# What type of bedding do you use?



## MouseHeaven

I've been experimenting with all sorts of beddings, I would really like to know which is the best at oder relief and isn't pricey. I'd like to know what you've used, or are using, and your experiences with it. What type of bedding do you think is best?


----------



## Megzilla

At the moment my mice are on aspen bedding, and so far i'm loving it! It smells fresh, but it was a tad dusty. Once you shake off the worst of the dust, I found that even if I smelt it closely, there wasn't any more dust. I'm only on it though because I ran out of Auboise xD I'm trying to find a bulk supplier though, at the moment I just order it with reptech through my work (not a long term solution!)
Auboise is good, but I find that it doesn't hold together like aspen. It looks very natural, and my mice loved to dig it. There was a bit of dust comming off towards the end of the bale though. I had an unbranded version which was £9.99 for 120 litres. It lasted me about a month or two.
I've been trying to get hold of megazorb for my mousery. There's an online store that delivers (I'd have to find it again though). my sister has been doing research on it for her cavies, and she's keen to try it! It's pretty much the same as carefresh, but it'e better and cheaper xD
When I first kept mice they were on wood shavings, and honestly, I hated it. Sure it smelt nice, but it even make my nose hurt. I would never ever go back to it. Plus, the price of it has gone up and up.
I haven't tried carefresh, but the rats at work are on it, and it's quite good at odour controll. It's very expensive though!!


----------



## Jack Garcia

I always mix bedding. I use laboratory aspen (it's shredded smaller than horse aspen, although it does cost more), hay, shredded paper, Sani-Chips (another one usually used in labs) and I sprinkle a little bit of baking soda in all the corners before I put the bedding in.


----------



## Megzilla

Baking soda? what does that do?


----------



## geordiesmice

I get megazorb for £6.19 for 85ltrs from local Farmways. Pet shops and warehouses cant get it at this price, but Farmways have a equine section and buy lots of pallets from Northern crop dryers great medium.I used to use Aspen from a reptiles supplier but it caused a nasty reaction with a female Mamate.Her eyes closed shut she was running around blind and I took her to the vet. He said she was alergic to it or the sharpness caused it.As soon as I got rid of the Aspen she was fine.Ill stick to megazorb now.Yes im interested to know what the baking soda is for is it to counteract the mouse scent? .


----------



## bethmccallister

Baking soda naturally absorbs odors and wetness.


----------



## Jack Garcia

Yep, Beth is right. It is an active ingredient in kitty litter and helps to reduce odors, but you can't use kitty litter in mouse cages because they'll eat it and die.

My mice always go to the bathroom in the corner farthest away from their house, so it makes sense to sprinkle it in the corners, but you could sprinkle it anywhere, really.


----------



## geordiesmice

That is something else i have learnt thank you .I have trained some of my mice to use a bowl with sand in for there toilet ,they take to it quite well.


----------



## kerryann

i use megazorb and i find it really good. very absorbent and i find it helps reduce smell too


----------



## Rhasputin

I use aspen excelsior, and shredded paper.

And when I'm feeling really fancy, I use baking soda too.


----------



## geordiesmice

I get no smell when using Megazorb.


----------



## countrygall721

I think I will have to try that baking soda trick! :lol:


----------



## CatWoman

I use hardwood heating pellets, meant for use pellet burning stoves. The specific brand I use is a mixture of red and white oak and is made from the leftover sawdust at a hardwood flooring manufacturing plant. I get mine from a factory distributor, in 40lb bags for $4. The warehouse stores like Lowes and home Depot usually carry it seasonally, from about October to February, for $6-7 a bag.

I put a layer of about 1 inch of pellet in the bottom of each box, then add a small handful of timothy hay in each box for nest-making. I have a central vacuum and made a special attachment to use in the mouse bins, which sucks up the sawdust, feces, and leftover food but leaves the intact wood pellets behind, so there's very, very little waste.

I also use it in the litter boxes for my cats and my rabbits. I have yet to meet an odor it can't absorb. I'm very sensitive to smells and hate, hate, hate stinkies, so I have no doubt that I will go to my grave with a bag of wood heating pellet by my side.. :lol:


----------



## Whenthecatsaway

I'm really enjoying the carefresh I got but my gosh it ain't cheap!


----------



## geordiesmice

Yes will try baking soda here too, but not going out to buy any today the place is covered in Snow  .


----------



## Jack Garcia

The trick with baking soda is literally to sprinkle it. If you use too much, it can cake together and become nasty.


----------



## MouseHeaven

Thanks for the helpful advice Jack!


----------



## Jack Garcia

You're very welcome!


----------



## countrygall721

Thank you Jack! I look forward to trying it


----------



## geordiesmice

Will it work with other rodents too Guinea pigs, Rats etc


----------



## minibears

i use leucerne chaff for around $20 for 25kg(about 50 pounds i think, sorry i'm aussie), u can get dust free stuff, smells like hay instead of mouse and 'cos of the price u can use heaps, also used to make guinea pig food


----------



## jessierose2006

I have been using pine shavings mixed with equilitter (wood pellets) i buy a 50lb bag of shavings for 7-8 dollars and a 50lb bag of the equilitter for 7 dollars all from TSC


----------



## geordiesmice

Pine shavings is fine as long as they have been bought from a pet shop and kiln dried,and the bags dont have dust in the bottom .I cant use any kind of wood shavings, I cant stop sneezing and it effects My chest.I now use Megazorb its fantastic


----------



## jessierose2006

yeah i think they are weve always used then on all our pets except the snake hes on aspen but its way expensive for the amount you get. thats a bummer im glad i dont have any allergies.


----------



## Aussie_Dog

I use a mix of Carefresh Ultra and Aspen bedding. Usually I have a bottom layer of Aspen, then a layer of Carefresh on top of it, but lately I've been mixing it together (why not, it usually ends up that way anyway, lol). I have a bag of Eco-Bedding waiting in the wings as well, I'm not sure when I'm going to use it.


----------



## Steve Render

I use cat-litter. Does anyone use wood shavings, if so what are they like?


----------



## geordiesmice

I cant use wood shavings they give me a bad chest and make me sneeze :roll: I only use Megazorb £7.00 for 85 ltrs.Use what you want to use and what you find is best , we all use different substrates Aspen is ok better than wood shavings I would say.What I did I went to My local supplier and had a look at what they had in normally the bags are open and you can inspect them before you buy.I cringe at carefresh I hate it.


----------



## Laigaie

Anyone over here in the US know where to find megazorb? It seems like a major improvement, but shipping it from the UK is prohibitively expensive.


----------



## SarahC

after years of using aubiose and easi bed I bought a bale of shavings the other work and decided I prefer it.I bought snowflake brand,dust and fungus free.


----------



## SarahY

I hugely prefer wood shavings to anything else. It's softer, smells nicer and keeps the odour down better than anything I've tried - which is important as my mice are in the house. I haven't had any health problems resulting from it's use.

Sarah xxx


----------

