Good cheap mouse bedding

What do you all use a mouse bedding? I have been using carefresh, but I would like to get something cheaper if possible. Any suggestions.

i use aspen it is pretty cheap

Thanks andre...I will look into getting some aspen.

I get 50L/46qt bags of carefresh for about $20.00....any other better deals than that?

I don't like carefresh because it is really dusty and can lead to some respiratory issues.

We use aspen here for everything really(except the scorpion, and the frog) and it is cheap and keeps the smell down significantly. I get 2cu. ft. compressed bags(the bigguns) at Petsmart for $11. They expand to 4cu. ft. and last a very long time.

Oh yeah. If you have a Tractor Supply store near you, they have aspen much cheaper. Same size huge bags like Petsmart, but they only cost about $8. Bigger chips though, so I guess it's what you prefer.

Andre and Becky say aspen :) looks like I am going aspen shopping.....thanks

I think it's cheaper at Walmart. We used to get huge packed packages there for our gerbil.

Sure that wasn't the pine or cedar?


Lucky you if yours carries apen - ours has the big ole bag o pine for $5 but aspen is significantly more but you got to drive to Petsmart for that $12 bag.

It was aspen, I didn't use pine or cedar. I was lucky I guess.

Our Wal-Mart carries aspen actually. It's about half the price as our local pet store. Hartz brand aspen, 1800 cu. inches (29.4 liters) compressed to 850 cu. inches (13.9 liters). It was I think about $3.49 compared to a similar bag at the pet store (different brand name) for $6.99. I'm still trying to find a local supplier though for even larger bags.


~~Jo~~

I use a mix of two things.. 'yesterday's news', which is compressed pellets of newspaper that are very absorbent, and 'pa-purr' a paper based cat litter that smells really nice and is not dusty at all. Both are quite inexpensive, and they last a good long time.

All of the "big" rodent breeders that I know use pine.

-adam

It is hard to beat huuuuge huuuge bags of the stuff for $5 especially if you need to go through a couple bags a month and I imagine they go through TONS more. Works for me :D

Adam, do you get your feeders from these breeders?

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Originally Posted by Smulkin

It is hard to beat huuuuge huuuge bags of the stuff for $5 especially if you need to go through a couple bags a month and I imagine they go through TONS more. Works for me :D

Adam, do you get your feeders from these breeders?

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Yes sir! ... I even pitch in on cleaning night when I have the time. I think we go through something like 24 bags of pine a week? That's just a rough guess, but I know it's a lot!

-adam

where do you get 'huuuuge' bags of pine?

Wally World.


OK but by HUUUGE I only mean those ones (will check volume when home) that are big enough 2 of them will take up a shopping cart fully. I think they are the 4 cu ft bags and go for ~$5.

I'm sorry.. wally world?

Ah so sorry


Translation: Wal-Mart

Oh I see.. what section would I find it in?

It is in the pet section but since the bags are so big they are more often than not stacked up on the top of the shelves (take up too much prime shelf real estate I guess). Can't remember the brand but the label on the bag has a red background.

Ok thanks. I'll have to check it out.

I thought pine was toxic????

I use pine; I have not noticed any troubles with it. I have several breeding rats that are over 2 years old, and they have no health problems that I can see. Fat and happy, and breeding out of control.
Since I see no problems with it, I just can't see spending more for aspen. The absolute cheapest I have seen it, is $11 for a large bale that is the same size as the pine I get, which is only $5.
This is the honest truth; when I used aspen, I had to clean things out every three days; pine, once a week.

I'm using pine along with the free local paper that gets delivered every week. I will usually put a sheet in the bottom of the tub and cover it with the shavings...the rodents enjoy pulling the newspaper up and shredding it :)

Ok guys.. I just went to petsmart and got a 7.5 cubic foot compressed bale of pine for... $5.66.

The secret? It was in the horse section. Go find a place that sells horse stuff, you'll get pine shavings cheap!

That's basically what we do only its a local farm store (tractor supply).

so pine is safe for mice and rats? i thought the dust from the bedding causes RI?

