Safe and Unsafe Wood for Chewing

[Spud]

Does anyone have thoughts about beech? Niteangel sells beech chips as a substrate and I've seen them in use more and more. It's not listed here as safe though.

Loads of rescues in the UK recommend beech chips as an additional substrate for hamsters.

[Kikya]

Does anyone have thoughts about beech? Niteangel sells beech chips as a substrate and I've seen them in use more and more. It's not listed here as safe though.

I'm thinking that the reason beech is on this list is because fresh beech can bleed sap and resin like maple. Also, the phenol levels are comparative to oak and pine. It's possible that like pine, if kiln-dried, it might be fine, but I have no confirmation of that speculation.

I have never used beech chips for bedding, so I'd be curious as to other's experience. It's not a common wood here for bedding in the US, at least that I've seen. I see it more often used for smoking meats. Interesting fact, that beech is sometimes used in liquid smoke flavoring in the southern US.

I do know that European Beech is different from American Beech, so it's also possible that one wood is safe and the other is not. I'll have to look into the differences.

[ChubbyHamu]

How about Keyaki or Zelkova?

[Kikya]

How about Keyaki or Zelkova?

I have not personally tried that type of wood. The Japanese variety I have heard can cause some stomach upset when dogs eat the leaves. So that makes me think it would not be safe for hammies, particularly the leaves or little fruits.

Wood is one of those topics that we've learned more about based on people trying it and seeing what happens. I tend to think if you hamster is a big chewer to stay away from unknown woods. If your hamster is pretty chill and doesn't really try to chew on things, you could experiment more. But if you did want to experiment, don't do it with fresh wood, take the time to prepare it, drying it out, and removing all the leaves and any seeds or fruits.