Wood

[nikkik0720]

So I'm not too sure which category this should go under, but figured since it has to do with chins eating, it could go here.

I have a few questions about wood.

My brother and sister-in-law have a nice grape arbor in their back yard. It's all natural, has never been sprayed/treated with chemicals/pesticides. They said I can take some of the vine/wood for my chinchillas. I was just wondering what parts to take. When I was up there yesterday, I got some of the dry ends that would break off. Is that okay to use? Or does it have to been the green/new growth?
This takes me to my second question. How exactly do I prepare the wood? I know you need to boil/scrub it and bake it, but can someone give me more specific/step-by-step instructions? The wood I have (if it's okay to use) is pretty thin stuff, like less than the thickness of a pencil.

I know that a lot of people sell wood that's already prepared and ready for chins to eat, but it can be expensive, especially with how fast my three go through it. I would like to learn how to do it myself.

 

[Amethyst]

Here is a How to Prepare wood link on the forum. I don't see why the old growth would be a problem, it would just require less baking/drying time then fresh green wood.

 

[Shenanigans]

I've been doing quite a bit with grape. If it's green that basically means it's this years growth. If it's brown it's either dead or older than a year. I personally stay away from dead stuff, but that's because I'm trying to tame down grapevine that's going wild over my boyfriend's parents property and it's the live stuff we're dealing with first.
To cook it, I normally get water boiling (with a pinch of salt-it helps the water boil at a higher temperature to kill microbes and stuff) and for grapevine I usually put it in for a half hour. You want to stir it occasionally and if the water gets dark colored (from tannins and dirt) you should our out some and add more hot water. Water can only hold so many particles in it, so changing it out for clearer water helps get more stuff out of the wood. Grapevine has been one of the ones that seems to color the water more for me.
After boiling if strain it out in the sink- be carefully you strain it, you don't want sticks in the drain! Then I scrub the stick with a bristly brush and water and check with my hands as well. You don't want any dirt on it. Also if you see a moldy part or anything growing on the stick at any point is bad. I'd pitch it rather than feed it to a chin.
After that, let it air dry, and use a fan. Grapevine soaks up water well and takes FOREVER to dry compared to some sticks like Poplar. The soaking ability is also why I'm picky about grapevine sources, there's tons wild around me, but a bunch of places mosquito fog. I don't trust fogging with chins and get my vines from areas the fog clouds can't get to.
After the vine looks dry and feels dry to the touch I bake it in the oven at 180-200 degrees, which is my ovens lowest setting. It bakes for AT LEAST 15 minutes, but many pieces take longer. I check every once in a while and pull out whats done. Also-the tiny tendrils are a pain in the butt to process, but they're my chins favorite thing. He gets them as treats instead of chews. I highly recommend doing a few.
If you look at my post in the classified's chin supplies for sale there should be a picture of finished grapevine so you can see what it looks like. (green stuff ends up yellowish and the brown stuff gets a slight reddish tint) I can try to get more pics if you need them.

 

[Shenanigans]

Here is a How to Prepare wood link on the forum. I don't see why the old growth would be a problem, it would just require less baking/drying time then fresh green wood.

Normally this is true too, but with grapevine I've noticed the green stuff dries fairly quick but the old growth holds onto it's dampness.

Also, you may be surprised at how light vine dries compared to your other sticks. I don't know why I was surprised at first. It is a vine, not a stick, but I expected them to be much closer in weight.