A question about wood stove pellets and hay.

[Deleted User]

I use yesterday’s news for litter, but since everyone is posting so much about wood stove pellets I am curious about them.

Are they comfortable for the buns to sit on in their litter pans?  Are they absorbent (do they absorb pee as well as yesterdays news)?  And can they be put into the compost (or would it take forever for them to break down)?

Also, regarding hay, I buy big boxes of oxbow, but someone on Craigslist posted the other day offering hay from their farm.  Is it safe to give hay that is fresh from the farm?  Is there anything I would need to worry about if I purchased it?

Thanks

[Elrohwen]

The pellets in wood stove pellets are a little bigger than Yesterday’s News pellets, so they may be a little less comfortable to sit on. But if you’re worried about that, a nice layer of hay over them should make them nice and comfy.

They absorb pee really well and basically break down into sawdust, so they’re great for composting.

I really don’t know about your hay question though as I haven’t purchased hay by the bale, but I know others have with success.

[kralspace]

Hi Soliel,

I use a scoop of wood pellets in my litter boxes, then put a layer of coastal hay on top. When the pellets get wet, they turn to wet mush and you can put it directly in your compost pile. Actually I put my dirty hay/pee/poo in my flowerbeds for mulch and the plants and bushes love it. We also have a lady building a keyhole garden, so I take her a trash can full every other week to put in.

I get good, clean, green coastal hay from the local feed store. They buy it fresh from the field and keep it stored in an enclosed shed so it’s always good quality. Make sure and get horse quality, ‘cow’ quality is usually older, rougher and just yucky (can be a bit moldy)

Good hay should smell good, not moldy or damp. I’m going to pick up a bale tonight and it’ll last my 6 buns and 2 piggies 3-4 months, that’s being quite free with it.

[Moonlight_Wolf]

I get wood stove pellets and buy hay by the bale (the amount being wasted in the litter box was growing to be a problem).

The wood stove pellets absorb pee very well, (don’t do that test were you put water on your hand and put a wood stove pellet on your hand, they absorb but not that fast). They are a little big so not that comfortable but I put a grate over my litter anyway so it doesn’t matter.

The bunnies love the baled hay I buy, I have bought third and second cut from the farm and both were loved, (third cut was a bit messier though) The hay I buy is kept in a really nice barn and kept high so it is dry and not moldy. Just make sure the hay you buy is nice smelling and green!

[lwayne]

I started using Good Mews (same as Yesterday’s news -100% newspaper pellets), but recently I have been trying out wood stove pellets. I have been mixing them and trying to figure out which one I like better too. Wood stove pellets are more absorbent than newspaper pellets, but the wood pellet when wet turns into saw dust whereas the newspaper just gets mushy. Thus, with the wood stove pellets I have saw dust bits scattered about the bunny room (a little always sticks to the bun’s feet). So I am still in a toss up, wood pellets are more absorbent and cheeper, but make more of a mess due to the saw dust and good mews is less of a mess when ‘soiled’. The bun Arduina doesn’t seem to care much (she is a rex which are known to have sensitive feet), she doesn’t spend much time in their anyway. I compost everything.

I don’t know much about hay, I’m still learning myself.

[Desma]

I use Good Mews too and I am going to try the wood pellets. I already know not to get the treated ones that have the inflammatory chemicals on them. When I move, I know I will have much more room for a bale of hay too. Good Mews used to only cost me $5 a bag at Winco. Now it has been raised to $8 a bag!

[Moonlight_Wolf]

saw dust bits scattered about the bunny room (a little always sticks to the bun’s feet)

Yes I used to have this happen to me, it really bothered me, but the grid really helped.

[BinkyBunny]

On top of my litter, I put a little hay in the box just to make things more soft and inviting (and that can only help with litterbox habits). As far as wood stove pellets absorbancy – I can only compare it to Yesterday’s News and Aspen Supreme – I think it absorbs as well, but I don’t think it does as well on odor. With that being said, there are members who have felt that is does just fine in comparison.

