Switching to Aspen..

[Ginevive]

Well, I have been using pine shavings for years for my rats, as a cost-cutting measure; now in my area, pine shaving prices have shot up, while quality has plummeted; they are ALWAYS moist in the center of the bale, regardless of where I buy from..
So I bought a nice big bag/bale of aspen shavings, and I am making the switch. They smell so much better when wet/dirtied than yucky pine.. and as a fun bonus, I can also use some for my BPs in their tubs (tired of newspaper markings on them..) And they are bone-dry right out of the bag.. no stupid piney moisture that makes thenr absorbing qualities zilch..
So any other aspen users out there?

[sweety314]

Meeeeeeee!


Started as bedding for the snakes, and I was using pine for the rats, but then they started sneezing and red noses....so I switched to aspen for the ratties too.

*sigh* Biiiiiiiiiig bag/bale of pine....I was getting low on aspen, and my delivery went BACK to the vendor on the truck (he drove off w/o leaving it at the feed store for me for another two week delay ) so to make the aspen last, I mixed w/the pine. Now I'm almost out of pine, and once it's gone, I'm not buying any more. The aspen is more expensive here, but the pine is sooooooooo terribly dusty, and I don't want to subject them to the dust and oils anymore. Plus, now I'll only have ONE open container/bag of bedding for the cats to scatter instead of two!


RuLyn

[lord jackel]

All Aspen Here too!


I tried pine for all of a week, in the middle of an Indiana summer which is hot and humid so my rats were stinking within a couple of days. Aspen smells so much better and IMO holds up longer than pine (or anything else for that matter).

I also just recently switched all my snakes over to aspen from newspaper. The snakes seem more comfortable and it helps control the temps better.

[Laooda]

Aspen too!

[tmlowe5704]

I was using aspen for my snakes and rats but it began to get too expensive weekly so until I can get my hands on a ton at one time and get discounts, only aspen goes with my rats and expecting BP.

[Uncle Festae]

I used to always use pine, cause it was cheaper and it "smelled nice"..which is true until it's mixed with rat urine, then some kind of reaction takes place between the oils in the wood and the urine and it becomes disgusting.

After trying some other things, I have finally settled on Hemp bedding. This stuff just rocks!! I dont know how it does it, but there is never any smell whatsoever (even after a week) and it feels alot softer than wood shavings. It's super absorbent... Here is the companys explanation as to why it works so well......

How does the extra absorbency of LifeMate help eliminate odors?
When was it absorbed quickly and thoroughly, the accompanying odor is significantly reduced. The longer the waste is exposed to the air, the more noticeable the smell, And the more noticeable the smell, the more often you have to change the bedding.

LifeMate has twice the absorption capacity of other bedding materials. This means much better odor control and less frequent changing of the bedding.

How does the bedding dust affect the health of my pet?
Some bedding products generate a significant amount of fine dust. The constant inhalation of this dust by your pet can lead to respiratory problems.

LifeMate has virtually no dust, and exhibits the highest resistance to dusting when compared to other products. And no dust means a healthier life and environment for your pet.

LifeMate is made from natural hemp, which is a highly renewable resource. Hemp renews itself on an annual basis, and when disposed of breaks down twice as fast as other bedding products.


All I know is that it works the best for me, although it is probably the most expensive bedding you can buy ( So in other words, if youre looking for the cheap route, this isnt for you )

[TekWarren]

Aspen has been great both my snakes and rodents.

[Ginevive]

Well, day two here with aspen rats; I love it. None of that acrid pine/urine smell.. even the two mice I have don't smell bad. (yes, Mark bought mice as feeders; no, my snakes eat rats, not mice..)