all natural pine bedding

[MDB]

I am starting my large asf rat colony this week, and I plan on using equine fresh for their substrate. But I have some money left on a lowes giftcard from some returns, and I figured why not use some of it on substrate. I seen they have all natural pine bedding, is this okay to use for asf rats. Also will it elimate the smell if cleaned weekly? Thanks

[rocko2527]

Yeah you can use that it will cut down in the smell for a little while but not to long. But if your going to be using equine you should definably get the pine for the moms and their babies.

[MDB]

thanks

[LGL]

I don't know too much about the care of rats since I just purchase them on feeding day each week, so please correct me if I'm wrong. In my line of thinking, wouldn't it be somewhat dangerous to use pine as a bedding for feeder rodents since pine is toxic to reptiles? I would think that if any part (large or small, wood dust or wood chip) of pine was still on the rodent when the snake ate it, that it could cause some issues...

Once again, I don't keep any rats of my own at this point and I definitely could be wrong, but I'd rather look dumb and have that chance of saving someone's snakes than remaining silent and an animal dying a preventable death.

[rocko2527]

No its fine even Ralph Davis uses pine for all of his rodents. For some reason I think some one made this up and it got passed from person to person. Because I produce around 700 rodents a week and have never had a problem with using pine.

[LGL]

Oh, ok. If Ralph Davis uses pine as bedding for his rodents, then I guess it's safe considering how many snakes he feeds each week. Thanks for the information.

[MDB]

No its fine even Ralph Davis uses pine for all of his rodents. For some reason I think some one made this up and it got passed from person to person. Because I produce around 700 rodents a week and have never had a problem with using pine.

where are u located? what types of rodents do you breed?

[littleindiangirl]

Pine has been studied because of the effects phenols (phenols are caustic, used in cleaning products like pinesol and lysol) have on small animals, it has been shown in studies that the phenols will increase liver enzymes that can cause liver failure. Not to mention the phenols and aroma of pine irritates the respiratory system of small animals which is bad for rats who already have very sensitive respiratory systems. This irritation can leave the door open for illnesses like myco flare ups, which in turn wear on their immune system, making it harder for them to fight off more infections.

If you absolutely must use pine, try for a good kiln dried pine.

[rocko2527]

where are u located? what types of rodents do you breed?

I breed only mice and rats no African soft furs. And I'm in Niagara falls new york. Also I see your going to be starting a new colony you will definably make some good money if you buy your supplies wisely. One example is if your trying to make a good profit don't use the equine fresh. Also buy everything from a feed store. And for food I use dog food at tractor supply that is called doggy bags and costs only 12.00 for 40 pounds.

[MDB]

I breed only mice and rats no African soft furs. And I'm in Niagara falls new york. Also I see your going to be starting a new colony you will definably make some good money if you buy your supplies wisely. One example is if your trying to make a good profit don't use the equine fresh. Also buy everything from a feed store. And for food I use dog food at tractor supply that is called doggy bags and costs only 12.00 for 40 pounds.

isnt dog food bad for them though? Or is it just some dog foods? I was going to use mazuri