Is German softwood safe?

[Ullumini]

(This is a pretty long read, I'm sorry!)
Aspen and paper bedding isn't sold anywhere in my country, so I can't get good brands like Carefresh. Most bedding I've found are unbranded and made of either pine or tweak.
So, I started shredding paper by hand for my hamster, Pip. It's a laborious process because I provided her a reasonably large cage (I bought her a cat cage with some modifications, because all the 'hamster cages' were ridiculously tiny)
Because of this, I've had the problems like stench and waste buildup (because I'm getting tired to replacing her bedding)
Recently, while shopping online for her food, I found a new bedding called 'German Horse Span Classic'. It's imported from Germany (and I know that it is because all the labels are in german), it's cheap and it looks very soft. All the sellers say it's out of 'German softwood', and I assume that they directly translated it from the labels.
I've heard of 'german softwood' before, from another brand which I can't seem to remember. Both brands didn't specify what kind of softwood they were.
I've heard from another thread that german softwood is usually kiln dried and therefore somewhat safe for hamsters.
The horse shavings are intended for horses (I just read their website) but sellers in my country market it for hamsters too; whether or not they made it up to increase sales I don't know.
So my question is, are 'german softwood' shavings really safe for hamsters? And if so, should I buy the german horse shavings or keep looking for that other brand?
Thank you for reading!
(Update! If found out that the other brand is Vitakraft, and the product name is Kleinter-Streu)

[Pebbles82]

It depends what softwood. A lot of German pine shavings - eg Chips Super or Tierwolt - have a good percentage of Spruce softwood (which is equivalent to hardwood as in negligible phenols), and part standard pine wood. It is kiln dried and dust extracted as well. If it just says "Softwood" it could be anything so you have to assume it's pine. You need to check the label carefully. Just because it's called German Horse Span Classic - doesn't mean it is made/produced actually in Germany (where they have strict kiln drying laws).

Kleinter Streu just means bedding for small animals Kleinter - small - streu - substrate.

I'll google them.

Ok the Vitakraft one is just pine/softwood shavings. It says low dust. It doesn't say they are kiln dried so I'd be a bit cautious, although it is a German brand so it probably is kiln dried.

I wouldn't get the German Horse Span Classic. I've linked the product page below and you can see what it looks like in the video. It's pine shavings basically but very fine and almost looks like sawdust and a bit dusty looking - just says minimal dust. Of the two the vitakraft one is probably better.

But - see if you can find other horse beddings available. You can sometimes get hemp bedding sold in bulk for horses. Which country are you in by the way? Rat rations in the Uk ships to quite a few countries although the postage might make it not viable.

This is the Horse Span link

German Horse Pellets : Span Classic

If you can only get kiln dried pine shavings, then they should be fine - as long as kiln dried and dust extracted. If you can get that, then maybe you could mix that with your paper bedding and have half and half. Less bedding to make and a better mix of substrate.

[Ullumini]

Thank you so much for the help!
I'm from Indonesia, basically from the other side of the world from Europe and America.
I translated some of the german labels on the vitakraft bedding, and they said it was made out of 'untreated softwood', which may have meant that they didn't kiln dry it?
I'm becoming more wary of the product, but also a bit more desperate. Would it be okay to use a little bit of the bedding? I'd use a 1:3 ratio of vitakraft and hand-shredded paper.
I'm also considering wood pellets from cat litter, they're pretty abundant here, but they're made out of pine (again, because apparently they can't get enough of it)
Should I consider it as an option as well?

[Pebbles82]

I noticed it said untreated pine wood. It's difficult to know - it could just mean the pine wood hasn't been treated with anything, rather than not being kiln dried, but yes I suppose it could mean it hasn't been kiln dried - unless it says it's been kiln dried. Because it's a german brand and they have to be kiln dried by law I would think it has been but it would be important to know as non kiln dried isn't safe.

I've looked at German Amazon reviews for it and there are complaints that it smells stronger than other pine bedding - so I would assume it hasn't been kiln dried in that case. So not safe. It is the phenols in the pine that are harmful and kiln drying removes most, but not all of the phenols. If the pine has a stronger smell and it says it is untreated then we'll have to assume it's not kiln dried.

Where can you buy bedding from? I will see what else I can find for you. Can you google hemp bedding in your area? That can be good.

[Pebbles82]

Apparently there is a bedding sold in Indonesia called Sundog which is white birch shavings (a hardwood so absolutely fine) - but some packets are scented. You don't want the scented one. Apparently the green packet is unscented - but the info I found was from four years ago. Hopefully they still make it. Maybe try googling Sundog birch shavings (translated into Indonesian! You could use Google Translate. What language is it in Indonesia by the way?!)

[Pebbles82]

Apparently Oxbow Pure Comfort may be available too. That is paper bedding. It's quite good, I've used it.

[Pebbles82]

I found this link for Aspen as well

https://www.tokopedia.com/ezyclick/aspen-bedding

If you can find the Oxbow it would be better than Aspen in my opinion as some aspen can be quite dusty.

This was also recommended on Reddit - handmade tissue bedding

https://shopee.co.id/Paket-1-Lusin-(...808?smtt=0.0.9