Manufactured Shavings vs. By-Product

Many of the bagged shavings on the market today are made up of by-product. Saw mills generate waste when they process wood. Whether it is from circular saws, planers, band saws, or sanders, this is considered to be by- product. It is basically waste and there is no guarantee as to what type of wood it is. It may be mostly pine, but contain other species as well. Unfortunately this means hardwood or even treated wood may be mixed in with it. There are situations where chemicals that are used in the mills such as glue resins, stains, wood fillers, paint, or sealants are present but you can't see it. It really is not worth the risk when using this for animals that you actually care about! Normally by-product is higher in moisture content and contains a lot of dust. This is the reason that some bags weigh so much, but usually have a low expansion rate. Most companies that have by-product blame the lack of material on the housing market and this is why. Their plants usually consist of a bagger and a big pile of by-product.

This is an example of typical by-product.

Manufactured shavings are normally made directly from logs. The manufacturer has full control over the quality of the wood shavings being produced. The shavings can be dried to have a really low moisture content and are clean. The manufacturer can control the entire process and can guarantee what specie of wood is used. Although manufactured shavings can still have different properties from mill to mill, they are normally made up of flakes and a mixture of smaller particles rather than dust. A bag of manufactured shavings that has been dried and screened properly can only weigh 20 lbs. yet have a large expansion rate. Another benefit of a manufactured shaving mill is that the supply is not effected by the housing market. The supply is depended strictly on how much production they are capable of and how well they schedule shipments to their customers.

These are manufactured shavings at J & D Wood, Inc.