How long does it last?

[StarlightSerenity]

How long does your substrate last? I'm considering, in the future, switching to hemp but the shavings I use last ages and I want to make sure that whatever I buy will last a long time and be cost effective.

I shavings I buy cost £18.49 for 20kg which lasts 9 months with one cage to fill.

What substrate do you use, how much does it cost and how long does it last?

[Charley101]

I use aubiose and it costs me £9.82 for the 20kg bale from my local farm/horse shop.

I've been using it for a few months now and I still have 1/3 of a bag. In that time, I have done regular partial cage cleans for my hamsters and my three gerbils. I have also done one full cage clean with the hams and two full cage cleans with the gerbils. I fill the gerbils tanks up half way (20cm worth). I think I have enough left for another one (possible two) cage cleans for everyone so it really has worked out well :)

[StarlightSerenity]

How soft is aubiose? There's a few places that sell it online and I might be able to find somewhere local that could deliver.

[Charley101]

When I first felt it, I must admit I thought it was a little sharp. I think it was because I was used to using wood shavings so the texture just felt a lot different to me and I wasn't used to it. Now, however, I put my hand in the bale and they feel normal and not sharp at all. It certainly isn't sharp enough to do any damage and all the hams/gerbils love digging in it without any problems.

The only thing I will say about aubiose is that from time to time you may find little fluffy clumps. I don't know what they are but they are easy to spot and remove. I can always show you a picture if you like :)

[StarlightSerenity]

Pics would be great :D

[Charley101]

Okay, I will get right on it ;)

[shazzy]

I use Aubiose too and have also had a bag for aggggges - I cant remember how long but I know it was during the winter, so a good few months, and I now have about a 1/4 left. That's with 2 hamsters and 2 big cages with a thick layer on the floor. I thought the same as Charley at first that it feels quite sharp on the hand, but once it is in the cage it feels alot better and not sharp at all. Mrs Cotton enjoys digging in it (so did Willow my Chinese before) and it forms quite good tunnels too.

I too find little random fluffy bits and wonder where the hell they came from!

EDIT to add. I used to buy megazorb but it lasted about half as long as the aubiose. I also found it very dusty, especially towards the end

[Mona's Humans]

i use aubiose too, for about the same cost as Charley, and i brought a bag in the middle of may and i have about 2 thirds left, but i use it for 2 alexanders , and a wilko's bin cage, and because Bilbo is a messy thing, his cage gets emptied fortnightly or 3 weekly!

[Charley101]

Here's the pics...

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/charleythomson/SAM_6395.jpg

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/charleythomson/SAM_6394.jpg

There are the fluffy clumps that I sometimes find...
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/charleythomson/SAM_6399.jpg

And this is the best example of a 'sharp' piece. It really isn't sharp at all!
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f277/charleythomson/SAM_6406.jpg

[Charley101]

I also find that aubiose is more absorbant and retains smell a lot better than shavings. When I solely used shavigns for my gerbils, the shavings would turn 'musky' after several weeks (even though gerbils produce less waste than hamsters). Now they are on aubiose, their bedding stays fresher a lot, lot longer (same goes for the hams too.)

[NotsoLittleOlive]

I know you mentioned hemp - but just in case you're considering other things too...
Having just finished a bag of megazorb, I worked out that it lasted 5 months fairly generously filling one ZZ2.

[StarlightSerenity]

Ooo fantastic! Thank you :D It does look good, I won't be changing for a while (still have more than half a bag of woodshavings left) but I think it's what I'll go for. Although, I probably won't change Luna because she's been on woodshavings all her life. Think the change of substrate would be a bit stressful for her at her age.

Whats it like for burrowing? Hobbes' doesn't burrow but I think he will when he has his Kios.

[StarlightSerenity]

I also find that aubiose is more absorbant and retains smell a lot better than shavings. When I solely used shavigns for my gerbils, the shavings would turn 'musky' after several weeks (even though gerbils produce less waste than hamsters). Now they are on aubiose, their bedding stays fresher a lot, lot longer (same goes for the hams too.)

I've not noticed anything like that with the shavings I have but I haven't got anything to compare it to... Although saying that, I do do full clean outs every two to three weeks. Starting to wonder if I do it too often tbh. Thinking of doing half cleans instead of full ones.

I know you mentioned hemp - but just in case you're considering other things too...
Having just finished a bag of megazorb, I worked out that it lasted 5 months fairly generously filling one ZZ2.

I'm a bit cautious where Megazorb is concerned because of people who have said that they're allergic to it. I have fur and dust allergies and worry that I'd spent a load of money only to find I'm allergic to it :/

[NotsoLittleOlive]

I'm allergic to it :P
I have hay fever and I'm allergic to dust and pet dander.
In that case i'd warn you off it. It's a shame cus it's the softest, cleanest looking one imo.

[StarlightSerenity]

It does look really good and it's a shame that there is a relatively high risk of being allergic to it (in comparison to other substrates). Wonder what it is in it that people are allergic to?

[NotsoLittleOlive]

Ooh dunno. I think it's the dustiness that gets me but some people get skin irritation off it which is a little alarming =\ I wonder if that's caused by whatever is used to bleach the pulp.

[StarlightSerenity]

I'm going to send an email to the people who make it, see if they know why.

[fluffymunchkins]

I really like aubiose and it lasts a good while even with my 7 cages. I usually use up a bag after 3-4 months, cleaning out each cage every 2-3 weeks :)
I did like megazorb too but the dustiness must have caused the allergic reactions, or so thats what I think it was (watering eyes, itchiness and rashes). I did once have an a rash after using aubiose and I also avoid putting my face near the bag as it can make me cough. But the hamsters love digging in it and its very efficient for me to use x

[Womblehands]

I adore megazorb even tho it makes me sneeze..

My bag lasts around 7 mnths with 2 large cages.. and is around £13 give or take.

[chewy1991]

The aspen I use (I cannot remember the brand name at the moment...) seems to last a while. For Buttercup, it would last 1-2 weeks (depending on whether she was in heat or not) and for the gerbils it can last a month, give or take. Never have a problem with excessive smell with it.

Carefresh - which I use occasionally (and I suppose will be using a lot with Charlie) doesn't last nearly as long. When I used it for the gerbils, I had to change their tanks every other week. With Buttercup, it would sometimes stink after five days. Critter Care (an off brand Carefresh) was pretty much exactly the same.

ETA: As far as how long the bags go, since I have gerbils (which get a LOT of bedding for burrowing) I'm not even sure. lol Sometimes I buy separate bags of bedding (some for hamster, others for gerbils) and I believe Buttercup's would last two changes. But that was because of how much I use and the fact that I buy the smallest bag and just stock up by buying multiple bags. I have nowhere to store the big ones.

[kyrilliondaemon]

We use aubiose and its good for burrowing :)
Muffin makes entire little networks in his and the hybrids do the same until they decide to try and create an entrance underneath the entire sand bath (the heaviest item in the cage even before said sand baths were ceramic). Then the hybrids have the sand bath in a big ditch and tunnels everywhere else lol

Skip is on shavings but aubiose is the one we prefer. It lasts us ages unless we do a full cage clean. Then it depends on the cage...

I think we pay £29.50 for two bags including the delivery. Its more expensive than it is for others but we can't buy it locally.