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Post by minimouse on Nov 27, 2013 19:53:55 GMT 10
So I have tried many substrate ideas over the past year or so... And mouskateers' poll that she had put up was very useful, to find out what everyone prefers.
I have been ( and sort of stuck to ) on wood shavings for a while because I like to give my mice the opportunity to dig. But ( as with many beddings ) it starts to get expensive. I dont put much in, about 10cm, so they have a small depth they can go. ( it's better with handling as well ) Here is what it looks like now;
Not the best picture... Sorry.
Any way I will cut to my point. I was wondering if some sort of potting mix, mixed in with the wood shavings would be safe? I'm not to sure I've done a bit of research but thought it would be best to ask here and now. The reason why is that mixing the potting mix ( its very cheap by the way, might try and go with it on its own ) with the wood shavings was my plan is so I wont run out of the shavings ( its great for them to burrow in ) so quickly. Also when I say mix, I mean mix. Like to combine them both. I dont know I just thought to give it a try?
Thanks for your time! ~MiniMouse <3
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Post by greydawnbreaking on Nov 27, 2013 21:46:23 GMT 10
I wouldn't recommend using potting soil, since it isn't designed for small animal use. Potting soil will probably have fertilizer added to it, which would be highly toxic to the mice. Additionally, potting soil's not very absorbent, so it would get muddy with urine. Finally, since it's not a "clean" substrate, your mice are going to get covered in dirt. Mice are naturally clean animals and wouldn't like to live covered in dirt any more than we would, and the stress of trying to remove all the dirt could be a problem (not to mention the issue of them ingesting it while grooming).
If you did use it, you would have to make sure you chose potting soil with no added fertilizer whatsoever, and that it was as fast-draining as possible. You should also manually sterilize any soil you used, to eliminate pathogens or parasites that might be present in the mix. You could do that by freezing the bags for at least two days (thaw before using) or baking the soil in a thin layer on a cookie sheet for at least 20 minutes (cool before using). Keep in mind that because the soil and the shavings are of different particle sizes and densities, you probably will get a settling-out of the smaller potting soil particles down to the bottom of the cage.
There are soil-like substrates out there that don't have potting soil's weaknesses, but they're also pricy. Another cost-effective option is to use a paper-based cat litter like Breeder's Choice.
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Post by minimouse on Nov 28, 2013 6:51:04 GMT 10
Thanks again greydawnbreaking (sorry I don't know how to respond to your comments yet) I did have a think about it after and wanst so fond of the idea. You have helped alot and have amazing points there! I have tried breeders choice for a while (i loved it!) but I wanted to give my mice tunneling. Most of the time (wasnt shown in this picture) I put the breeders choice on the bottom then the wood shavings. But thank you
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Post by mousekateers on Nov 29, 2013 21:15:35 GMT 10
A cheaper brand of Breeders Choice is "Back 2 Nature" if you can get it. You're idea of using soil mixed with other things is great and has been done to some success by Aneilka in WA, she is on these boards. Their natural mousery setup is wonderful, the mice love it, so long as you get it right. You have to be careful that the soil does not become too damp because that will encourage respiratory infections.
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