Chicken run floor material

[gtaus]

...putting scratch on top of the bedding to encourage them to dig doesn’t increase illness? Eating on top of poop piles?

Not that I am aware of. The scratching and pecking for food inside the coop helps to move the chicken poo to lower layers of the deep bedding.

There are entire chicken raising systems that put chickens out to pasture after the cows have moved off that grass. The idea is that the chickens will tear apart the cow pies and find good bugs and worms to eat. So, they help to spread the manure fertilizer as they are rewarded with good stuff to eat. Nature has a way to maintain balance.

Digging in dirt to get grub is what they do, so digging in bedding is normal behavior, good for them.
Having fecal samples run at your veterinarian's is good practice, done occasionally. Birds at some properties will have few intestinal parasites, while others will need worming often.
Mary

@Folly's place I have never noticed any worms in our eggs. Do you send in samples to the veterinarian's lab if you don't see any worms in your eggs? How much does that cost? Or, do you just periodically add some dewormer to the feed?

 

[Folly's place]

By the time you see a roundworm in an egg, there may be many, or just one worm in the wrong place. Intestinal parasites in small numbers probably aren't a big deal (according to a national expert I consulted, (Dr. Fulton at MSU) but parasites can be a major health problem, and roundworms are only one variety, just the largest/ most visible.
We haven't had a big problem here, while friends a mile away had dead peafowl. Different soil and a velnerable species.
Mary

 

[NatJ]

Is it safe to assume that one fecal sample is enough for the whole flock because if one has worms they all have worms?

Typically that would be true.

But some chickens may be more susceptible to worms than others, so it is probably a good idea to get a sample from at least two or three individuals, then have the vet test that as if it were one sample.

If they all sleep in a row on the roost, you might scoop up a bit from several spots, and be pretty sure that it came from different birds. Or you can stand around and watch them, and scoop up a few droppings that you see deposited by different birds.

You should probably ask the vet anyway-- they may need a certain total amount, and you don't want to bring them too little, or way too much.

 

[Yellow321]

Well said, I can do lots of clean up in the yard, picking up fallen branches, and running them through a wood chipper, but it takes a lot longer than you would think. Small branches make even smaller quantities of wood chips. Before I found my free source for wood chips, I used my chippers a lot more. Now that I have access to free wood chips, I use the wood in my yard for other things.

Not only are home woodchippers rather expensive to buy, but you have to replace the chipping blades or have them sharpened, which costs money. My gas chipper needs periodic maintenance that I have to bring it into a professional shop, with professional repair bills. That's why I don't recommend buying a home chipper if you can find a free source of wood chips, like I did at our county landfill.

I have moved on to using paper shreds as deep bedding in the chicken coop which I make at home using our junk mail, newspapers, office paper, and light cardboard like cereal boxes, etc... I bought a few paper shredders at our local thrift store for less than $5.00 each and now I make all the coop bedding I need.

Paper shreds also compost much faster than wood chips. Wood chips will last longer in the chicken run if that is your goal.

Have you had any issues with your chickens eating your shredded paper/cardboard? Mine go to town with bedding pine shavings and I just keep thinking, hmmm that cant be good for them! I just know they would eat a ton of the white shredded paper. Seems like it might wad up in their gizzard and cause problems, no?

 

[gtaus]

Have you had any issues with your chickens eating your shredded paper/cardboard?

No. Never, in about 3+ years of using shredded paper.

Mine go to town with bedding pine shavings and I just keep thinking, hmmm that cant be good for them!

My chickens eat their feed that I have hanging in the chicken coop 24/7. AFAIK, they know the difference between feed and coop litter.

I have never bought pine shavings for litter, but I have used free wood chips as coop litter. I never had a problem with them eating wood chips, either. Do they eat wood chips or pine shavings? I don't know because I don't have a camera in the coop or anything like that. I use the deep bedding method, so there is always anywhere from 4-10 inches of coop litter on the floor. I would not notice if some had been eaten. In any case, it has never been a problem for me.

I just know they would eat a ton of the white shredded paper. Seems like it might wad up in their gizzard and cause problems, no?

No. Many of us use free paper shreds as coop litter and I have not heard of one person who actually uses paper shreds concerned about their chickens eating so many paper shreds that they caused themselves harm. Mostly, people who express concerns about using paper shreds are those who have never tired it, or people considering using paper shreds but have some reservations. I can understand concerns about keeping your chickens healthy.

Look, before I started using paper shreds, I was concerned that it might not work it. However, I have found that using free paper shreds just works out great for me. I have reduced the paper and cardboard I send to the recycle bin to almost zero, the shreds work great as dry deep bedding in the coop, the paper shreds breakdown really fast into compost with my other organics, all that chicken run compost feeds my raised bed gardens, and the food I get from the raised beds gardens helps to feed the family.

I have been using some of the new AI tools online. So I asked MS Copilot about using paper shreds in the coop as litter. Here is the AI response I got from Copilot...

*******************
Yes, you can safely use shredded paper as chicken coop litter, but there are a few considerations to keep in mind:

### Benefits
- **Cost-Effective**: Shredded paper is often free or inexpensive, making it a budget-friendly option.
- **Absorbent**: It can absorb moisture and help keep the coop dry.
- **Compostable**: Shredded paper can be composted after use, adding carbon to your compost pile.

