# Bedding



## sasandcol

What do you use for the bottoms of your cages? I use wood shavings which have the dust extracted, but have had meeces that get breathing probs. Is this due to bedding or could it be another reason? Thanks


----------



## DomLangowski

We are now using aubiose. We get it from a local stable for about £8 for a large bale.

Works out cheaper than the shaveing because you don't need to use as much.


----------



## Angelmouse

Could you pst a pic Dom?


----------



## Marjolijn

I use flax. No dust, toplayer stays dry when the spill water from the bottle. It's makes it cheaper, because now I only clean ones a week. With woodshavings it could be 3 times a week!
It also smells nice even when I have to clean the cages.

I also used aubiose, but I'm allergic to it, so that was once and never again. My mice like it, just as must as flax.


----------



## DomLangowski

Angelmouse said:


> Could you pst a pic Dom?


Sure... Rachael this is also at Ifield Park.


----------



## Paul

Uncanny - I switched to Aubiose this last weekend. I've been very impressed so far.


----------



## demon_x_slash

Is this sold in more commercial shops? I'm in a pretty urban area, not too many farm shops etc near me


----------



## Paul

Whereabouts are you? It may be worth checking the phone book as you do sometimes find equestrian suppliers in or near towns.. you could also try in a riding stables as they might sell one to you or be able to get a bale in for you.

Otherwise, it'll last you so long it may be worth going out of town to pick some up...

Paul


----------



## Effy

Buy from here
I can't find any of the other places online...I'm petty sure UKpetsupplies sell it...but it's about £20 not including shipping.

Or there are tin amounts for a hell of a lot more on eBay...I wouldn't recommend that:
a: the amounts ARE tiny
b: it IS expensive
c: the only seller selling at the moment was supposed to be sending me some a week and a half ago.


----------



## SarahC

i live in the city and my petshop orders it in for me.aubiose is the brand leader,there are others Snowflake for instance.all are floor coverings for stables so any outlet that caters for equines should have aubiose or an equivelent.


----------



## Angelmouse

Marjolijn said:


> I use flax. No dust, toplayer stays dry when the spill water from the bottle. It's makes it cheaper, because now I only clean ones a week. With woodshavings it could be 3 times a week!
> It also smells nice even when I have to clean the cages.
> 
> I also used aubiose, but I'm allergic to it, so that was once and never again. My mice like it, just as must as flax.


Can you post a pic of Flax please I have looked on the internet but cannot find a pic of it for floor coving use, cheers.


----------



## Paul

Found this on google - looks very much like Aubiose... maybe a tiny bit woodier


----------



## Angelmouse

thanks


----------



## Dragonfly-Stud

Hemcore is another hemp bedding it's not as clean as Aubiose as in it has grassy bits in and can be a bit dusty near the bottom of the bale I use it from time to time when I can't be bothered to drive all the way to my supplier just for a bale of Aubiose.
Mice don't seem to care which I use.
But for the same price Aubiose seems to last way longer as it's pure chippings whereas Hemcore is bulked out with matted grassy bits.


----------



## SarahC

Easi-bed is another one,virtually the same as aubiose.If you only have a few cages catsan natural wood litter for cat boxes is excellent but would cost to much if you have a lot.Not only is it non dusty and absorbant it helps with odour.


----------



## Cait

I use Aubiose and have done for a few years. I've tried lots of others but nothing has been anywhere near as good. I hate Easibed as it's not very absorbent and quickly becomes damp in cages and even went mouldy underneath where the urine had soaked down into it (within a week, which is how often I clean out!).


----------



## SarahC

I guess it goes to show how different all our view points are.I find easi bed,snowflake and aubiose all much of a much really and use whichever is available when I do my pet food shopping.I only clean fortnightly and haven't encountered problems with any of the makes.


----------



## Angelmouse

sarahc said:


> I only clean fortnightly and haven't encountered problems with any of the makes.


