Litter Pellets

Wood Stove fuel pellets as litter for Rabbits [Updated on: 04/23/17 09:46]

NO
- No Additives
- No Accelerants (makes them burn hotter)
- No Chemicals
- No Fillers
- No Binders (helps hold the pellets together)
- No Recycled material
- No Oils
- No Plastics
- No Polystyren
YES
- Yes Rotary dryer dried ~1600°F (Removes phenols)
- Yes Kiln dried (Removes phenols)
Detail Info - Pellet Brands

Wood stove fuel pellets can be a cheap alternative to pet store litter pellets.

You just need to make sure they are safe for your rabbit. Most of the 'major brands' are safe, but you should always check the bag. If you do have questions a reputable manufacture will always answer your e-mails.

Things to check for:

Wood Pellets Notes:

Things to watch out for in pellets....
- Phenols
  - According to the HRS wood pellets are not toxic: "...phenolic compounds are removed during their manufacture." - Reference.
  - Phenols are naturally occurring in some softer trees/woods
  - Possibility to cause liver damage, cancer risk, interferes with drugs like xylazine & ketamine (popular injectable anesthesias, along with dexamethasone, theophylline & all of the opioid painkillers) - reference
- Tannins
  - Tannins from trees/woods such as willow, hazelnut, oak, ash-tree, fruit trees & pines. Cheaper made pellets might contain these.
  - MediRabbit writes about twigs and branches: "Mostly, branches and leaves rich in tannin (willow, hazelnut, oak, ash-tree, fruit trees, eventually pines) are excellent in preventing coccidiosis." - "Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract of animals caused by coccidian protozoa." - Wikipedia.
  - "Without doubt, acorns can be toxic. Ironically, they're also an important food source for many kinds of wildlife, Upham said. Any yard with an oak tree also has multiple squirrels... and jays... and more. In the wild, black bears and white-tail deer will shift their range to take advantage of a good crop. Other acorn fans include voles, foxes, mice, rabbits, raccoons, mallards, quail, turkeys, wild hogs and woodpeckers. Apparently, tannin poisoning is mainly a problem for animals that can't roam to find alternate water and food sources, Upham said. For example, dogs and cattle both have been poisoned by drinking water in which oak leaves had soaked for a while. - The Acorn of Truth by K-State Research and Extension.
- Eating & Digging pellets...
  - Make sure to watch your bunny(s) around wood pellets when your try them for the first time. My boy Lop likes to eat the wood pellets like candy... this is one of the reasons that I currently can't use them.
  - "However, if your rabbit shows an interest in chewing on the wood pellets (which is unusual), manufacturers warn customers to use softwood pellets instead of hardwood pellets (certain types of hardwood can be poisonous)." - Reference.
  - If your rabbit likes to dig, dig, dig, and dig (like my girl) wood pellets might not work so well. This will also depend on the type of litter box you use. Most wood based pellets are manufactured to a very low moisture content. They are very absorbent to liquids. Once a rabbit pees on the pellets the liquid gets sucked into the pellet and then it breaks down into saw-dust. Then if the rabbit digs all of the material out of the box onto the carpet/floor this can be a mess!
- Litter reference links
  - One way to use wood stove pellets (or horse bedding pellets) as litter is to wet them before using. Bookman796 (from /r/rabbits on reddit) has created a picture how-to guide/faq.
  - Rabbit-safe litters page on the
  - House Rabbit Society (Most referenced links on pine issues)
    - Litterboxes and Liver Disease (current link) by Marinell Harriman [In consultation with Marliss Geissler, DVM, and Carolynn Harvey, DVM] {HRS}
    - The Dangers of Softwood Shavings by George Flentke, Ph.D. {HRS}
  - Best Litter Material for a Rabbit: Video featuring Amy Sedaris & Mary E. Cotter.
  - Which bedding is best by Raising-Rabbits.com
  - A very good tour on how pellets are made (start to finish using a rotary dryer) by Maine Woods Pellet Company, LLC. [With pictures]
- Available
  - Wood pellets are not sold year around in many areas (especially in warmer areas that have low sales of wood pellet stoves). When there is a cold spell in these areas the stock goes very quickly. In the Bay Area (California) many bigbox places only carry pellets for about 4-5 months starting in October (depending on local seasons.)

Premiun Blazer wood pellet fuel by West Oregon Wood Products, Inc.

Some Home Depots sell "Premiun Blazer wood pellet fuel" for pellet stoves. The brand will depend on what region of the country you live in. In warmer regions these will only be available in colder times of the year. On the west coast they get their first shipments in around October. There are 22 pallets per 53' truck and most stores only get 2-4 trucks per season. The last order is placed around mid January to early February. In the California (Bay Area) people will drive down from colder regions (100s of miles) to buy 2 or 3 pallets at the 'cheap' Bay Area price.

Here is some information on the Blazer pellets (information current as of Oct. 17th 2015.)

