# Not All Wood Stove Pellets Are Created Equal!



## agnesthelion (Feb 21, 2013)

I had to post about this. 

The farm/tractor store where I get my wood stove pellets that I use for litter changed ownership and therefore the brand of wood stove pellets they carry changed. I thought the bag looked different?.. but of course didn't put two and two together until my last old bag ran out and I opened up the new bag.

Holy grossness! Horrible "wood smell", loose crumbly pellets, it was awful. Of COURSE my two absolutely refused to use them. I had a tiny bit of the old stuff in my storage bin, I mixed to try and transition, but these pellets are AWFUL! So pee explosion everywhere but in their litterbox. :cry2 How could i blame them though. I could not believe how bad the pellets smelled. And then when they did pee on them, they crumbled miserably and almost made a bigger mess.
So anyway, I spent the afternoon hunting down my previous brand (Pennington) so phew we are back to litter box using again, but it dawned on me the comments ice seen on here about how people don't like wood stove pellets or they have to air out the bag to get rid of the wood smell....but who knew they aren't all the same!!


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## degrassi (Feb 21, 2013)

I've used 2 different brands and there definitely is differences between them look wise and smell wise. One brand I've used before had a very strong sawdust smell. Like make my eyes watery strong. My bun hated them too and stopped using his box for a while. I found with that stinky brand that if I aired out the bag for a while outside that it was ok to use. But right out of the bag no way, the bunny hated it.


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## Katielovesleo3 (Feb 21, 2013)

awwww pee explosion?! :'( I hope tractor supply doesnt change theirs because I love the smell and yes at the bottom of the bag, there is lots of crumbles, but Buster and I both like them fine but its a huge bag for $4.99 how amazing.


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## agnesthelion (Feb 21, 2013)

degrassi said:


> I've used 2 different brands and there definitely is differences between them look wise and smell wise. One brand I've used before had a very strong sawdust smell. Like make my eyes watery strong. My bun hated them too and stopped using his box for a while. I found with that stinky brand that if I aired out the bag for a while outside that it was ok to use. But right out of the bag no way, the bunny hated it.



Ya I used it right out of the bag. However, I have a plastic storage bucket that I keep them in and I let that air out out for a few days and it was still awful! Like, I think it almost smelled worse than rabbit pee itself! I just couldn't believe the quality difference.

Through my search to find my original brand I learned that the tighter compacted the pellet is and the less ash it makes the better it burns. Well, the brand I like is definitely that vs. the gross new stuff so evidently the same qualities are needed when you use it for rabbit litter too!


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## Troller (Feb 21, 2013)

Lowes sells different brands throughout the year, probably depending on the supplier. While I notice a difference in look, smell and texture really it's so small and my rabbit doesn't care. Yours does sound quite different though.


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## agnesthelion (Feb 21, 2013)

Katielovesleo3 said:


> awwww pee explosion?! :'( I hope tractor supply doesnt change theirs because I love the smell and yes at the bottom of the bag, there is lots of crumbles, but Buster and I both like them fine but its a huge bag for $4.99 how amazing.



Oh gosh yes, they peed on the carpet, their blankets, on the floor of their condo. It was horrible!!!! But my two are SO good with pee I immediately knew it was the pellets.

As soon as I got the original brand back home and switched they both hopped right over and did their business.


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## LionBunn (Feb 22, 2013)

I use cheat river from lowes in the winter. Was at Home Depot this week and they sell stove chow brand. Figured i might as well get more. I never see just bags at tractor supply. The wood pellets are a better buy compared to equine pine which I use in the summer. Equine pine csts more for the same size bag of wood pellets.


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## Chrisdoc (Feb 22, 2013)

I always try to stick to the same brand as I´ve tried two and they are different. In my case not smelly or anything but sizewise and same as you they went sort of dustier. I usually stick with one brand which is the one they prefer.


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## LionBunn (Feb 22, 2013)

We'll see what the Home Depot stuff is like. I stick with lowes for winter and tsc for summer. Wood pellets are hard to find in the summer.


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## agnesthelion (Feb 22, 2013)

I know...I might have to stock up this summer. The farm supply store I got mine at before carried them throughout the summer but won't be going there anymore obviously so I might have to stock up.
I seriously still can't believe how crappy those pellets were!


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## Bunnylova4eva (Feb 22, 2013)

hmmm this is interesting. I just bought our first bag of wood stove pellets and they sound like the bad ones you described. I thought that was jsut the nature of wood stove pellets. They small pretty strong and after the bunny peeing once or twice, it's complete sawdust. And, worst of all, Ripley has almost entirely quit pooping in his box. He'll still pee there (thank goodness!) but not pooping there. I'll have to investigate other brands.


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## agnesthelion (Feb 22, 2013)

Bunnylova4eva said:


> hmmm this is interesting. I just bought our first bag of wood stove pellets and they sound like the bad ones you described. I thought that was jsut the nature of wood stove pellets. They small pretty strong and after the bunny peeing once or twice, it's complete sawdust. And, worst of all, Ripley has almost entirely quit pooping in his box. He'll still pee there (thank goodness!) but not pooping there. I'll have to investigate other brands.



Exactly why I wanted to post this. I assumed they were all the same too. But the ones I like have NO wood smell at all. And when they pee on them, they disintegrate a *bit* but not like the crappy ones I bought which almost disintegrated to dusty ash! It was horrible.
And the smell was disgusting. I totally don't blame my two for not wanting to sit on them, hehe 
But yeah, check out some other brands.....I hope you find one you like!


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## holtzchick (Feb 22, 2013)

Wow that is interesting to hear. I'm glad by some chance I happened to pick a good bag out because the odor control on the good ones does wonders!


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