Megazorb vs card based bedding vs Fitch vs flax based?

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sazmatazz

sazmatazz

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My dilemma about bedding is ongoing.

The mixed reviews for Fitch mean I don't know whether it's the right thing...

I was also considering repticard (same as finacard) which is around the same price as Fitch, but then got recommended Walmsley bedding which is very similar to repti and fina card but less than half the price. It only seems to be available in the Yorkshire area but even the shops on their list of stockists don't seem to stock it.

I spoke to one of the alleged stockists and was told the demand for it is low so they don't often have it. He recommended Megazorb, but couldn't remember how big the bag is. It's only 6.50 per bag but I don't know if that's good value for money. I also saw on TGPF that this isn't recommended due to being dusty?

I was recently in contact with Gorgeous Guineas who recommended flax based horse bedding, but I can't seem to find a nearby stockist.
There's a place near me which stocks Rapport bedding - "Hemcore Horse Bedding is made from the straw from oil seed rape which is grown and processed entirely in the UK. A 'green' product which is full recyclable into useful compost." Does anyone know anything about this?

I am just getting more and more confused and the bedding situation is getting more and more urgent, we've only got about a weeks worth left.
 
finacard beats hemp to me :-) hemcore is treated with citronella so shouldnt be used to rodents IMHO. Re: megazorb some people use it just fine but its actually dearer than it seems because its a small not compressed bag, its about 80 litres whereas finacard is 220 litres x
 
I started with wood shavings but as so many people suggested these weren't good for piggies I then tried megazorb. I hated megazorb - yes, it was absorbent and easy to clean but it was seriously dusty (irritated my nose and throat only through putting clean stuff in hutch) and it has a horrible smell. I think that the manufacturer has recently started to say it is not suitable for small animals. I then went back to wood shavings while I tried to figure out what to do next. This morning, I ordered my first bag of fitch, hopefully to arrive tomorrow. I have only heard good things about this so fingers crossed. I haven't heard of the other types of bedding you mentioned. A lot of it is trial, error and personal opinion.

Good luck!
 
I am having real trouble with this. I need something paper based or flax based ideally to see if it makes a difference with ongoing skin probs. I also read that finacard can be dusty.
I know oils and dust are the worst thing for piggy skin and respiration - also read that citronella, lavender etc is not suitable for piggies. I just seem to be going round and round in circles! I thought the Walmsley stuff had solved all my problems but it seems very difficult to get hold of.
 
Just that it's not great for absorbency and although not too badly priced, not the best out there. I should mention on top of all my other requirements, I am on a tight budget so need to make sure I get the best value for money. I also don't buy newspapers so I don't want to spend less on less absorbent bedding that I have to use more newspaper with. What a nightmare!
 
hmmmm, do you have friends/family/colleagues you could get old newspapers from? I think everyone has different ideas of what they are looking for so one person will love fitch (for example) and another will not think its good enough. As you say, you are on a deadline so decisions need to be made ASAP. Seems like you have done your research into it all and if you cant find a stockist for your top option you will have to go for the next best available option.
 
I do use cardboard (mainly crisp boxes from my local shop) and newspaper (which I get from friends/relatives and the metro!) but it's not in endless supply so I need as good as I can get for absorbency really. I've been using shavings and/or shredding for some time which isn't great for absorbency & is most likely contributing to the skin probs of one of my piggies who seems sensitive to dust etc. (Although my piggies have always been otherwise healthy and have never had respiratory problems upto now) I've started ordering skin products for her from gorgeous guineas who recommend flax based bedding or paper based when it comes to sensitive piggy skin. I am just finding it really hard to make a decision. I think if I can find a flax bedding locally that is a reasonable price I will try that, if not I will order some fitch. I just don't want to make a bad decision and be stuck with a huge bale or have to then buy something else.

P.s. I really recommend using cardboard under your newspaper for absorbency - it really does the trick - do roll or fold when disposing though as it can can take up a lot of space otherwise! My shop have to pay to dispose of their cardboard packaging so it's likely you will be able to get carboard easily from your local shop or supermarket.
 
