pine shavings, where do you get the best deals?

[rocky41102]

I get the shavings at Tractor Supply. It's a 2.5 cubic feet bag that expands to 8.0 cubic feet (that's what it says on the bag) for $4.50.

 

[PortageGirl]

I get the large bales at our local co-op feed mill for about the same prices mentioned. I do try to shop there unless there's a huge price differential. It's very close, I save gas, it's easy and friendly to deal with, and since it's locally owned and run, I'd rather give them the $.50 or so I'd save than hand it over to the conglomerate places.

That's what I get over the winter, since it's easy to store and handle and the shavings are bigger and don't get clumpy as easily... in the summer, I have a very small, independently owned 2 man run sawmill just a few miles away, where I fill bags of sawdust and shavings myself. The smaller shavings and sawdust clumps up a little more, but that's ok for summer use. I get a BUNCH there for the spring clean out, then a few bags to add whenever needed. Yes, it's free, and I buy any wood I can from them too which is cheaper for some things than the big stores, more expensive for some, but I can get special wood there that you'll never find at a big store. It's not kiln dried, but that's not always bad, you just have to take that into consideration on some things.

I got some really thick sassafras from him to build my top bar hive with. (which I GOTTA get back to work on!! it's getting late!)

Anyway, my point is, go ask around at any small businesses you can find, stop in at places where some old farmers may shop, post some note cards on bulletin boards asking for information about small sawmill operations etc. You may get a few replies, and maybe meet some interesting folks. Take the time to learn where the old timers get shavings, and maybe wood and you'll help out the little guys and help keep them going. It's very much worth it.

 

[patandchickens]

You're never going to beat your local feedstores' prices, because they're buying 'em by the truckload and transportation is a LARGE part of the cost of baled shavings.

The thing is to buy those big compressed feedstore bales, tho, not the wee noncompressed bags of stuff sold as small-pet bedding at Walmart or whatever, which definitely are more expensive.

Those compressed bales from the feedstore expand considerably when opened -- it varies among brands and among 'lots', but a single bale is way plenty for a 4x8 coop, can be enough for an 8x8 coop if you aren't bedding deeply.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Mommysongbird]

Quote:
I just love the way you talk, you sound like me. I would rather buy locally and from family owned business if I can, but there just aren't any left except for the feed store that we are getting feed from. I try to do farmer's markest as much as I can too. I think that is the main reason our 2 sawmills went out of business, everyone went to Lowe's and Home Depot to shop and forgot about the mill just down the street. One of the mills only specialized in log homes though, so was not a lot of big money there, not in our small town. But the other mill had just about everything. It's sad to see your home town close up little by little.

 

[GhostRider65]

Quote:
also if you have a Fleet Farm/Farm and Fleet near you that's where I go same price between 4 and 5 bucks a bag for 8 QF

 

[enola]

TSC and Southern States both have bales of ASPEN shavings which are better for animals than pine shavings.

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
I bought one of those, then found that my local feed store had bags of pine shavings more than twice the size for $5.50.

What store? Was it like TSC or Southern States? That is all we have around here except for a family owned feed store, but I don't know if they sell pine shavings.

It's a locally-owned feed store. I would expect pretty much any feed store to have the shavings.

I'm pretty fortunate to have two very good feed stores nearby -- one's within five miles of my house.

 

[Clay Mudd]

Quote:
Quoted for truth -- you pretty much took the words out of my mouth.

Another thing to think about -- the local feedstore, in my experience, is more likely to carry locally-produced products than the big chains. That's something I care about.

 

[kichohana]

I buy mine in a 9cu ft bag (compressed) for about $6. The store is called Agri-Supply and I listed their locations below:

* Garner, North Carolina
* Greenville, North Carolina
* Lumberton, North Carolina
* Florence, South Carolina
* Tifton, Georgia
* Statesboro, Georgia
* Petersburg, Virginia

Best deal I have found ever. Very clean and almost no sawdust - nice pine shavings.

 

[C&Rman]

I buy my pine shaving bags from Wal-Mart, not the bst but it is cheap. They sell 25-50lbs bags for 6-7 dollars.