??????

Come on now, be patient. There is no need to try to try to hurry anyone along with an answer.

Obviously if Smulkin and Adam are suggesting using pine, it is safe for the rodents. I can't imagine Adam of all people using something that is not safe (mr anal retentive himself :P)

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Obviously if Smulkin and Adam are suggesting using pine, it is safe for the rodents. I can't imagine Adam of all people using something that is not safe (mr anal retentive himself :P)

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Actually, not being a big fan of rodents, I couldn't care less! :P :twisted:

I keep my rodents on aspen because I have a TON of it left over from when I kept snakes on it, but once it runs out I wouldn't have a problem with pine.

I'm not sure that it is "the best bedding" for the overall well being of the rodents, but I don't run a large scale rodent breeding operation (I just pitch in from time to time for a friend) so I really have no idea. My guess is that it's used because it's the most cost effective and if it does cause problems they are just factored in as par for the course.

-adam

Well, healthy rodent = healthier snake, so you should care.

I was aware that cedar is the culprit much more than pine.

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Well, healthy rodent = healthier snake, so you should care.

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As long as the rodent is eating, growing, and maintaining body weight, how does it matter? Respiratory or neurological problems that might be caused by a choice in bedding aren't going to effect the snakes that the rodents are fed to.

The rats I feed are plump and healthy looking and my snakes are growing extemely well on them. I'm not too worried about the fact that they are kept on pine.

-adam

Geez Adam, do you ever not have to answer without saying I'm somehow wrong about something.. usually a little thing? :mad: :P

For heaven's sake, I'm using pine now too after all..

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Geez Adam, do you ever not have to answer without saying I'm somehow wrong about something.. usually a little thing? :mad: :P

For heaven's sake, I'm using pine now too after all..

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I get that a lot ... it's definitely not just you! ;)

I'm just a stickler for factual details. That's why my only friends are snakes! :D

-adam

Oh I know it's not only me. Every time I turn around you're nit-picking someone.

Part of your charm I guess. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Oh I know it's not only me. Every time I turn around you're nit-picking someone.

Part of your charm I guess. :rolleyes:

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Oh, I never claimed to have charm ... just cool snakes! ... I'm a major P.I.T.A. for sure. :D:D:D

-adam

You're a PITA for sure, but you still manage to be well liked. There's some charm somewhere there.. don't know where exactly.

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Originally Posted by Shelby

You're a PITA for sure, but you still manage to be well liked. There's some charm somewhere there.. don't know where exactly.

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Me either. :banana:

-adam

I've never had any RI issues on pine, and always have healthy rat and mouse litters.

I would never reccomend pine for mammals kept as pets or long-term keeping. Never for any herps for any reason. That goes quadrupled for cedar.

Because of the number and variety of snakes/sizes we keep we feed from almost every stage of rat from pinkie up to retired male and female breeders. Aside form 2 unrelated mondo male rats who have at the longest been with us a year the citizens of this ratropolis sadly do not have too long a life expectancy.

Though their days are numbered they spend them in a relative lap of luxury. They dine on grain based cereals nuts and beneful. Their cups always runneth over with clean water. They do not have to tolerate the rush for the replenishment of these goods in densely packed cages. Their quarters are kept clean and odor free (as much for my health and comfort as theirs). They pity their pet store bretheren.


I like the idea of using newspaper as a sub-substrate under the bedding. Think I might give that a shot when I clean this weekend.

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Originally Posted by Smulkin

I like the idea of using newspaper as a sub-substrate under the bedding. Think I might give that a shot when I clean this weekend.

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I tried that one time....to me, it seemed like the rodent smell doubled....I might have to give it another test

I myself didn't notice an odor change when I started using the newspaper. I found that I can use slightly less regular bedding as most of the time it will end up shredded and mixed into the shavings (females especially). It keeps them busy for a bit...and the paper is free :)

On a side note...I use this same method in my ball python rack. I didn't really like the fact that when they move the substrate around they are laying on bare plastic at times. It has helped some...not that its doing all that much but makes me feel better :P Some might say to add more substrate but the layer of newspaper is cheaper than another cup of material :)

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Originally Posted by amg20102006

so pine is safe for mice and rats? i thought the dust from the bedding causes RI?

