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

[SkyAJK]

Same here. Never an issue for me either. Like you, I also start my days-old chicks on shredded paper litter and have never had a problem.

My cardboards are wine/beers boxes, might be my chickens like the taste of alcohol

I hate it so much whenever I heard the sound of pecking at the cardboard. My Japanese bantam is loving the taste of cardboard so much.

 

[gtaus]

I disagree w/ the statements about shredding & shredded paper/cardboard not being dusty. The dust on the shredder in pics is after 30 minutes of shredding. It is dusty when I dump the bin into the bags or that blue trash can next to the shredder above. It can be dusty when used in brooder cages & coops, pens & runs. BUT it IS less dusty then using wood shavings or sawdust. I've used both wood shavings, straw, hay & sawdust in horse stalls since 1974 & different products w/ chickens since 2011.

I'm the one always saying paper shreds are almost dust free. I suppose you are correct; there is some dust with shredded paper and cardboard. However, I am comparing shredded paper products to wood chips, straw, leaves and grass clippings which I had used before and are much, much, more dusty than shredded paper.

And let's not forget that a lot of dust in the chicken coop is from chicken dander, feathers, and feed if inside the coop. Nothing to do with litter at all.

 

[gtaus]

I used to shred papers.. used to, it is hard work for me because it is on top of my other works. This might has something to do with me being older and trying to reduce extra work.

That's why I use a cordless power cutter and shred my paper daily, as I get it. I avoid hard work if I can.

I used to compost bin shred papers, but when I took out the compost, it did not disintegrated, it was this thick stuff that was not easily break out. I must be doing something wrong for certain as every gardening show that I watched had great compost outcome with shred papers.

I use all my shredded paper as dry deep bedding litter in my chicken coop. Twice a year I clean it out and dump the coop litter into the open chicken run where it is exposed to the natural weather. The chickens scratch and peck the chicken run litter all the time looking for tasty bugs and juicy worms to eat. The shredded paper breaks down into useable compost in a few months.

I have used compost bins as well, but unless you are willing to periodically turn the piles, the composting process can take a long time. My chickens break down the chicken run litter (paper shreds, grass clipping, leaves, wood chips, etc...) much faster with little to no work by me. Composting chickens are the best way to make homemade organic compost!