Getting shipment of wood. How do I prepare it

[Brittney]

My granddad cut some wood for me while working on the property today. He said he's sending me a pound of Magnolia and a pound of Dogwood. This stuff is straight up wild, grows like a weed and has never been sprayed, just strongly fertilized by cattle. Question is, once I get it, how do I prepare it to give to the chins. Mind you, I live in AZ, the sun is brutal, which is in my favor for this part. . Also, all you Arizonians that use Cholla and Ocotillo from the desert, how to you de-thorn and prepare that? Thanks.

 

[AZChins]

I can't do the cholla, it's painful. The ocotillo seems to be pretty easy, I'm guessing that you take a pair of pruning shears to remove the thorns from it...maybe run the sides of the branch along a saw to remove the needles that way? I don't know...I was going to try harvesting some ocotillo sometime this winter to let it dry.

You should probably scrub down the wood that your grandpa sends you and set it out in the sun to dry...maybe bake it in the oven to kill everything? I know someone will have an answer for you!

 

[menagerie]

There are threads about preparing wood. You will find them if you use the search function.

 

[alli713]

For the wood you'd want to scrub it down first to get any dirt or bugs off. I use a wire brush made for grills, but you can use a stiff nylon brush too.

If they're big pieces, I wouldn't boil them, as it'd be too hard. But personally I would bake them in the oven, not just in the sun. They'd get hotter in the oven and it will kill of any microorganisms

 

[Brittney]

What temp in the oven? I don't want to burn my house down.

 

[alli713]

You won't burn your house down unless you leave it in there forever.

Here's the FAQ on preping wood
http://www.chins-n-hedgies.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41

Basically just use a lower temp and bake for a longer amount of time. When it looks dry, it's probably done. Just don't burn it. If you're worried about it not being dry enough, just make sure and store it in a box or paper bag so it doesn't get moldy.

 

[PetProductsByNature]

Just to add my 2 cents worth...you can tell when the wood is dry by the sound 2 pieces make when you smack them together. They should sound like drum sticks. Also, if you take them out of the oven and after a few minutes, they feel cool, they are not all the way dry, so don't put them in something where they'll mold or mildew. (Yes, even in Arizona it happens, especially now with the cooler nights) Dry wood is like your furniture, it is room temp. I agree with the above posts 100%. You have to get it hot (170-200) to kill any bugs, larvae or microorganisms, but once that is done, you can leave it in warm weather (here in AZ and other warm, but not humid, climates) to dry completely.
As far as cholla Brittney, it is a federal crime to collect it unless it is "dead & down". NOTHING green growing on it! That should help a lot when getting the gazillion stickers off, but still...for your own sake, wear GOOD leather gloves Depending on where you collect it, or how much you want to get, you may need to go buy a "firewood permit" from BLM.

 

[Bethany2386]

Is there something special about cholla? I live in Indiana, so I don't know much about cactus'.

 

[PetProductsByNature]

Is there something special about cholla? I live in Indiana, so I don't know much about cactus'.

All cacti in the US is federally protected. Doesn't mean we can't harvest it, just that we must follow the governments guidelines...even on our own property.

 

[Bethany2386]

LOL, see I said cactus'... Shows where I am from! :neener:

Thanks for telling me that. I guess I learned something new today! I just have never heard about that.

 

[PetProductsByNature]

At least on your signature you don't say "fishes" ROFLMAO.....
Sorry...off track

 

[Bethany2386]

That's true! At least I do know that! LOL!

Around here we blame it on the school! Ok off track...

Why do chins like cholla? Is it like loofa in texture? Sorry, I just don't know what they would like. I always have had applewood and pine. That's the easiest to find around Indiana... And I can't give them corn... I hope you know why I said that... I would never ever even think of giving them corn...

 

[PetProductsByNature]

It's just another wood flavor. The skeleton is just wood...with lots of texture, little lacy holes for them to hold onto, something interesting for people to put in their pets' habitats...We carry 2 varieties of cholla (pronounced choya) but our 4 chins only like 1 of them and only cut a certain way...how silly is that?

 

[Bethany2386]

Hmm... I always wondered what it was like... Don't worry my boys are picky picky!!!!

 

[Bethany2386]

Ok, sorry, back on the subject. I dried my own apple wood. I baked it on 200 until it was dried out. I did scrub and boil it first. But I kept checking on it, pulling it out of the oven and "mixing" the sticks, that way they weren't just sitting on the same spot. You know how some food burns if you leave it in one spot and don't flip it? I figured that wood was the same way. I haven't had any burn yet.