### Considerations
- **Cleanliness**: Ensure the paper is free of plastic, staples, and toxic inks. Avoid glossy or colored paper, as they may contain harmful chemicals.
- **Dust**: Shredded paper can create dust, which may irritate the respiratory systems of both chickens and humans.
- **Blowing Away**: Lightweight shredded paper can blow out of the coop, especially in windy conditions. Keeping the coop enclosed can help mitigate this issue.
- **Matting**: Shredded paper can mat down when wet, making it harder to clean. Mixing it with other bedding materials like wood shavings can help prevent matting.

### Practical Tips
- **Mix with Other Bedding**: Combining shredded paper with wood shavings or straw can improve its effectiveness and reduce matting.
- **Regular Maintenance**: Regularly check and replace the bedding to ensure it stays dry and clean.
- **Monitor Chickens**: Observe your chickens to ensure they are comfortable with the new bedding and not ingesting large amounts of paper.

Using shredded paper as chicken coop litter can be a sustainable and cost-effective option if managed properly. If you have any more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask!

: [BackYard Chickens](https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/using-shredded-paper-for-coop-litter-as-good-as-wood-chips.1503415/)
: [Murano Chicken Farm](https://www.muranochickenfarm.com/2015/01/using-shredded-newspaper-as-coop-bedding.html)
: [Backyard Chicken Project](https://backyardchickenproject.com/chicken-bedding-and-litter-your-chicken-coop-options/)
***********************

I mostly agree with everything in that response. However, when I looked at the references used by Copilot for the response, the first reference is actually the thread I started a few years ago here on the BYC forums!

Am I an expert in the field? I doubt it. I just tried using paper shreds and posted my experiences and received a number of great responses from the BYC members on this subject.

Makes me wonder how many responses in the AI world are just opinions of people who post their thoughts. I can tell you that I performed no scientific study on using paper shreds in the coop. All things considered; using paper shreds just works for me better than other options I have tried. I don't really know how I feel about being quoted as the first source of information on this issue!

Also, let me add, that I limit myself to free resources for coop litter. I have not paid for coop litter for over 30 years. I was shredding paper in my office anyways, so I just tried it in the coop and it worked out for me. Since then, I have started shredding newspaper, light cardboard (cereal box like cardboard), and even heavy cardboard shipping boxes after I cut them into narrow strips. It's a great way to use all those paper products that pass through the house and I have not sent any paper to the recycle bin for about 3 years now. I compost all my paper shreds at home and use the compost in my gardens. I believe that is much better than having all that paper end up in landfill somewhere.

 

[NatJ]

Have you had any issues with your chickens eating your shredded paper/cardboard? Mine go to town with bedding pine shavings and I just keep thinking, hmmm that cant be good for them! I just know they would eat a ton of the white shredded paper. Seems like it might wad up in their gizzard and cause problems, no?

When you say they "go to town" with pine shavings, are they actually EATING the shavings? Or are they scratching around and pecking, but you can't see how much they actually eat or what it is?

it is very common for chickens to scratch in dirt or bedding, and peck at things, and eat things. They might eat tiny bits of bedding, little bugs we didn't know were there, bits of food that were spilled and got tossed around, and yes they may also eat small pieces of the bedding. But chickens usually do not eat large amounts of bedding unless something is wrong (nutritional deficiency, sick, feeder ran empty, bullied away from feeder, etc.)

 

[Logar]

Have you had any issues with your chickens eating your shredded paper/cardboard? Mine go to town with bedding pine shavings and I just keep thinking, hmmm that cant be good for them! I just know they would eat a ton of the white shredded paper. Seems like it might wad up in their gizzard and cause problems, no?

I use shredded cardboard and have been for 4-5 months now (highly recommend, I love it) and I haven’t had any issues with the chickens eating it.

 

[Storms73]

Once they finish off the grass put down wood chips. I’m in PNW too and it works great! I’d also suggest a good overhang (12”) on the roof so the rain/snow doesn’t come in the sides.

I know they say not to use cedar shavings cedar mulch, which we have in our yard from a company coming into cut down our trees, but what can I get to put in the coop area besides leaves or what type of art do you have any specific kind of mulch that you buy?

 

[gtaus]

I know they say not to use cedar shavings cedar mulch, which we have in our yard from a company coming into cut down our trees, but what can I get to put in the coop area besides leaves or what type of art do you have any specific kind of mulch that you buy?

I have read differing opinions on using cedar shavings mulch. It seems that it is the smell of cedar shavings that can potentially cause a problem in a mostly closed environment like a chicken coop. But then maybe only for very young chicks. In a chicken run, you would not have that concern for cedar mulch as the smell would dissipate into the outside air.

If you have access to free cedar mulch, you might want to look into more articles about using it with your chickens. I would not want to pass up on cedar mulch if I could use it. I think you could find a way to use it.

Speaking of which, when I did use (non-cedar) wood chips in my chicken run, I usually also added grass clippings and leaves. I think that might knock down some of the smell of the cedar chips if that is a problem for you.

I have never been lucky enough to get nice smelling cedar chips. However, every once in a while, I get some fresh pine branches that I need to chip up. I love to toss them into the coop and have that nice pine fresh smell in the coop for a week or two!