At Fitzpatrick Fuels, as suggested by the name, we predominantly sell solid fuels for the use of heating. One of the products that we stock is biomass wood pellets, which are traditionally used in pellet boilers and stoves. However, wood pellets actually have a number of different uses, including use for horse bedding, and for cat litter. Furthermore, as we have heard from many of our customers, our bags of wood pellets are significantly cheaper than pet shops.
ABOUT OUR WOOD PELLETS:
Fitzpatrick Fuels wood pellets are produced from 100% natural wood, specifically pine and birch. During the manufacturing process, the pellets are formed without additives or chemicals, and they are made under very high heat. This high heat kills off any bacteria and germs, making them safe to use with animals.
We pack and seal the wood pellets here at our yard in Huddersfield. We decided to pack our wood pellets into 40L bags (20kg), to reduce the amount of plastic waste after each bag of pellets has been used. It also allows us to sell the pellets cheaper, as there is less handling. What’s more, the pellet bags that we use are very strong and durable, they won’t rip or tear on delivery or general movement of the bags.
By bagging our own wood pellets we ensure we are not subject to the pellet shortage we experienced in previous years. Our pellets come in 20kg bags, with 50 bags on a full pallet. This totals up as 1000kg per pallet.
WOOD PELLETS FOR CAT LITTER:
While there are several types of cat litter available on the market, wood pellet can litter has become increasingly popular for its advantages, which we have outlined below:
100% BIODEGRADABLE, AND RENEWABLE PRODUCT:
Our wood pellets are sourced from sustainably managed forests and are made from 100% virgin timber. As mentioned above, no additives, chemicals or impurities are added into the mix during production. The heat that the pellets are produced under strips them of any bacteria. This means that these wood pellets will not cause any problems for your cat. On top of this, because the pellets come from a renewable source, they are friendlier to the environment.
NON-CLUMPING:
When damp, wood pellets expand and fluff up. The pellets do not clump together, and the damp parts of the litter are easily visible. This allows you to just remove the area needed, rather than emptying the whole tray and refilling every time. Due to the non-clumping nature of this product, the pellets are easy to dispose of, don’t easily get stuck in your cat’s paws, and aren’t walked through the house easily!
HIGHLY ABSORBENT:
Our wood pellets can absorb up to three times their weight in moisture, making them a highly effective type of cat litter! This also means that you do not need to change the litter as regularly, saving you money in the long run.
CONTROLS ODOUR:
As mentioned above, our wood pellets do not include any kind of chemicals. However, pine wood has a natural fragrance. Wood pellets, therefore, help to control odour, naturally and without any chemical irritants.
In line with the advantages of using wood pellets, our wood pellets are cheaper than what you will find in the pet stores. Our current price for a 40L bag is £7.50, making them £0.18/Litre. For reference, a similar product from Pets at Home (Anti Bacterial Wood Pellet Cat Litter) comes in at £0.65/Litre.
HOW TO USE WOOD PELLETS FOR CAT LITTER:
To use pellets for cat litter, you simply fill the litter tray with pellets to a depth of 3 – 5cm. When damp, the pellets do expand so be careful not to overfill your tray!
It’s recommended to clean out solids daily, and regularly empty the tray completely and clean with a mild detergent before refilling with pellets.
If you are thinking about trying our wood pellets for cat litter, we hope this post has helped. If you require any more information, please feel free to contact us!
WOOD PELLETS FOR HEATING:
Wood pellets are a multi-purpose product with very diverse properties and they can be used for heating purposes.
In terms of heating, the pellets come in different forms, that being either blown deliveries, the big 1150kg bulk bags or the pre-pack 20kg bags on various pallet sizes.
Our specially modified blown delivery truck is used to blow the wood pellets into a silo, storing the pellets which then feed into a biomass boiler. Our blown delivery truck can carry up to 3 tonnes at a time, and is perfect for customers with smaller silos, or have difficult access to their home. As our truck is small in size, we can reach all those houses tucked away on small country lanes!
The bulk bags of pellets are ideal for customers with a large dry space for storage. These can be used for biomass boilers and loaded into the boiler as and when needed, or these large bags can be used for horse bedding. The bulk bags also eliminate the need to dispose of multiple plastic bags.
The 20KG bags are useful to customers who hand fill their pellet boiler or stove. These bags are ideal if you have little storage and can only keep a few bags at a time.
We buy our wood pellets from an ENPlus supplier, and they are registered on the Biomass Suppliers List (BSL).
Click here to view our premium wood pellets for heating on our website.
WOOD PELLETS FOR ANIMAL BEDDING:
Once wood pellets get wet, they expand and fluff up into a comfortable bed. Once fluffed up, they hold moisture very well, making it a cost-effective option for bedding over the likes of straw and shavings. As the pellets are light in colour and hold moisture really well, you can just muck out the soiled pellets instead of having to clean out the whole bed each time.
HOW TO USE:
The number of bags needed is dependent on the size of the stable in which you are creating the pellet bed. A 12ft by 12ft stable with rubber matting will require approximately 5 – 8 bags of our pellets.
To start, place the sealed bags of wood pellets on the stable floor spread out evenly across the space. Carefully slit each bag, and pull the plastic back. Then pour approximately half a standard bucket of warm water into each bag to ‘activate’ the wood pellets. From here the pellets will start to swell into a soft bedding.
Once you have added water, leave them to absorb the water for about 20 – 30 minutes. Here you will notice the pellets expanding in size. Once the pellets have absorbed all of the water, empty the pellets out onto the stable floor. The texture of the pellets will now be soft and fluffy. There will however, still be some pellets that haven’t broken down. This is absolutely fine as it allows for absorption of moisture.
Next, you should spread the pellet bedding out with a fork to create a level surface, a depth of around 10 – 12 cm is advised. From here, the bed of pellets is ready!
Click here to view our wood pellets for horse bedding on our website.
WOOD PELLETS FOR PIZZA OVENS:
Our wood pellets can also be used to fuel pizza ovens. The pellets light easily, burn slowly and produce very little ash to clean up afterwards. They are good because they are compact and produce a lot of energy, allowing for quick lighting.
HOW TO USE:
Get your scoop or cap (based on the type of oven being used) and ensure the door to your pizza oven is closed if it has one. Fill up your grate with wood pellets and add a natural firelighter to get them going.
Once the firelighter is lit, slide the grate back into the pizza oven and wait for the pellets to light. Once the starting pellets are lit, regularly add small amounts of pellets to top up. Allow the pellets to light fully before topping up any more.
Maintain a steady amount of pellets throughout the cooking process to keep a consistent heat, following the guidelines set by your pizza oven manufacturer.
They kick out lots of heat within approx. 10 – 15 minutes of lighting your pizza oven and will be up to temperature for you to start cooking.
After the cooking process, allow any remaining pellets to burn through. Once your oven has cooled down you can dispose of any residual ash.
Wear heat-proof gloves to avoid any burns and carefully remove the grate from your oven. Gently shake any ash off into a large metal bucket of water to ensure they are cooled off before disposing of. Avoid getting the grate wet as this can cause damage to your oven.
Click here to view our wood pellets for pizza oven fuel on our website.
