Shredded paper bedding?

[Rosebud75]

Can you use shredded paper for bedding - like the kind from my hubby's paper shredder?
I like the idea of recycling all the rediculous junk mail.

 

[FisherMOM]

I did it for a while, and a big animal shelter in Rochester uses it for their horses and rabbits.

I don't see why not... I still use it for my ducks until I get their house built.

 

[flakey chick]

I think it works great in a "droppings pit" where the poo falls down on it, but they can't get to it. If you search you will find many people who tried it didn't like how badly it clumped. My biggest problem with it is how much my birds like to eat it. It shoots straight through them- probably doesn't really hurt them but I know it's not good for them either.

 

[Baybrio]

I tried using shredded paper for my horses a few years ago. I didn't think it absorbed liquid very well but the real problem was after I removed it from the stalls. The paper flies everywhere!!!!!! Even if it is wet when it enters the pile, the top layer will dry and fly. I had little pieces of paper all over, it takes quite a while to decompose. Sort of like having your shrubs TPed by kids. I've never had this flying problem with wood shavings.

If you plan on bagging it and sending it to a dumpster or maybe putting it into an enclosed mulch bin it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[FisherMOM]

yeah, it DOES fly all over the place!

 

[EllyMae]

I shredded newspaper in my DH's paper shredder(shhhh, don't tell HIM that, lol) and used the shredded paper in my brooder when the chicks were very young. They liked to snuggle down in it.

 

[Klippe]

The trick with using shredded paper as bedding is to use strip cut paper. Cross cut paper, although good for shredding important stuff, does not work. It is too messy and creates too much dust. I can't seem to find a picture of strip cut paper, but here is a shredder that can create strips:

http://www.officezone.com/shred1.htm

 

[Imp]

I use shredded newspaper in the coop. I usually tear the newspaper into strips. I think it works great. It's absorbant and seems to wick out the moisture from the poop. Never any odor. It does sometimes blow around the yard. I throw in paper from the shredder, but I don't shred much. I can see the potential for a real mess if it isn't kept perfectly dry. I also only have 4 chickens with about 30 sf in the coop. I only need to clean out the coop thoroughly about 4 times a year.

Imp

 

[Kung Foo Chicken]

I used it a few times in the early spring. I usually rake up decomposed pine needles to use in the coop. We had so much rain and the feed store wares also got wet. For a few weeks I tore newspaper into shreds and used. It worked fine. Just the gray newsprint areas though and not the shiny paper flyers. It appeared to be highly absorbent and didn't cause any problems.

Within a few weeks it turned brown from dirt and poo and vanished into the soil.

 

[cowman910]

it absorbs water very quickly! i use it for my two aracauna chicks in there brooder. if i use it in my coop the ducks get it soaked within a few minutes so they sleep on the soft wire and wood.