The "Premiun Blazer wood pellet fuel" is made by West Oregon Wood Products, Inc.
They are made mostly of Doug Fir (a harder wood.)
Cost range from $3.98 to $5.98 for 40lb bag (depending on region.)
Home Depot Info
- 1 Bag - SKU 623-182 {SKU=Stock-Keeping Unit}
  - 2016: $4.98
  - 2015: $4.98
  - 2014: $4.98 - After 11/15: $5.19
  - 2013: $4.98
- 1 Pallet - SKU 278-448 {50 bags}
  - 2016: $249 [$4.98 per bag]
  - 2015: $249 [$4.98 per bag]
  - 2014: $239 [$4.78 per bag] - After 11/15: $249 [$4.98 per bag]
  - 2013: $242 [$4.84 per bag]
"Fuel pellets are manufactured from 100% clean, native wood products, without the use of plastic binders or additives of any kind!" - source
Some Home Depots carry: Freedom Fuel Pellets, Maine Woods Pellet Company, LLC Pellets [MSDS], Pres-to-Log Premium Wood Pellet Fuel. These will all have different components in them compared to the Blazer.

I emailed West Oregon Wood Products and asked for a few more details on their pellets. They were kind enough to send back the following information:

Raw material = sawdust & shavings @ a moisture content typically in the 45-60% range
Dried down to approximately 8% through the use of a rotary dryer (if it's not @ 8% a pellet will not form)
Majority of material is Douglas Fir (time to time they get amounts [10-15%] of cedar)
Blaze Pellets MSDS {Materials Safety Data Sheet}

Thank you to the people at West Oregon Wood Products for answering my questions. There are one of the few that took the time for a customer.

Maine Woods Pellet Company

Maine Woods Pellets made by Maine Woods Pellet Company, LLC and sold at some home depot's.

Information: "Our pellets are made with 100% wood - no additives, no oils, no plastics, no polystyrene."

Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
Uses Softwoods & Hardwoods
rotary dyer used (5% moisture)
What binds our pellets together? Wood. We don't add any ingredients to our wood. Not oil. Not plastic. We use massive amounts of pressure and heat to force dried wood through small holes. This pressure and heat squeezes the natural lignin out of the wood and melts it. When it is cooled and hardened, the lignin forms that nice shiny surface on the pellets and binds them together.

I emailed the Maine Woods Pellet Company and they were kind enough to email back a responce:

"We have an animal bedding pellet that is 100 percent softwood. There is nothing in our Hardwood pellet that would be harmful to your rabbits. We have 100 percent wood in and 100 percent wood out. If other manufactures use additive or recycled material to manufacture their pellets there would possible be a problem. NO MSDS is required on our pellets."

I emailed back asking for the types of tree species that they use. Once again they kindly, the plant manager this time, emailed back with the information.

"There are several species blended together which can change slightly throughout the year. The softwood portion is a mixture of pine, spruce, and fir. Mostly pine and spruce. The hardwood portion is a lot of white birch with mostly maples and beech mixed in. There is sometimes a small amount of oak and ash. Some hemlock is added on the hardwood because it pelletizes more like a hardwood than a softwood. Some examples of the wood we DON'T use are poplar and cedar."

Thank you to the people at Maine Woods Pellet Company for answering my questions. There are one of the few that took the time for a customer.

Freedom Fuel Premium Grade Pellets Fuel

Freedom Fuel Premium Grade Pellets Fuel made by Nature's Earth Pellet Energy, LLC. and sold at some Home Depot's.

This is one of the very few pellet makers that tell you not to use their products for litter/bedding:

Q&A - Can fuel pellets be used as animal litter/bedding?
Due to the presence of tannins (compounds that interfere with iron absorption, leading to anemia), wood fuel pellets can be dangerous for animals with repeated contact. While products of similar appearance exist as cat litter and cage bedding for small pets, fuel pellets are made from a variety of waste woods, unlike pine for litter/bedding. However, there are no airborne concerns regarding tannins when burned as fuel pellets. - Source

Basic info from their webpage:

less than 6% moisture
produced from recycled sawdust
Low chloride levels and fines (dust levels)
hardwood vs softwood; once pelletized, there is negligible difference in the benefits of one over the other.
Grades of pellets per Freedom Fuel webpage
- Standard grade fuel is usually up to 3% ash content and is derived from materials that produce more residual ash, such as tree bark or agricultural residues. Standard pellets should only be burned in appliances designed to burn the higher ash content pellets.
- Premium grade is less than 1% and the pellets are usually produced from hardwood or softwood sawdust containing no tree bark.
- Super premium has less than 0.5% ash content. That's a big deal to a stove owner because you're cleaning your stove half as often compared to premium grade pellets.

I emailed Nature's Earth Pellet Energy, LLC. a number of times, they did not respond. To busy making pellets.

Canwick Hardwood Pellets

Canwick Hardwood Pellets made by Canwick and sold at Canadian Tire.

Information: "Made from all-natural residues of hardwood processing by Groupe Savoie Inc. Fewer polluting and hazardous emissions than ordinary cord wood (debarked). No additives or chemicals of any kind. Environmentally friendly and carbon neutral". $5.99 for a 40-pound bag. [November 28th, 2013]

I emailed Canwick twice, and ask a few questions about their pellets. The never responded. To busy making pellets.

Page © 2013-2024 RCR. Page hits: 7646 since November 3rd, 2013.
[Updated on: 04/23/17 09:46]
All information © of its respective owner(s).
Other things added to pellets.