Using Shredded Paper for Coop Litter - As Good As Wood Chips?

[gtaus]

I have a 16 sheet shredder that works beautifully for all of it.

You did not mention newspaper. Wondering if you shred newspaper as well and if your 16 sheet shredder does not jam up with newsprint. Thanks.

 

[gtaus]

Shredding paper with plastic and throwing it in the garden after the chickens used it as toilet paper is not a good idea IMHO. Small particle’s of plastics harm insects and who knows what else.

I think everyone is in agreement on that issue. Those of us that are shredding paper at home remove the plastic windows from the paper envelopes before shredding. I don't want plastic in my gardens, either.

Same with the print ink. Is all print ink without poison? I wouldn’t risk spoiling my garden with it.

I don't know the laws in the Netherlands, but where I live in Minnesota, USA, our printers are using soy based ink to be in compliance with the requirement that their newspapers can be composted. Soy based inks are not toxic, they are natural. Also, from what I read, even most ink jet solutions are not toxic and we don't have to worry about them in the compost because of the small quantities.

Where I still have concern is about the shiny colored papers of magazines. I don't shred those magazines due to old thinking that the inks on those magazines might be harmful for composting. But I really don't know if that still holds true today. Anyway, my old magazine get thrown in the recycle bin and not shredded up or composted.

I use the cardboard as it is as the base layer under the roosts. On top I rather use other recycled material like dried grasses and herbs from my lawn and autumn leaves*. If the cardboard get dirty it goes into the waste container (for energy). Paper goes into the paper-recycle container.

I also use natural products like grass clippings, leaves, and wood chips. I have both a large gas wood chipper and a smaller electric wood chipper. Any wood too big for my wood chippers get recycled into a hügelkultur garden.

Where I differ from you, is that I shred almost all my paper and light cardboard at home and that is used as chicken litter and then into a composting system. I send very little paper products to the recycle container. I understand your concerns about potential toxic inks, but I just don't have the same concern where I live because the bulk of our newsprint and junk mail uses soy based, natural, inks.

When its time for a monthly cleaning this mix of hay, shavings, poop and garden stuf goes into the compost build.

Yeah, it's great that you compost all that litter. Chicken compost is a great resource for us home gardeners. In my case, I clean the coop and dump everything into my chicken run composting system, where the chickens break down the coop litter faster than my pallet compost bins work.

I have been using wood chips as deep litter in the past, and this winter am using paper shreds. I only clean out my coop twice a year on my system. However, when I was using straw as litter, I had to clean that out all the time. So, I think both the material you use for lltter and the method you employ (deep bedding or deep litter) will determine how often you have to clean out the coop. I have had much better success with using wood chips (now paper shreds) deep bedding than I ever had with straw.

I know some of the laws in Europe are different than ours regarding the feeding of chickens. For example, I can feed my backyard flock all my kitchen scraps and leftovers I want. In Great Britian, I am told, it is against the law to feed your chickens kitchen scraps. So, over there, those who have backyard chickens have to process their veggies outside and feed the scraps to the chickens before they bring the food into the house. I have no idea why they have that law, but I have seen it a couple of times mentioned on YouTube videos from England.

 

[gtaus]

I use shredded paper for all my young chick pens when it's available. Works well for me and saves money.

I plan on using my shredded paper for the brooder this spring when I get a new batch of chicks. Good to hear that it works for you. Thanks.

 

[Sally PB]

When I was in High School, back in the 1970's, I had my own black & white darkroom. I would take pictures of local events, develop my own film, and print out the pictures...

Those were the days when you really had to know what to do in a darkroom to get pictures developed and sent out to the newspapers. It was a skill that took years of experience to hone in. Nowadays, you can just point and click a camera or cell phone and get a better photo quality than I could ever have hoped for.

I miss the good old days in the darkroom. I miss GRAIN in black and white. ("Grain the size of your fist, but tack sharp!" I said that a few times.)

Ok, back on topic...

I know one of my pullets has eaten most of the paper shreds I put in the nest box. (A small handful.) I've seen her eat the pine shavings too. I don't know what her issue is, but I think I won't be putting any more shredded paper in the coop/run. Sigh.