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Originally Posted by amg20102006

??????

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Shelby

Come on now, be patient. There is no need to try to try to hurry anyone along with an answer.

Obviously if Smulkin and Adam are suggesting using pine, it is safe for the rodents. I can't imagine Adam of all people using something that is not safe (mr anal retentive himself :P)

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I sincerely appoligize for rushing as i was leaving to the store and needed some more bedding and was just wanting to know before I left. Sorry if I sounded like i was pushing you all to answer :D . I will try not to do it again in the future.

Apology accepted.. rushing people like that will get you no where. If someone sees your question, they'll answer it when they can.

A lot of people, especially those that keep rodents as pets, will browbeat you if you tell them you use pine. They will say how it contains phenols, which cause respiratory problems. But really, I see no troubles here at home with my rats on pine.
If it were a pet that I cared about its longterm health, I might avoid pine, because it is pretty dusty. But like others mentioned, my rats do not hang around very long before being fed to my snakes; or if they're too big, my friend's BCI eats them. And pine is DIRT cheap around here, since I buy the hrose bedding stuff.
Wish I could use hay (straw actually..); it is even cheaper! But the buggy factor stops that idea.

Thanks Everyone...

well I picked up some pine at the feed store.....???? cubic feet compressed into a 4 cubic foot package for $5.50....this stuff is going to last a really long time...and my wallet is very pleased that the transition from carefresh to pine has been made :D

Not beating the dead horse (Sorry Gin..) but my understanding against pine AND cedar was because the oils would contaminate the food animals and thus make the snakes ill, since the pine & cedar oils are toxic to snakes. Not that it matters...I can get the aspen really cheap and so have started to use it for the rats, as well as Baby. :rolleyes: lol

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Originally Posted by sweety314

but my understanding against pine AND cedar was because the oils would contaminate the food animals and thus make the snakes ill, since the pine & cedar oils are toxic to snakes.

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Is that information documented somewhere or just internet lore?

You always have to question things you hear, especially over the internet.

I'm not sure about cedar, but it's certainly not true in regards to pine.

-adam

Oh just another quick thing to add to the bedding issue. Old telephone books (everyone has a ton of them laying around) make great nesting materials. The thin paper seems to be great for the females to nest build with. We have two preggy females (hopefully) that I just moved to their own private tanks and they just love the addition of a bunch of strips of old telephone book as well as their normal bedding material.


~~Jo~~

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Originally Posted by Adam_Wysocki

Is that information documented somewhere or just internet lore?

You always have to question things you hear, especially over the internet.

I'm not sure about cedar, but it's certainly not true in regards to pine.

-adam

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Thanks for the reminder, but nope....not from just the scuttlebutt on the 'net. It was from my VET, and a couple rat breeders that I discussed it with. I know they're not infallible, but I'd be wasting my $$ if I didn't trust in my vet or maybe have only a little bit of intelligent disobedience, right? But....the 8 yrs. of school gotta mean something! < espec. to a previous vet med student like myself. ;) >

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Originally Posted by sweety314

Thanks for the reminder, but nope....not from just the scuttlebutt on the 'net. It was from my VET, and a couple rat breeders that I discussed it with. I know they're not infallible, but I'd be wasting my $$ if I didn't trust in my vet or maybe have only a little bit of intelligent disobedience, right? But....the 8 yrs. of school gotta mean something! < espec. to a previous vet med student like myself. ;) >

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Well, sounds like you've got it all covered then. ;)

Personally, I question everyone and everything ... no matter what their credentials ... I once met a vet that didn't know the difference between a ball pythons urates and feces. So much for 8 years of schooling.

But back to the topic at hand ... I've been feeding rodents raised on pine to 200+ ball pythons a week for many years now, and all of my snakes are thriving. I've seen zero evidence of "oils" having any effect on them. And as I've said, I have no experience with cedar.

-adam