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Fitch is very very absorbent, whole water bottles have leaked on mine and its still dry :-) fleece is good for sensitive piggies also x
 
I've previously tried fleece but I didn't get on with it. My piggies seem to shed a lot & everything was just constantly covered in white hair. The fleece was coming out of the machine still covered & then covering everything that was put in the machine even after I'd done an empty hot wash to clean it and wiped out the inside/seals etc. It also seems to smell more - they are kept indoors. I do give them a fleece blanket in their house in the cooler weather but I have to hand wash it usually. I think the shedding situation may be even worse since we got our new piggy mabel as she seems to have very fine hairs, almost like cat hairs, which never come off anything! Argh!
 
I have fleece downstairs, and it's well worth the initial expensive costs, and then use Dengie Medibed upstairs. It's a dust free finely chopped straw that my piggies have had no problem with. They ate it to begin with but it has a bitter aftertaste and they haven't done since, they stick to hay now! The stuff that makes it taste bad is non toxic so if they do eat some they'll be fine. It's very absorbant, but you can tell where the wet patches are after a few days as it gets very wet.
 
It was the washing/hair situation with fleece that put me off really. Plus as I only have 2 piggies I'm sure running the machine just with their blankets in isn't very economical. Especially as I'd probably need to run my machine empty more than once to get the hairs out and prevent my (mainly black) wardrobe being covered in thousands of white hairs! (Should have got black piggies, ha ha!) Reasonable fleece is available relatively cheaply now too.
How much does the Dengie Medibed cost? I can't find a local supplier for it but if it can be delivered relatively cheaply it might be worth a try. Does it come in bales/large quantities?
I've fired off a few emails about the Rapport flax bedding to try and find out if that is suitable as I can buy it locally - if not I think I will give fitch a try.
 
sazmatazz said:
How much does the Dengie Medibed cost? I can't find a local supplier for it but if it can be delivered relatively cheaply it might be worth a try. Does it come in bales/large quantities?
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I just bought a bag! It was £18.70 for a 20kg bag, works out at just over 80p a kilo. My last bag lasted me nearly 4 months because it's compressed as well. Once i'd decided to try it I really struggled to find it, turn out my local kennelgate keep a bag in. They are normally also willing to order it in for you if they don't already have one available. So if you could find your nearest kennelgate and ask them? My only other option was to look at farm shops/stables to see if they had any but I didn't need that in the end. Whilst it's great that a bag last forever the smallest you can buy is 20kg so it's only practical if you have the storage space.
 
Hey I use Auboise in my hutches which I get from Farmway or online from Country Store for £11 a bale. It's so well packed it filled my massive plastic bedding dustbin within seconds but hardly used any from the bale. I mix it in with recycled paper based litter (cat litter) from pets @ home to help with absorbancy. It's not dusty or smelly and really easy to clean. Some people are wary of using it as it's harder than wood shavings but my guineas and rabbits don't have a problem with it. I too have tried different materials, the last one being megazorb. I hated that, it smells bad and I found it very dusty. I covered the floor of the hutches with floor cushioning tiles so they are easy to keep clean. I have a litter tray that has a layer of newspaper in, then the mixture of auboise/ paper litter and stacks of fresh hay -( covered with a large log roll) in the hutch too as my gpigs love to sleep in it and poop in it lol, I want to try the strips of tea bag bedding but am unsure if it will be warm enough for them.. Can someone explain what Finacard is and what Fitch is please?
 
Loutopia said:
Hey I use Auboise in my hutches which I get from Farmway or online from Country Store for £11 a bale. It's so well packed it filled my massive plastic bedding dustbin within seconds but hardly used any from the bale. I mix it in with recycled paper based litter (cat litter) from pets @ home to help with absorbancy. It's not dusty or smelly and really easy to clean. Some people are wary of using it as it's harder than wood shavings but my guineas and rabbits don't have a problem with it. I too have tried different materials, the last one being megazorb. I hated that, it smells bad and I found it very dusty. I covered the floor of the hutches with floor cushioning tiles so they are easy to keep clean. I have a litter tray that has a layer of newspaper in, then the mixture of auboise/ paper litter and stacks of fresh hay -( covered with a large log roll) in the hutch too as my gpigs love to sleep in it and poop in it lol, I want to try the strips of tea bag bedding but am unsure if it will be warm enough for them.. Can someone explain what Finacard is and what Fitch is please?
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I notice that you're from Darlington. I normally got my Megazorb from Farmway at Stokesley but the last 2 bags I got was from Farmway at Darlington & it smelt horrible, sort of foisty smell where as normally it was a sort of baked sort of smell. I've just tried MaxiBed from http://www.recyclingresources.co.uk/maxibed but it has such a strong smell of pine that I don't think it would be suitable long term for guinea pigs. It's probably the best thing I've used since Megazorb but I may give Auboise a try before I decide to go back to Megazorb which is the best of all types of bedding I've tried over last 2 years. With Megazorb or MaxiBed I get a week between changes. With Megazorb I can re-use between 1/4 to 1/3 of it but with MaxiBed it's hard to see what has been soiled or not so I have to change it all. Fitch comes third in my list.

