, so this could work in the warmer months.

Oops. I meant to say link, not brand. Oh well!

I probably won't try it. I love fleece!

charliespet · Mar 29, 2012

No matter what bedding you choose, Cavies will eat some of it...even fleece. I used fleece before as well, I like how it looked, but they picked at it and were eating fibers...I wasn't too worried about that, since it was in small amounts and not all the time, but yes, pigs will eat a little of everything, bedding, poo, food, etc. Its not MADE for them to eat, just like fleece isn't. They just do. I was suggesting that it is alfafa...pressed hay product. Made for animals to bed in...and cavies are going to try it. I doubt they would prefer it over fresh hay or pellets, or what you normally give them. Or that it would hurt them if they nibble it.

charliespet · Mar 29, 2012

Right, I live in Florida, so we don't get wood stove pellets here at all. I tried that first, and they are similiar!

charliespet · Mar 29, 2012

OMW are those little fleece sacks?! hah that's cute.

bpatters · Mar 29, 2012

@charliespet, be very careful with those pine pellets. I had used pellet for months, and absolutely loved them -- they were either hardwood or kiln-dried pine, with no odor at all. But my Tractor Supply quit carrying them, so I got two bags of the Equine Pine.

But I had a horrible cold and sinus infection when I first put them in the cage and couldn't smell a thing. A week later, I noticed a pine odor coming from the cage, and sure enough, these were not kiln dried pellets. I immediately picked both pigs up and looked at their feet, which were unusually red and several toes were swollen. So I threw the pine pellets out and went back to fleece.

I hate fleece, but I can't find any pellets that I think are acceptable for the pigs.

charliespet · Mar 29, 2012

@ bpatters Thanks! I will def be careful and check her feet for sure! I haven't had any issues with it at all yet, but I def appreciate the heads up! I have had fleece before, and its nice for about 5 minutes! Hahaha, I think a nice fleece play area would be cool tho.

MrWhistles · Mar 29, 2012

I used the same bedding for my horses. But instead of leaving it in pellet form I expend it with water so it is nice and super soft. Also I do a full bedding change with this pellets every month with my horses.
Maybe expanding it would work better for the piggies. For some unknown reason, I am still unsure about using it with Mr. Whistles. Maybe if fleece doesn't work out for us I'll give it a try.

charliespet · Mar 30, 2012

@MrWhistles That is an adorable name!!! Haha made me smile.

Petlovr · Mar 30, 2012

I love Mr Whistles name too!

I was wondering-I have a "kitchen" area with q 2 inch coroplast lip in the doorway that helsp keep the shavings/carefresh inside the kitchen and off my fleece. Do they pellets scatter, or do they tend to saty in place? I'm wondering if the guinea girls would kick it around.

mmas4 · Mar 30, 2012

I use pellets in the kitchen/litter pan and they do not get kicked out.

Petlovr · Mar 30, 2012

But instead of leaving it in pellet form I expend it with water so it is nice and super soft.

How do you expand it?

MrWhistles · Mar 30, 2012

Petlovr said:
How do you expand it?

it absorbs the water so it becomes nice, soft n fluffy.
Here is a video that shows the pellets expanded best
[video=youtube_share;4siG9u0tz90]

They actually didn't expand the bedding as much as I like to. I make sure there is only less than 5% pellets.

MrWhistles · Mar 30, 2012

charliespet said:
@MrWhistles That is an adorable name!!! Haha made me smile.

Petlovr said:
I love Mr Whistles name too!

I was wondering-I have a "kitchen" area with q 2 inch coroplast lip in the doorway that helsp keep the shavings/carefresh inside the kitchen and off my fleece. Do they pellets scatter, or do they tend to saty in place? I'm wondering if the guinea girls would kick it around.

Thank you both. I love the name too, he is all about whistling

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