 

[gtaus]

I know one of my pullets has eaten most of the paper shreds I put in the nest box. (A small handful.) I've seen her eat the pine shavings too. I don't know what her issue is, but I think I won't be putting any more shredded paper in the coop/run. Sigh.

I don't think eating some paper shreds will hurt your chicken, but she might be filling her crop with paper instead of real food which would not be good. If she is eating pine shavings too, I think your chicken may be the problem. I honestly have never seen any of my chickens pay any attention to the paper shreds, pine shavings, or wood chips in term of eating the litter. But my hens are now all 2+ years old. If you are dealing with a young pullet, she might have some confusion issues. I really don't know.

Another thing, I wonder if trying out just a handful of shreds at a time makes your pullet think it must be some kind of treat? I dump in a big bag full of paper sheds at one time and none of my chickens pay any attention to it.

Also, is your issue with just one pullet or all the others, too? You have to do whatever you feel works for you and your flock, but there are plenty of people who have responded on this thread that have no problems with paper shreds in the coop. You might have one crazy chick there that has not figured out what to eat and what not to eat!

Always good to hear from you @Sally PB and thank you for your feedback.

 

[Lilbitsnpieces]

For the past 2 years, I have been using wood chips as the base of my dry deep litter in my chicken coop. The wood chips work great and I highly recommend them for anyone considering the deep litter method. This year, however, I am trying a twist on the idea. After I did my fall cleaning of the coop, removing all my wood chips for a fresh base to carry me over the winter, I decided to use my shredded paper I had saved in some big bags. So far, I have so say, I am very pleased with my results.

First of all, I try to minimize garbage we haul to the landfill. I came across a used 12 sheet paper shredder at our local thrift store for $5.00. A new model of that brand costs about $80. I had smaller shredders at home, about 5-8 sheets, but thought that a 12 sheet shredder for $5.00 was a good deal and would allow me to shred more and heavier types of paper. Previously, I have been shredding most of our paper at home and throwing it in compost piles with greens. But now that I have chickens, I was wondering if I could use shredded paper in the coop as litter.

I find that normal office paper and most junk mail shreds up fine. But you have to be sure to remove any plastic windows and staples. I don't want my chickens eating that stuff, or eventually adding plastic or staples mixed into my garden as compost. I also shred all our light cardboard boxes, like cereal boxes, and find that mixing that light cardboard along with normal office paper makes a better litter mix. I can also shred normal box cardboard with my 12 sheet shredder, but I have to cut the heavy cardboard into strips and feed it down the "credit card" slot on the shredder. But my 12 sheet shredder eats up the normal cardboard boxes we get from Amazon shipments.

I also shred our old newspapers, but I find the quality of newspapers to be very low compared to the other papers. It comes out all stringy and wraps around the shredder rollers. It seems to mat down more easily than the other types of shredded paper. I would not recommend using only shredded newspaper, but it works OK in the mix with all the other types of shredded paper.

I have a normal sized 13 gallon kitchen waste basket that I fill up with shredded paper maybe every 2 weeks. This is just the right amount for me to dump on top of the older shredded paper in the coop. I just dump it in a pile and let the chickens spread it out. Seems to work good for me. I have sometimes dumped the pile underneath their roost, as that is mainly where all the chicken poo accumulates, but I don't know if that is necessary. My goal is to always let the chickens do most of the work. They seem to like it, and I don't mind less work to do for myself. Sometimes I'll throw some chicken scratch into an area that I want the chickens to turn over the litter. As they scratch and peck for the chicken scratch, they turn over and mix up the shredded paper. The heavier, soiled paper works it way down to the bottom leaving the fresher paper on top.

So far, for about 2 months, I have not been able to detect any smell in the coop. So, from that aspect, I think the shredded paper is working as good as my wood chips I used the past 2 years. We will see how well it holds up as our winter is just getting started. I probably won't really know if this was a success or not until next spring, when the poo thaws out....

Well, I wanted to post this thread as something to consider as coop litter for those who do not have access to free wood chips. One thing I know is that come spring, when I clean out the shredded paper and dump it into my chicken run composting system, is that the shredded paper will turn into compost much, much, faster than my wood chips. What a better way to get rid of all that junk mail and old bills than to shred them up, let the chickens poo on them, and then bury them in the garden to grow some good people food?