For their bedding area I use cat lit trays with a layer of newspaper then White Paper (Teabag) Bedding (from Lawson Animal Feeds at Ferryhill) covered in a mound of hay which is topped up daily & the newspaper & paper bedding changed twice a week.
 
Yeah I got my megazorb from farmway in Darlington, tbh it's totally put me off using it, the auboise is a compromise, as it's practical for cleaning/maintenance, a bale seems to last forever, no smell, no dust, the gpigs seem to be content with it - it just doesn't look the softest of bedding. But will try some of the tea bag bedding and combine all 3 I think, paper litter, Auboise (farmway also do this) and tea bag strips. My gpigs have decided not to poo in their sleeping trays tho and I find nice piles next to them instead lol! Bless them! Oh they also have an igloo which I put the strips of soft white small animal bedding that's £1 a bag in p@h in them for comfort on top of the auboise, the pee seems to soak into it and leave the auboise dry underneath, they seem to love that stuff so every other day I lift the damp bits out and replace with fresh, top up their hay trays etc when I bring them in over winter I will probably just use the paper litter for easiness.
 
With the Megazorb & MaxiBed I put them on top of a thick layer of newspaper with a layer of hay on top because they didn't like walking on it until it's time to clean them out, then they go round the run like a piggy train, five in a line. I don't take them out of the run till it's time to put the new newspaper down because they seem to enjoy scurrying about as I clean it out. If I decide to give Auboise, I'll probably use it in same way as Megazorb & MaxiBed. The newspaper bottom layer does make a bid difference when cleaning them out because there's not often complete wee penetration of this.
 
Fitch is here: http://www.fitchrecycling.co.uk/animal-bedding/horse-bedding.html it is paper based and apparently good for comfort and absorbency.

Finacard looks like shredded corregated cardboard but I've seen people mention dustiness. Walmsley premier bed is also cardboard based but more like chips of card rather than shredded and is less dusty - but I can't get hold of any.

I ordered some Fitch, which is only £7 per 20kg compressed bale but delivery takes it up to £15. They are in Cheshire & you can collect if you're in the area.
 
I just started to use Fitch for my 2 piggies and I am loving it. No smell from the bedding itself, no dust at all, it doesn't fly around out of the cage when the piggies run around. They are on the Second day with the same bedding, I only spotted clean it, and there was no wee wee smell. Highly absorbent. Great for the price and I can tell one bale is going to last me months. Happy happy.
 
Smashing thanks guys :-) I reckon I might try the fitch after this auboise, with a thick layer of newspaper underneath, I can try my local farmway store to see if they have it. Then I can make a choice between that, megazorb and auboise I think.... Maybe I just had a bad experience of megazorb or a bad batch so will see what the piggies make of fitch and then make an informed decision. Thanks everyone for the input and advice - it was extremely helpful :-) x
 
Stewybus said:
With the Megazorb & MaxiBed I put them on top of a thick layer of newspaper with a layer of hay on top because they didn't like walking on it until it's time to clean them out, then they go round the run like a piggy train, five in a line. I don't take them out of the run till it's time to put the new newspaper down because they seem to enjoy scurrying about as I clean it out. If I decide to give Auboise, I'll probably use it in same way as Megazorb & MaxiBed. The newspaper bottom layer does make a bid difference when cleaning them out because there's not often complete wee penetration of this.
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You will have to let me know how you get on with it!
 
Loutopia said:
Smashing thanks guys :-) I reckon I might try the fitch after this auboise, with a thick layer of newspaper underneath, I can try my local farmway store to see if they have it. Then I can make a choice between that, megazorb and auboise I think.... Maybe I just had a bad experience of megazorb or a bad batch so will see what the piggies make of fitch and then make an informed decision. Thanks everyone for the input and advice - it was extremely helpful :-) x
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Megazorb usually has a sort of roasted type of smell but the 2 bags I got from Darlington were foisty smelling. I'll let you know how I get on with Aubiose. I'll pop into Farmway on Wednesday if Millbry at Richmond don't have it.
 
