Why yes, yes you can use our Pine River Bedding wood shavings as bedding for your rabbits. In fact, it might even be the best, most cost effective choice for your animals.

To start this article, there is a lot of bad information on the internet these days abouts rabbits and shavings. Several "rabbit websites" are attacking the use of pine and cedar shavings citing liver damage issues caused by "untreated" pine and cedar shavings. There are a multitude of issues with this so called "science" experiment, but you can read the entire article here that disputes the 2 scientific studies that were done on this subject (There is also a highly touted opinion article that promotes a particular brand. I wonder why?).

We have nothing to hide here at PRB, so we offer the evidence that accurately quotes the "science" and the debate about it, letting you decide what to believe.

To make a long story short, people have been raising rabbits on pine shavings for years with no major health issues. Most of the so called "science" referenced in these articles was paid for in order to promote 2 types of bedding, high density paper bedding and "Care Fresh" brand of pine shavings. Both paper bedding and "Care Fresh" cost a lot more than bales of pine shavings from your local farm and feed store.

At this point in time, there are no known effects from using heat-treated, kiln dried shavings (all of our shavings here at PRB are heat-treated and kiln dried shavings). There may be an issue if you use NON HEAT-TREATED SHAVINGS, and that is a hard maybe at best (Most large shavings brands would not sell these anyway as they would be considerably less absorbent than kiln dried shavings). 

To make a much longer debate shortened some more, you can safely use any commercially available pine shaving as almost all of them have been heat-treated and kiln dried. There is still some concern about using cedar shavings rather than pine, but I am not sure why you would pay extra for cedar shavings in this scenario. Pine shavings are a lot more economical than cedar shavings for rabbits and more readily available as well.

Whatever you decide, don't get fooled into paying 10 times as much for recycled newspaper, or some fancy brand of pine shavings available online. Get the same reliable shavings that you have used for years. It works, it is efficient at absorption, and it is extremely cost effective as well.

Great pure virgin wood shavings, pellets, and sawdust. Pine River Bedding.

Would you like to know the story behind why we sell kiln dried pine shavings? It's actually a great story about how our founder ended up in this business and why we do things the way we do. We tell the whole story on our What Is Pine River page​​.

The short version is that we chose kiln dried pine shavings because they offer the best bedding material for the widest range of animals. Our Pine RIver Bedding brand shavings are cut from virgin lumber and then kiln dried to a low moisture level so that they absorb better than some other brands. They are used as bedding for small animals, from hamsters and chinchillas, to horses, rabbits, chickens, and pigs. The list just keeps growing and growing.

Our bag artwork also represents our commitment to using kiln dried pine shavings as well. Our bag artwork, referenced below, has pictures of all the common farm animals so that no animal was excluded from a typical farm.

We made a point to include all animals, from turkeys to cows, on our artwork so that the consumer knew we were a great option for their animals; no matter the type. 

So the next time you ask, why should I care whether my shavings are kiln dried AND virgin pine, think about absorption and animal health. Nothing else on the market has been proven better at taking care of your animals better than kiln dried, pine shavings. The average price point makes them a great choice as well.

​Great pure virgin wood shavings, pellets, and sawdust. Pine River Bedding.

I get it. There are a lot of places that will sell you animal bedding, wood shavings, and pine pellets for your own personal use. If you are a retailer, there are a bunch of choices to buy wholesale from as well. So why should you trust the guy that sells Pine River Bedding all day long? He is not the least bit biased...

Really I'm not. There are a lot of inexpensive shavings out there that are pretty good for the money. If my number one goal was to buy shavings as cheaply as possible, then there is no way I would buy Pine River Bedding. Heck, I wouldn't even reccomend someone else buy our shavings if buying the cheapest product was their only goal. Our product costs more than the average bale of shavings. That's not an easy sell to make to some customers.

What our customers tell us all the time, is that our shavings are drier than anything else they have ever purchased. It flat out lasts longer because it absorbs more moisture with less product. We know this to be true about our product compared to others on the market.

Our customers also tell us that they can always reach us when they have a question or concern about something. We answer questions for the end consumer, as well as retailers that carry our brand. We have sent supporting documentation to verify our claims on wood used at the mills. We know that people worry about what goes in their barns and stalls.

I also know that customers talk about us at shows and fairs, to friends and neighbors, and on the Internet as well. We actively monitor our Facebook page, several forums, and the website all the time. We stand behind what we sell, and if something upsets someone, then we try to fix it quickly.

We are not perfect, no one in business is. Have we messed up and delivered a bad load from time to time, YES. But here we are 20 years later, with retail partner locations in 25 states and growing. We have never grown because we were cheaper or faster. We have grown all these years because we are a better value than anything else on the market. And that's why you should buy Pine River Bedding.

​Great pure virgin wood shavings, pellets, and sawdust. Pine River Bedding.