Would love to hear any comments, pro or con, on using shredded paper with your chickens. Also, would really like to hear if there is a better way to shred old newspapers. I really don't like the way the newspapers can muck up the rollers on my shredder. Thanks.

I have used the deep litter method for years.and ALWAYS have used my shredded papers..except the " shiny " ones. We had 35 below last year and the heat created by the litter composting was more than enough to keep the flock warm. I have no heater, nor lights in my coop.
I have never had a smelly coop. I also use Maple leaves.
I simply run around and pick up those sitting on side of road. Maple leaves do not get wet and mat down like others. I also use them in the duck house..
Free amd easy

 

[gtaus]

I have used the deep litter method for years.and ALWAYS have used my shredded papers..except the " shiny " ones. We had 35 below last year and the heat created by the litter composting was more than enough to keep the flock warm. I have no heater, nor lights in my coop.
I have never had a smelly coop. I also use Maple leaves.
I simply run around and pick up those sitting on side of road. Maple leaves do not get wet and mat down like others. I also use them in the duck house..
Free amd easy

Yep, I don't throw anything away that grows or drops onto my lawn. I chip up all my fallen branches and use the wood chips in the coop, the run, and on the walking paths between my raised garden beds. I collect my grass clippings in the collection bins on my riding mower and dump them in the chicken run and use some as mulch to choke out weeds. Almost all my leaves get tossed in the chicken run, but I also have a large pile of leaves in storage and have used them in the coop during the winter. This winter, however, I am using paper shreds and have not needed to use addtional leaves.

I have an elevated coop, with a wood floor covered by linoleum sheeting. I have been using wood chips deep bedding and now paper shreds deep bedding. I am trying to be careful here because I know some people refer to deep litter as a heat producing active composting environment. My deep bedding in my chicken coop is a dry bedding, and there is almost no composting going on in the elevated coop. So, I doubt if my wood chips or paper sheds deep bedding produces any heat by itself. It does offer good insulation.

Someday I think I would like to build a chicken coop with a dirt floor, and then build up a true deep litter system in there where active composting takes place and warms the coop in the winter months. But I am pretty happy with my current setup so I doubt if another coop will be high on my list for years to come.

 

[avjudge]

You did not mention newspaper. Wondering if you shred newspaper as well and if your 16 sheet shredder does not jam up with newsprint. Thanks.

Not Unlikely_Creatures, but I also have a 16-sheet shredder and have had no problem with newsprint. But I don't shred that much of it and I try never to push the 16 sheet limit (having burned out my 12-sheet shredder before this one, on cardboard not newspapers).

 

[BDutch]

In my country there is one general rule for feeding you’re flock as long as you don’t sell the eggs. You are not allowed to give them feed that is unhealthy for them.

Commercial farms have an enormous amount of rules and regulations. I know its forbidden to feed something with meat in it.

Other rules for chicken hobbyists are:

• You have to keep them away from wild birds /droppings whenever there is a problem with a bird flew (we have one now).
• You cant keep roosters in town (within urban boundaries) if a neighbour complains with reason.
• You need to provide circumstances ( let them live ) in such a way they can live a chicken worthy life. This is a new rule against mistreating animals and not defined. But if its obvious animals are hurt or kept in poor conditions the police /government can intervene.

As for eating cardboard: my chickens do that sometimes. But never in big amounts.
They eat other non food things too when offered. Once I wanted to use a spare bag of shredded cork for bedding. But the chickens all started to eat from it immediately. Probably thinking it was a treat.

 

[gtaus]

Not Unlikely_Creatures, but I also have a 16-sheet shredder and have had no problem with newsprint. But I don't shred that much of it and I try never to push the 16 sheet limit (having burned out my 12-sheet shredder before this one, on cardboard not newspapers).

Well, I don't have that much newspaper, either. But the quality of the newspaper is so thin that it comes out all stringy (not cross cut well) and if I put too many sheets in one after the other, the newspaper will wrap around the cutting spindles. My workaround on this problem is to shred a newspaper sheet(s) and then follow it up with either regular paper or light cardboard which cleans it out even better. Thanks for your response.