I've just got my first bag of Fitch today and put in my piggies cages, I have four cages at the moment due one of them being a boy and I'm waiting for him to be old enough and strong to be neutered so he can live with all the girls, so I'm hoping this bag will at least last a month.

I've tried wood shavings and fleece prior but i didn't get on with either of them, with fleece i had to change the cages twice a week and spot clean 2-3 times a day, but it was really smelly no matter what i put under it and having to juggle that with work was quite stressful.

Wood shavings was really messy and smelt after day 4 and was pretty dusty which can't have been good for them.

My first impression of Fitch is it's really good, when i opened the bag they was no dust at all and it has no smell what so ever, it fluffs up nicely and is incredibly soft and warm. I have thick layer of newspaper underneath and then the Fitch, The piggies seem to love it too, lots of popcorn's!

Also with shavings when the pigs ran laps it would get kicked everywhere, so far there's nothing been kicked out!

Depending on how long it lasts i think I'm converted.

Just a quick a question how thick of a layer did you guys put in your cages?
 
Hi

In my shed I use newspaper, then a layer or Aubiose then medibed on top for softness..then hay (yes they are spoilt). This works well as the Aubiose is very absorbent but like a lot of people say, not comfy. A bag each of these with a 22foot cage lasts me a long time (6-8 weeks).

I love fitch and would use this for the C&C but its too expensive for that size cage. However I use it for my hamster and the piggies indoor cage for when they are in the house or most recently as a hospital cage. I cannot fault it, absorbent, no odour, easy to spot clean, and you can see if there is any blood in the urine as its white, so easy to keep a check.

Hamster loves it and makes wonderful nests!

In terms of depth, I put loads in to start with but you don't need to. I now put about 2 inches down and thats probably more than enough.

Re Megazorb, I used it for ages and loved it, however I found it to be more and more dusty, started to find foreign objects in it and it made my face itch. I spoke to the manufacturers and they categorically told me that it was not manufactured for small animals so I stopped using it. I to be honest, would'nt even put a horse on it its got so dusty.

Hope that helps.
 
I use a layer of cardboard (usually crisp box or similar from my local shop) with a few newspapers then a layer of fitch which is probably about 2inches deep ish. I have a 140cm cage and use about three quarters of a trug tub full (I fill up the tub as I cant lift the bale & there's no room to take the cage to the bale as it's in the hallway cupboard.) It lasts a week with no smell at all.
 
sazmatazz said:
Fitch is here: http://www.fitchrecycling.co.uk/animal-bedding/horse-bedding.html it is paper based and apparently good for comfort and absorbency.

Finacard looks like shredded corregated cardboard but I've seen people mention dustiness. Walmsley premier bed is also cardboard based but more like chips of card rather than shredded and is less dusty - but I can't get hold of any.

I ordered some Fitch, which is only £7 per 20kg compressed bale but delivery takes it up to £15. They are in Cheshire & you can collect if you're in the area.
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Hi, I use Walmsley Premierbed & go direct to their farm buildings in Thorner (north Leeds, just off the A64) where they produce it. I just ring them up & tell them how many bales I want & arrange a time to go pick them up, they charge £5.50 a bale direct from them.

I'm having a problem with one of my older boars who sits in his favourite tray most of the day & often ends up with a damp bottom. In his tray I've been putting a couple of sheets of Plenty kitchen roll, followed by a few sheets of newspaper, some Walmsley & a big pile of hay but he still gets damp. I've started putting a piece of fleece on top of the Walmsley instead of the hay & he is dry on that but he loves his hay & so goes & sits on any strand of hay in his cage instead! I like the sound of Fitch but it would cost me double the amount I'm paying at the moment & I was going to get some Megazorb just for the tray areas but not sure now reading this thread.... anybody got any other ideas for my damp piggy's bum?
 
I tried Fitch after reading good reviews but found it quite costly, I have 2 6ft x 2ft cages. I've ended up switching to BEDEXCEL - it's just cardboard chopped up and is ideal as I can get it from the local farm shop one bag does 4 cage cleans.
 
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