shredded paper instead of pine for shavings??

[silkiechicken]

I was a bit worried about the inks in the newspaper too so I emailed the local news paper place. They say all their color inks are soy based and plant based, while their black ink is petroleum based. However, they said that it is completely safe and fine to put into compost.

 

[muddler6]

Quote:
I got the opposite reply when i asked. HMMMMM, anyone else? All the information I have read about composting (recent texts) say that newspaper are safe to compost now. Someone on this board has to be employed by or have a connection with a newspaper company.

 

[Charlie Chicken]

Like most everyone else who owns an office paper shredder, I too was (and still am) looking for a good use for the free material. I figured that using it as nest material would be an ideal solution. I don't know how some are getting away with using it as nest material because when I tried it the chickens ate it like candy! Immediately after mixing it with the shavings & hay in the nests they ate every speck of paper that fell on the pen floor. After a few days they had consumed nearly all of the paper in the nests. That was the end of that recycling project.

 

[muddler6]

Quote:
End of the recycling project, if they eat it, it has to come out sometime, processed and ready for the compost bin. I doubt that there would be much nutritional value to it though. Mine never ate it. I have tried other nesting material since, and they always go to the newspaper lined nest boxes. Maybe they like to read while they lay eggs, kinda like grabbing something to read on your way to the can. ( have I said too much?)

 

[LinckHillPoultry]

I use shredded paper in my brooder. Works very well. I don't worry about toxic poisoning or anything, because I've never had a problem.

 

[RockinCircleC]

Quote:
It all depends on the kind of paper and whether it has toner or ink on it. I think most newspaper publishers are using soy-based inks nowadays. I wouldn't want my chickens (when I get them) to ingest laser printer or photocopier toner... I have NO idea what terrible chemicals are in that...

 

[skatcatla]

I can confirm what the others have said: newspaper ink is safe and non-toxic. But yes, it will not absorb moisture at all, so I wouldn't use too much of it. It will quickly turn into pulp.

Some in the nesting box should be fine, if they are ok with it. Go for it. :-D

 

[FarmerMack]

Quote:
Well that answers my questions about using shredded newspaper for the nesting boxes. Although I dont think I'd use the NY times it seems to be a "news rag" that is toxic to itself

But our local Free paper should do, and it seems to shred nicely.

Quote " I never knew anyone that worked so hard to sell a free newspaper" Annon

Farmer Mack

 

[Scrambled Egg]

I think it is a fair question FarmerMack and in the beginning I tried it myself...it was a mess, a big mess, shredded paper everywhere and Pat and SIlkie are right, it mats together when it gets wet and never dries out well. I def. switched over to the pine shavings and I pay for the 5.75 50 pound bag so that I can get the fine shavings instead of those giant pieces in the cheaper bags, I just like it better for their roosting area as sometimes several of them sit on the shavings to sleep instead of on their roost. Sounds like you got some good answers to your question but I would agree that the paper doesn't work too wel...put it instead in your composter with all the weeds and that works better.

 

[1acrefarm]

Modern newspaper inks are not toxic. I have raised worms successfully in shredded newsprint. Worms are alot more sensitive to toxins than chickens. As for the safety of toner inks I dunno.