Recommended online stores for wooden beads/hearts/misc?

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Sesame

Sesame

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
572
Location
Maryland
I'm looking to spice up my hanging toys with safe wood (probably pine) cutouts like stars and hearts, beads, drilled popsicle sticks, wheel-shaped, and maybe wooden lollipop sticks. I've been using coins and whirlies, but I wanted to give my chin a variety of shaped woods to keep her interested and change things up a bit.

Can anyone recommend some sites that sell these sort of items that are chin safe? I've seen a few bird ones, but I'm unsure if they have the same standards on wood for chins. I don't particularly want to buy in bulk because I only want to make a few for my chin.

Thanks!
 
You have to watch the ebay stores. A lot of wood parts are made from birch which is not a chin safe wood. I would email the seller to ask before buying.

Safe Wood Species for Chinchillas: apple, arbutus, ash, aspen, bamboo, blackberry, cholla, cottonwood, crabapple, dogwood, elm, gooseberry*, grapevine, hawthorn, hazelnut, loquat, magnolia, Manzanita, medlar, mulberry, pear, pecan, kiln-dried white pine, poplar, quince, rowanberry, rose hip, strawberry, and willow

Toxic Wood Species for Chinchillas: almond, apricot, beech, birch, black locust, black lotus, box elder, cedar, cherry, chestnut, china berry, citrus woods (like orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit), cypress, elderberry, eucalyptus, fir, hemlock, juniper, laurel, maple, myrtle, nectarine, oak, oleander, peach, fresh or pressure-treated or red pine, pinecones, plum, prune, redwood, spruce, walnut, yew, or any man made boards such as cardboard, fiberboard, or plywood
 
She doesn't have the pretty shapes, but my chins are most excited when they get toys strung with different types of wood with bark from PPbyN...they don't last long here though because the chins don't stop chewing until there's nothing left. With pine or other types, they'll pretty much ignore the wood after the edges have been well rounded.
http://www.petproductsbynature.com/index.html
 
You have to watch the ebay stores. A lot of wood parts are made from birch which is not a chin safe wood. I would email the seller to ask before buying.
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Birch is fine. Many, many people use birch and have done so for years with no issue.

http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1638&highlight=birch

I'm also not sure where you got the idea that cardboard was going to hurt a chin. If that's true, mine would all be dead. They love nothing better than for me to throw in toilet paper tubes, empty USPS priority boxes, empty 12 pack cartons. They have a ball with it and I've never had an issue.
 
I pulled that off of a website. I give mine cardboard TP/paper towels rolls as well so I don't agree with it going to hurt a chin.
 
I'm not sure her website but I know she is a member here. My friend gets her wood chews through forchinatechins. She said they have really good prices and everything is very prompt. I'm planning on ordering through her when I start running out of toys and stuff but she has a lot of safe chews and woods there.
 
What about those bird toys you can find in stores like Petco and Pet Supplies Plus? Some of them say they are grapevine, some don't say anything as to what they are. Do any of you think THOSE are safe? They look so nice and big! But I'm not sure about them.
 
For grapevine items, I buy it from other forum members because it's a better deal.
 
First off, thanks for making this thread- I was thinking about this a while back but completely forgot to ask!

Second, when you look on these bird sites, if something is colored (like the stars, wooden beads, etc.) and all it says is "hardwood", is it safe to assume it's pine? I've never ordered from a bird store because most of them are just so vague about what there products are sometimes and I'm paranoid that I'll give them something that isn't good for them.
 
Pine is not hardwood, it is soft. Trees with needles (conifers) are considered softwood. They are typically (though not always) less dense and easier to cut than broad leaf trees, which are considered hardwood. If it's bird safe, chances are its chinnie safe as well, but it never hurts to ask.
 
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I'll be adding toy part shapes to the store soon too :) not sure how soon LOL but they will be added :) got picture uploading issues with the site right now :(
 
Twizted said:
... when you look on these bird sites, if something is colored (like the stars, wooden beads, etc.) and all it says is "hardwood", is it safe to assume it's pine? I've never ordered from a bird store because most of them are just so vague about what there products are sometimes and I'm paranoid that I'll give them something that isn't good for them.
Click to expand...

Ditto, I have also wondered the same....does anyone here know if its safe for a chin?
 
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