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Wood Pellets/Chips Can you use wood pellets by itself as bedding?

magicpiggie

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I was wondering if you could use wood pellets by itself as bedding with nothing on top or do you need fleece over it or something?

And how long should the wood pellets last in the cage, how often should I change it out?
 

bpatters

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You can use pellets by themselves, or with fleece. Using fleece makes it easier to dump the poops and hay.

How long you can use it depends on the size of your cage and the number of pigs you've got. My 16+ square foot cage with 2 pigs will easily go 10 weeks without needing to be changed. It would undoubtedly go more, but I had to start with a fresh cage when I got a new pig.
 

Nazgul

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I definitely wouldn't recommend it. Picking out their poop from the pellets is very time consuming.

With fleece, spot-cleaning is easier, the cage looks nicer (imo), and I imagine it's also a bit gentler for the piggies.
 

bpatters

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Um, [MENTION=35044]Nazgul[/MENTION], I don't think people who use plain pellets pick the poop out. I think they just stir it in. You'd have to change them more frequently that way, but still should be able to get several weeks use out of them, assuming an adequate sized cage.
 

magicpiggie

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Oh, okay. Not to sound dumb or anything, but when do you get the urge to change it? Like when it's all sawdust or littered with poop (say you used it by itself).
 

bpatters

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Once the top has turned to sawdust, you can sweep the poops up. I usually stir the wet spots in.

I can't say when you'll need to change it. I'm not you, and we may not have the same tolerance for poop sitting around. It also depends on the size of your cage and how many pigs you've got.

It will only cost you $10-$12 to try this out. See if you like it. If you don't, go back to something else. It ain't rocket science. :)
 

magicpiggie

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At osh, it's $18.99 for a 20 lb bag. Is that expensive?

right now my girls are on aspen which lasts me 2-3 months and cost me $13-$14. I just want to know before I make a commitment.
 

bpatters

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Where are you finding it for that much? Most wood pellets will cost $5-$6 for a 40 pound bag. I pay $7 because it's the closest place to me to get them, and there's never any strong pine smell.

Try feed stores for horses and cattle.
 

lissie

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At osh, it's $18.99 for a 20 lb bag. Is that expensive?

right now my girls are on aspen which lasts me 2-3 months and cost me $13-$14. I just want to know before I make a commitment.

I buy mine at OSH. 40 lbs. bag for $6.
 

magicpiggie

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@lissie Online it's $18.99. Is it cheaper in store? Or am I on the wrong website or something?

im on this site: (broken link removed)
 

bpatters

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You don't want to buy pellets online. The shipping to your house is too much.
 

lissie

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[MENTION=11509]lissie[/MENTION] Online it's $18.99. Is it cheaper in store? Or am I on the wrong website or something?

im on this site: (broken link removed)
That's BBQ pellets. You want wood stove pellets or animal bedding pellets.
 

magicpiggie

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Oh okay. Thx so much.
 
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