I recently heard of someone using pine pellets-aka horse bedding, in there racks instead of shavings. Is anyone else doing this and if so what is the pros and cons? Ive learned 2 things allready 1-they try to eat it and 2-dont get it wet...lol...btw this is for rat racks

I've seen them around here but I ain't paying what they are asking for them. A bag of them here is almost twice as much as 14 cubic feet of pine shavings and won't go near as far.

We use them for our rats over here, and they work great. It costs $4-6 for a 40 lb bag of Equine Fresh at TSC. It'll go longer than you think, you really don't need to use much at all as it expands as they use it. All you need is a thin layer on the bottom of your tub, one pellet thick. They also help a LOT with the smell if you're worried about that.

I haven't seen the 40lb bags , just 10 pound bags. The 10 pound bags I've found are right around $10.

We use them for our rats over here, and they work great. It costs $4-6 for a 40 lb bag of Equine Fresh at TSC. It'll go longer than you think, you really don't need to use much at all as it expands as they use it. All you need is a thin layer on the bottom of your tub, one pellet thick. They also help a LOT with the smell if you're worried about that.

so you dont need it that thick? i put it about 1 inch deep and still got 6 tubs out of 1 bag. also does it mold when wet? I had one tub that the water bottle leaked and poof that was funny :lol: so i threw it out or can you reuse it after it dries? last question do you use it for the babies too or should i use shavings for that?

so you dont need it that thick? i put it about 1 inch deep and still got 6 tubs out of 1 bag. also does it mold when wet? I had one tub that the water bottle leaked and poof that was funny :lol: so i threw it out or can you reuse it after it dries? last question do you use it for the babies too or should i use shavings for that?
Good lord, you're wasting a TON if you're putting it an inch thick. :lol: I haven't seen any mold yet, but we do change it weekly. We go through a bag every 2 weeks or so... that'd be 24 concrete tubs and 20 kitty litter pans worth total. I wouldn't try to dry it out and re-use because once it's been expanded it doesn't really absorb as well.

Good lord, you're wasting a TON if you're putting it an inch thick. :lol: I haven't seen any mold yet, but we do change it weekly. We go through a bag every 2 weeks or so... that'd be 24 concrete tubs and 20 kitty litter pans worth total. I wouldn't try to dry it out and re-use because once it's been expanded it doesn't really absorb as well.

Wow you get that many tubs done with only one 40 pound bag is that cleaning once week? I may try it if your doing that many tubs with one bag it may come out cheaper.

Wow you get that many tubs done with only one 40 pound bag is that cleaning once week? I may try it if your doing that many tubs with one bag it may come out cheaper.
The numbers I posted were for two weeks worth of tubs, but yes we clean them once a week.

last question do you use it for the babies too or should i use shavings for that?

I have found those too dry and dusty for newborns. Supplying nesting material for nursing mothers on the pellets was not entirely satisfactory, either.

Here, best results are with a minimally dusty, homogeneous bedding (such as screened pine) for mothers and babies.

The pellets are extremely absorbent. They do work well for those enclosures used for holding/growing rats.

I use the pellets here and they help to cut down the smell compared to using aspen shavings. I clean every 5-7 days and the amount of pellets you use will depend on how many rats you have in the enclosure and how often you will clean it. The cons are that after it expands it becomes extremely dusty and pinky rats can die from getting the dust stuck in and around their nostrils. I usually just use half pellets and half shredded aspen on tubs with pinkies until they get a little size on them.

I have found those too dry and dusty for newborns. Supplying nesting material for nursing mothers on the pellets was not entirely satisfactory, either.

Here, best results are with a minimally dusty, homogeneous bedding (such as screened pine) for mothers and babies.

The pellets are extremely absorbent. They do work well for those enclosures used for holding/growing rats.
Good catch, I completely missed that last question. :p Rapture hit the nail on the head as far as what we do over here for the litters -- pellets in the front half and a nice pile of aspen in the back half for the nest.

Thanks everyone, I have done just that pellets in the tubs(of course I used too much) and 1/2 pellet 1/2 shavings in the preg. tub so far so good:cheers:

I haven't seen the 40lb bags , just 10 pound bags. The 10 pound bags I've found are right around $10.Bryon not sure where you are in GA but if you have a tractor supply near you check it out, this is where I get mine from and I pay $6.25 for 40lbs. (And I am in GA)

Bryon not sure where you are in GA but if you have a tractor supply near you check it out, this is where I get mine from and I pay $6.25 for 40lbs. (And I am in GA)


wow thats crazy the price changes from place to place my tractor supply is only $4.99 although there is always a broken bag or 2 and they will usually give it to me for $1 off

I use the pellets and LOVE them! I used aspen for a while, but once i switched to pellets there is like a night and day difference...

Would you use the pellets with mice?

I just tried the pellets with my breeder groups and seem to like how it has worked. I dont use it with my moms or my mice yet but I will see how it goes.....

I put up a little pic tutorial up on our site on how much pellets I use per tub to give you an idea.
http://www.metalmonkeyexotics.com/blog/?page_id=549

And Diana is absolutely correct, the pellets once expanded are quite dusty. If you have a decent amount of rats, you will get a layer of dust on everything close by them.

Nice Connie! Thanks!