I take it you dont have your mice in the house then if you only clean them out fortnightly? I have some of mine in the conservatory, I have to air it out before I go in there sometimes because it smells and sometimes that like only a few days after cleaning, I clean once every week or before if its really smelly. I think if it smells that bad to me just think how bad it smells to them! Mind you I have just bought some Aubiose, so will see how it really rates soon enough


----------



## SarahC

I have a few in the house along with odds and sods of other rodents.These I clean weekly.The others are in the shed and get done fortnightly.Incidentally when I used to clean all out weekly I think more litters got eaten even though I didn't disturb the nests of new borns.


----------



## Peteyandthegang

Weve used the dust extracted wood shavings for years and have never had any problems, but were thinking of trying some others out now as were moving further away from the shop that sells the shavings and we might aswell order in something else in bulk


----------



## Kage Davies

I have to change my bedding, using nothing but kitchen roll and shredded jay cloth is driving me nuts XD. I don't think I'll be able to get anything other than wood shavings or chips within walking distance though. Darn that we don't have a car!


----------



## SarahC

I have tried a new (to me)floor covering this week,Rapasorb £8 something or other for a giant bale.At first I was disappointed ,it's made of chopped straw and seemed quite woody and coarse.I have used it in the cages that are in the house,it looks attractive, has a nice almost fresh pine odour and the mice like chewing it.Providing it proves to be absorbant I shall continue to use it for the indoor animals and the ferrets just for its pong reducing qualities.


----------



## sasandcol

I've also my bedding, to Equisorb. The meece seem to like it, constantly digging it, i guess there are some edible bits in it. It smells a lot better than wood shavings, looks nice and the meece are having less breathing problems. Yay!


----------



## daisy

after a couple of weeks of equisorb i still prefer aubiose, equisorb smells more dusty and it smells a bit pissy and strong too quickly and seems less absorbant... bummer


----------



## Hawkula

http://www.easibed.co.uk/  Amazing stuff, I'm currently only using it for rats but alot of mouse breeders have told me they are using it for mice and are loving it.


----------



## sasandcol

daisy said:


> after a couple of weeks of equisorb i still prefer aubiose, equisorb smells more dusty and it smells a bit pissy and strong too quickly and seems less absorbant... bummer


It does smell a bit pissy, but we are finding that is our wheel that smells, absorbancy is ok  I can't smell the dustyness though


----------



## Cait

Hawkula said:


> http://www.easibed.co.uk/  Amazing stuff, I'm currently only using it for rats but alot of mouse breeders have told me they are using it for mice and are loving it.


I am surprised, I hate Easibed and find it unabsorbent.


----------



## Hawkula

MouseBreeder said:


> Hawkula said:
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.easibed.co.uk/  Amazing stuff, I'm currently only using it for rats but alot of mouse breeders have told me they are using it for mice and are loving it.
> 
> 
> 
> I am surprised, I hate Easibed and find it unabsorbent.
Click to expand...

Really? I find it fine. You do need quite a deep layer of it though (3-5") for it to absorb and control odours properly.
After this bag, due to availability, I think I will go back to good ole wood shavings, though.


----------



## Cait

That is a ridiculously deep layer to make it effective! I use Aubiose and love it. You hardly need any so it's very economical and very absorbent, so cost effective.


----------



## XxFaexX

We also use aubiose  find it great,the mice like nibbling it,smells good only downside i always get pricked getting handlfuls out the sack! :lol:


----------



## Paul

I wouldn't choose anything other than Aubiose now I've tried it. One bale has lasted me forever and the odour control is excellent.


----------



## sarahh

We use Carefresh and Megazorb I'm not a fan of sawdust/shavings the dust and mess is awful, we don't have shavings/sawdust in the house. One of the guinea-pigs gets an awful runny eye if sawdust is in the house. We are using carefresh for the mice and their babies at the moment but we do use megazorb for them. We also use Finacard for the rabbits and guinea-pigs but for the mice and hamsters the smell using finacard is horrid. Fine Megazorb and Carefresh so much better. Carfresh we either have delivered or we get from pets at home and the Megazorb I get delieved from a equine shop we get 2 bales delivered every month or so.


----------

