Aspen as a chew toy

[Luciole]

I know that aspen is safe as a bedding, but do chinchillas like it as a chew toy? A friend of mine gave me a few pounds of aspen for the chinchillas, but I want to know if it will be worth the time to scrub, boil and bake it.

Has anyone used aspen to make toys? I've only used apple wood (which my chinchillas looooove), but I don't know if aspen typically generates the same bug-eyed and drooling reaction from chinchillas.

 

[AZChins]

You can use it to make toys...the chins like it pretty well. It's a dream to cut and prepare.

What you need to do is scrub it off with soapy water. Aspen has a chalky residue that you really should scrub off and then rinse it really well. Don't boil it, that isn't necessary and it would probably make the wood look bad. Bake it at 350 for about 20 minutes if it is fairly dry wood. If it's a little wet, you may need to bake it for 40 minutes or more.

I don't use it much in toys because it's hard for me to get it and know that it wasn't sprayed for sure. The only place I can get it is up north of here from places that would probably require a permit to cut it.

Some chins really really like it. You can use it in toys for sure. I don't know if it would get the same reaction as apple wood.

 

[Luciole]

AZ: Thanks. I just discovered that my aspen is moldy :cry3: . How frustrating.

There was a small bag of apple wood on top of the aspen and although the apple looks perfectly fine, it smells moldy. Maybe the smell is from being so close to the aspen? Don't know if it is safe to prepare. My entire supply is potentially destroyed. Lesson learned, I guess. But, this is the second time I've had a mold problem. This time I left the bags open so there would be adequate ventilation :thinking2:

 

[Twilight Chinchillas]

I just cut down as aspen tree from my neighbors (small tree) so haven't played around with it yet. When you say bags, you really should be storing your wood in cardboard boxes, nothing that can retain any moisture so the wood can breath.
I leave the boxes open, and never seal them shut.

 

[AZChins]

Aspen has a very distinct smell to it. Are you sure that it's a mold smell on the apple and not just that aspen smell?

Definitely store wood out in the open if it hasn't dried out very well or been baked.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

What does an aspen tree even look like?


I wish I knew what trees were what. 10 and 1/2 acres of land with plenty of trees...

 

[AZChins]

http://sp.life123.com/bm.pix/aspen-tree.s600x600.jpg

It has light colored bark and you'll know exactly what you're looking at if you look at some of the pictures on the internet.

 

[BooBoo*TheKiddo*]

Thanks Susan. I just might do that. =)

 

[Luciole]

Susan: The aspen has fuzzy grayish-white mold on the cut ends. It was pretty damp inside the bag.

What do you recommend I do with the apple twigs? I've been carefully inspecting it and don't see anything. Maybe I'll spread the twigs out to air them and then smell them again after they've been aired overnight. The odor might simply have been from being in close proximity to the aspen.

We're worried about the toxins that might have been produced by the mold, right? And the toxins aren't necessarily destroyed during the boiling/baking process. I wish I knew which species of mold it is.

 

[AZChins]

You can kill the mold by baking it. I'd scrub it up really well and bake it for 20 minutes or so to kill everything. Of course, you could just toss out the wood just in case and start over with new wood.

 

[Luciole]

Susan: Thanks, again. I'm still concerned that boiling/baking won't destroy the toxins produced by the mold (assuming it is a toxic species). I'll try to find out what temperatures of heat are required to deactivate mold toxins. The mold, itself, is easily destroyed but the toxins probably require much higher temps.