Bedding question

[terrijanson]

I thought I would try the pine pellets for bedding. Northern pine. It is called Top Bedding from Canada. I can return the bad as I gave not opened it. I know you should air it out. So what do you think?

[3piggles]

I don't know that brand, but I use the pine horse bedding sold by Tractor Supply Companies. I use it under a layer of fiberglass window screen, which keeps the hay/poos, etc., from mixing with the pellets. I just collect the corners of the screen, remove all the debris, wash off the screen, and replace it. The pine pellets I use turn to granules when they get wet. Just mix the granules in with the remaining pellets, mix it all around to redistribute it, replace the screen and add hay or whatever. I don't change the pellets, but do scoop out the larges piles of granules, and add more pellets periodically.

I have the pellets under the fleece pads, and the living area stays very dry and odor free. I use Carefresh in their small kitchen area, and change that weekly. I also use fiberglass window screen over the Carefresh, and just pull it out with all the debris, etc.

I do suggest something over the fiberglass window screen, or the pigs tend to chew it. It doesn't seem to do them any harm, but I try to keep them away from it. So if nothing else, a layer of hay over the top would be good.

[terrijanson]

Thank you. I think I will air them out some to remove the pine scent as I read to do that for a day or so.

[3piggles]

I didn't find I needed to air out the pellets, though some smelled differently, and they did need it. I also found the ones that smelled a bit off didn't absorb the odors as much. Not much we can do until we get the bag home, open it and find it's a bit off. Of the maybe 100 bags I've bought over the years, I think maybe 5 were a bit off. Not a bad percentage, really.

[butterfly88]

If you're going to use pine bedding its best to get kiln dried pine, regular pine bedding can sometimes cause respiratory problems.

[3piggles]

With wood shavings, always get kiln dried, and it's best to use Aspen, as it has fewer noxious essential oils.

The pellets, similar to what's burned in pellet stoves, is a completely different process. It is pine sawdust compressed into pellets under extreme pressure. Once the pellets get wet, either from urine or from the water bottles dripping, they turn to granules. The granules are more absorbent than the pellets, so instead of scooping out all the granules and replacing them with pellets, mix the granules into the remaining pellets. Even once all of the pellets have turned to granules, it's absorbent. Again, just mix the wet granules into the dry ones. Eventually you need to add more granules, especially if the wet granules don't get a chance to dry, and there aren't enough dry granules left.

The granules form mounds, so they're easy to find and disperse. I change the bedding completely, about once a year. I remove the biggest mounds of wet bedding, such as if a water bottle lets go, mix the remaining granules into the remaining pellets, and add more pellets. Eventually it all get cycled through, so I never really need to replace all of the pellets. The pellet granules weigh more than the pellets, so only a few scoops before they become too heavy for a trash bag. That's why I do it a little at a time.

I also use a piece of soft, fiberglass window screen over the pellets, and under the hay or bedding, so keep the hay and poos from getting into the pellets. Also, since the edges of the pellets are sharp for tender piggy feet, it gives another, porous layer of protection between the pellets and the piggy feet. If you have fleece over the pellets, it keeps the granules and pellets from sticking to the underside of the fleece. To clean the kitchen area, I just gather up the corners of the screen, dump the hay and poos into the waste bin, replace the screen in the cage and add more hay. Very quick and easy.