wow preparing wood is TIME consuming share your experiences!!

[Jenn]

I'm going to try preparing blackberry wood and see if my chin likes that since we have a huge area of blackberries growing on our property. With the thorns I am anticipating that this will be much more painstaking prep work than the apple wood branches, so I think I will just prep a small amount to see if my chin even likes it. And if she does like it I will be thankful once again that I only have one chin and don't have to spend hours and hours prepping a large amount at one time.

 

[liewwan]

Now after this experience, would you ever complain about the price of wood rofl
Last pruning season, I processed 200 pounds of wood, from twigs, twirlies, coins to ledges.

 

[addictedtochins]

I know Kerri. I wish I could plan and develop a chinchilla city. It would have community hay, wood, vets, show site...on and on!

 

[lilchinchilla]

With the thorns I am anticipating that this will be much more painstaking prep work than the apple wood branches, so I think I will just prep a small amount to see if my chin even likes it.

Blackberry is pretty easy to process. Once you remove the thorns that is. It reminds me of grapevine, once it is dried. Very lightweight. I had a friend who was being paid to clear blackberry bushes on my family's acreage, so he offered to cut it up for my chins and remove the thorns for me. He was super fast at cutting the thorns off, and it took only seconds and they were gone.

The chins actually really like it and it took very little prep time on my part after the thorns were removed. Have fun with it.

 

[6Dusters]

I don't mind cutting. I cut up about half a pick up bed of apple. The next day I stand at the tail gate and inspect and cut off what I won't use. Inspecting and cutting takes hours. The wood is than placed in buckets with tall sticks hanging out. And left in the garage until scrub time. Then I don't want to finish it, because I hate scrubbing. :wacko:

I've learned that putting it all in the sink and scrubbing at once takes too long to dry afterwards. So it is cut to "sink size" and scrubbed one by one. Then thrown on towels to dry and sorted to bake later. I don't boil. Never have.

Drying takes weeks. And its' all over the kitchen in various spots. Thats when I'm sick of it and say I won't do it again! A pick up load after processing and drying doesn't leave a whole lot of finished product. Add in the cost of increased shipping and it is expensive. My husband thinks I'm crazy because it takes so much time.