i know aspen is softer than hemp ( doesnt caus as much splinters) but its not digestible. Its more expensive too.

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i recently baught aspen and it was £4 for a big bag i didnt think it was that bad to be honest,

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home sweet home

i geuss when you buy for leopards everything has to be so much more! we used to buy hemp in 20kg sacks, and hay and readigrass is bought by the 20kg too. so for me, a 20kg sack of aspen at approx £30 is WAY more expensive than a bale of readigrass at £8!!

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All three are undigestable... they just pass straight through.

The hay will get moldy if it gets wet. The hemp and the aspen will not.

The aspen... at least here in the states is softer.

A 25lb bale of aspen runs about $15 here. The hemp is way more expensive.

Ed

substrate is the bane of all reptile keeping, It DOES MY HEAD IN !!!!

not being picky but.......................
you say the hay will get mouldy if it gets wet,guess this goes for the beachchips and chipsie ,i am currently using chipsie at my feeding end of enclosure,and providing you give the correct care to your tort it should NOT go mouldy,i mean if i see a whoping wet patch of pee or water i scoop it out and then eventualy its thin again and i top my substrate up.i use and and soil at the other end,
all i am asting is no dedecated keeper will leave wet patches of pee poo and water in with their tort if they have their head screwed on.i am allways on he prowl for wet and sticky areas,
i can see your point tho but it must be with the lazy keepers who dont keep on top of hygine

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home sweet home

Andy/Claire...the hay and some other substrates do go mouldy, no matter how meticulous you are...there is always some "wetness" left behind even when cleaned up immediately. Weeds and water bowls leave residual damp behind, as does any humidity present. The slightest bit of "wet" will turn a whole area mouldy, this is not often seen by the human eye as it goes on beneath the surface too..

i find that the hay / grass in the shed needs to be spot cleaned everyday (obviously) but there is never much poo or weein there at all. they get fed and watered in the greenhouse. i change the hay every week atleast and its still the cheapest option for me. I also have a plastic liner under tha hay so there is no seepage into the shed floor. But its important to keep an eye on the bale too because moisture can make that go mouldy and dusty and cause a runny nose.

all down to personal choice, again. And its down the entire husbandry approach, not just one or two issues such as diet or substrate.

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The point being that a keeper who uses Aspen Bedding or Hemp does not have to be as careful as the keeper who uses hay.

Ed

I do have to keep ontop of the chipsie to avoid damp areas but sometimes I do miss a few.

I might give the aspen a go when I need to get a new supply.

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My Pets2 Hermanns & 2 Marginateds1 Rottie, 1 Springer Spaniel1 Border Collie, 1 Shih-zhu6 cats6 rabbits, 5 guinea pigs