Coconut Fiber Bedding

by River Fri 02 Mar 2018, 9:26 pm

Anyone ever tried it? Would it irritate a wood allergy?

My sister has used this in the past for reptiles and we still have a ton left over so I'm wondering how it'd work! Is it good for smell, burrowing, etc.? Any risk to the eyes or lungs?

by CallaLily Sat 03 Mar 2018, 7:48 am

It’s safe. I don’t think they’d necessarily be allergic to it just because they have a wood allergy, but they could develop an allergy to it like anything else. I hear it’s great for smell but it I’ve never tried it with mice. In my experience with other pets, it can be messy and watch for mold and other fungi. I’ve had mushrooms pop up out of nowhere with it. Though with the pets I’ve used it for I kept it damp. Dry may not be an issue.

by Mahjling Sat 03 Mar 2018, 4:08 pm

Hello!
I use coconut fiber for my girls! Or rather, I use a mixture of Coconut fiber and Sphagnum moss at a ratio of one half dehydrated brick of moss to six bricks of coconut coir. Mostly to help give tunnels some extra support.

I recommend Coconut Fiber|Coconut Coir wholeheartedly, it's excellent for smell, makes amazing burrowing based enrichment, and in the long run, is far cheaper. Not only that, but it looks beautiful!

Coconut fiber shouldn't irritate a wood allergy, what we think of as 'Coconut Fiber', and which is sold for reptiles and gardening, is also known as Coconut Coir, and is made from the layer between the outer husk, and the inner shell that protects the (delicious) meat inside. This means that Coconut Coir|Fiber isn't wood at all!

That doesn't mean no mouse in the world won't be allergic to it. But it does mean that it should be absolutely safe for a wood allergic mouse.
While initial setup may be a little messy (You'll gave at least a tiny bit on the floor) it can be swept off of hardwood just fine, and is easily vacuumed up. Much moreso in my experience than other beddings.

While mold may be an issue with some pets, and while you should definitely be on the lookout for it in your mouse tank, especially if they like to hide fresh treats (vegetables, fruits), Mice like to burrow and dig, this constant churning of the soil helps to prevent mold and fungi from getting a foothold.

by River Sun 04 Mar 2018, 12:42 am

Great!! I really want to try it once my baby has her wound all healed. Does it ever get too wet that you notice? I'm wondering if it'll hold too much moisture when they use the restroom or if it absorbs it well enough. Confused

It looks so enriching and fun!! How often do you clean it? I clean once a week but I'm pretty sure this stuff is cheaper than paper bedding for larger bags. Just to get a feel of the price difference you mentioned!

by CallaLily Sun 04 Mar 2018, 11:13 am

Mahjling wrote:
While mold may be an issue with some pets, and while you should definitely be on the lookout for it in your mouse tank, especially if they like to hide fresh treats (vegetables, fruits), Mice like to burrow and dig, this constant churning of the soil helps to prevent mold and fungi from getting a foothold.

Haha. Try telling that to my hermit crabs who dig a ton but occasionally mold or mushrooms have popped up. But again, it’s a very humid environment so I’m sure that’s more the cause than the cocofiber. Laughing

It’s good to hear from someone who has used it with mice. I’ve been thinking of trying it with a possible future boy mouse. My husband is overly sensitive to the smell (go figure - he can hardly smell anything else!) but I’ve been thinking of getting another buck in the future. Very Happy

by River Sun 04 Mar 2018, 3:36 pm

I'm still debating between soil and this stuff. I think I'll check to see which is more 'dusty', but I don't know. Soil seems more common in mouse communities but they both function in relatively the same way so I think it comes down to dust. Do you find coconut fiber to be dusty at all?

Also, is it wholly necessary to bake/freeze before use with these products? How long would you do that, and how would you get it out into the oven? Or is it just 'recommended but not mandatory' like it is with Carefresh, hay, and food?

I'm also curious as to if cleaning stays the same frequency or if the fact that it breaks down all that stuff changes it?

by Mahjling Mon 05 Mar 2018, 12:11 pm

Mine retains some moisture, but not enough to matter. Using it bone dry will make it a little dusty, this is true of coco coir and soil. The kind of coco coir I use is expandable however, it comes in a dry brick, and expands in a little water, then it can be used. I have no experience with bagged coco coir, as it's less coir for more money. That being said, my expandable coir due to being a little damp, is not dusty. It does not aggravate my asthma, nor does it bother my girls.

I imagine hermit crabs are pretty humid! I've not kept Hermies in years, however =,D

If you buy Coco Coir intended for pets, there's no need to bake or freeze it.

You shouldn't have to clean it nearly as often, keep an eye on it, but whereas I was cleaning at least once every 6-7 days on things like carefresh, pellets, and aspen, I can go closer to 15+ days with just spot cleans on Coco Coir.

Note that my girls have a dedicated litter box object however, which cuts down on some cleaning. It may be a little shorter for girls who don't go in something similar.

by River Mon 05 Mar 2018, 12:40 pm

Thanks!

My oldest girl also uses a litter box, and Garcia is coming around to it! I'm definitley going to try it out. I have a brick of it stored away already. I find Carefresh is already a bit dusty so I dont think the difference will be too drastic, considering it'll also hold down ammonia better.

Is the bedding being moist noticeable or is it just slightly cool, like how potting soil is fresh out the bag? Just to get an idea of how it should be.

by Mahjling Mon 05 Mar 2018, 12:50 pm

Just a little cool. It's not 'wet' by any means, just that same sort of not sand-dry damp that soil is just under the surface. It hasn't bothered my mice at all, I assume if they didn't like it they wouldn't spend so much time digging tunnels or go out of their way to be in it!

Yours may be different of course, but from what I've experienced, no issues whatsoever~

by River Mon 05 Mar 2018, 3:06 pm

Great! I'm definitely going to try it once Graham's wound has 100% healed up. Shouldn't be too long...they love to dig, I am very excited to see what they'll make of it. Thank you so much for your time and responses.

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