As far as the fresh hay from the farm – sounds great, but you are smart to ask about what to look for –  you’ve received good advice abou what it should smell and look like.    Some normal dust will be with hay, but very dusty and musty smelling can be an indication of mold. I don’t think it would be a problem getting it fresh from the farm -as all hay had to start there at one point. What you could ask is how and where has it been stored. Some farmers may go through more of sifting process to check for critters etc, but normally as it gets divided and bagged up, this quality check happens. But you can just ask them about their quality control method – and how they have kept it away from moisture and direct sunlight (too much moisture and/or direct sunlight/heat damage can cause a yellowing). Brown mixed in is normal, but you don’t want it to be mostly brown.

Keep us updated with how it ended up working for you. 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

I use yesterday’s news for litter, but since everyone is posting so much about wood stove pellets I am curious about them.

Ultimately they are the same thing. YN is compressed paper. WSP are compressed wood. Both are safe. WSP are about 1/3 of the cost of cat YN (which is the same as small animal YN but 2x the price…)

I use yesterday’s news for litter, but since everyone is posting so much about wood stove pellets I am curious about them.

Less comfy then carefreash-but fine. ANd they would totally compsost imo becasue they are just paper or wood

Also, regarding hay, I buy big boxes of oxbow, but someone on Craigslist posted the other day offering hay from their farm. Is it safe to give hay that is fresh from the farm? Is there anything I would need to worry about if I purchased it?

Absolutely go for it!! A hay bale retails here for about 3$ and that’s approximately 160lbs of hay. Yet you pay 30$ for 2lbs of hay in the store….
Make sure it’s timothy or brome or…just make sure it’s not alfalfa!! Most other hays are grass hays and are fine. Fresh local hay is awesome!

[Beka27]

I love WSP. Love them. They can be a little sharp when brand new, but they easily break down into sawdust. I have never had an issue with the sawdust on the floor. You can use a very, very small amount and they expand to fill the box. I change litter every 3 days and I do not have an issue with odor. If something comes up and I have to go a 4th day, that is when I start to get an odor. I have a mini rex and her heels are calloused (they’ve been like that since I got her 2.5 years ago) but in the year I’ve been using WSP her heels have not become inflamed or red. And she spends plenty of time in the box b/c that is the only place they can eat their hay.

I am spending about $50 a year on 8 40lb bags of WSP. I was spending $200 a year on 8 40lb bags of pressed paper pellets (Cell-sorb) at the pet store. I think the choice is clear, at least for me.

[RabbitPam]

Sometimes it depends on the bunny, who may have a preference, believe it or not. Spockie was a rex, so he had sensitive feet and ended up favoring the softest litter, Carefresh, possible.

Samantha, however, completely rejected it and other softer litters. She loves the pellets, so after trying Feline Pine, BB raved about Aspen Supreme and I switched the that. She’s happy and it is very absorbant and controls odor better. Lately they had a problem with making their pellets too big, but it’s fixed now and the pellets are fine.

If you go with WSP’s like Beka loves, just be sure to watch the label or info. on what you buy. The bad chemicals are accellerants, (sp???) so watch out for that.

[Beka27]

YES! Sorry, I did not mention that! Make sure there are no accelerants! Horse stall bedding works also and is equally cheap!

[Deleted User]

Ok, I think I will try a bag and see how it goes. There is no harm in that. How do I know if it has accelerants in it though? Does it say on the package? Also do they come in different types of wood and if so does it matter which one I buy?

[BinkyBunny]

I actually do not know – I am thinking it should be on the label. Those that are using wood stove pellets, can you answer this?

[Barbie]

The package should say if it has an accelerant. The WSP I use are Ozark Hardwood Products. The bag doesn’t actually say “no accelerants,” but their website FAQs states: “Pellets are 100% natural and are made from recycled sawdust. They have no additives, chemicals or perfumes.” If you find a bag at the store and aren’t sure, you can always go to the manufacturer’s website or call them and ask.

The sawdust is dried and then pressed really tightly into an extruder to form the pellets. Because the sawdust is completely dried, the potentially harmful aromatics that are found in wood chips/shavings are completely removed.

Found this on the HRS site:  http://www.rabbit.org/journal/1/liver-disease.html Scroll down and there is a chart comparing different types of litter, WSP are on there.   Note that on the chart, WSP or “compressed sawdust pellets,” is the only type of litter to receive a rating of Good-Excellent for Absorption and one for the few to receive “None Observed” for the Health Hazards column.  This chart, in addition to the cost savings was what made me switch from expensive paper products from the pet store to WSP and now I swear by them!

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