Safe Woods

[pigwhisperer]

I've searched the site and I haven't been able to find any info on ash wood for cavies. I have a well seasoned hollow ash log that I would like to use for the girls cage. Is ash wood safe for them? How about willow, maple, ect..........? Any help is appreciated.

 

[JarBax]

The only logs I know of to be safe are from non-pitted fruit trees - so apple or pear etc. (Not pitted fruits like cherry or plum) If it's for a tunnel - maybe it would be best to play it safe and buy some fiddlesticks - they are specifically made and sold for small animal use!

 

[aqh88]

Most stick with apple branches. Willow should also be safe though and I give my degus wreaths made of willow branches to chew on. Maple is potentially dangerous. Ash I haven't heard either way on and I'll see if I can find anything. Problem with using logs though is that pigs pee where they sit so if they hide in something with a base it quickly becomes urine soaked and has to be thrown away. You either need open bottom houses so they sit directly on the bedding or houses that you can place something absorbent(like a handful of bedding) in the bottom and then dump them out daily or twice daily.

For other woods oak is toxic, fresh pine or evergreen of any kind should be avoided although dried pine boards are used to make houses, no woods from pitted fruits like mentioned above, black walnut is toxic.... That's all I can remember right now but if you ask about a specific wood I can try to look it up.

 

[pigwhisperer]

Well I was just wondering since ash is a hard wood with no oils, it was cut dead on the stump over a year ago and has since aged in my living room, it is as dry as it can get. I was thinking that ash is such an expensive wood you just wouldn't go out to by a piece for any thing other than an axe handle or a baseball bat, but may be someone on here would have some info on it or be able to point me in the right direction.

 

[pigwhisperer]

I have found it listed as a safe wood for birds, as I have used it for my birds in the past.

 

[aqh88]

Ash is not on any toxic lists I have. I've found it mentioned twice that dried ash boards or branches are safe for use as bird perches and as ledges in degu cages. I can say it's probably safe but if it were my guinea pigs I wouldn't risk it. There's not enough solid information out there since ash is not commonly used for small animal toys or cages. There's also dozens of species of ash and a few trees that get called ash but are from entirely different families so you can't even be certain what species we're talking about along with what species any resource you find is talking about unless the scientific name is included.

 

[pigwhisperer]

Well we know that it is ash hubby has worked in the woods all his life and my grandfather also has worked with wood since he is a finish capenter and knows his woods and he also says that it is ash and where we live there is only one species. Oh well I'll go raid the wood lot for apple branches.