shredded paper for chook bedding

[Imp]

We are the proud owners of a brand new shredder

EVERYTHING that passes through the letterbox is now shredded and we have bag fulls of the stuff. Is this good to use as chookie and duck bedding over a layer of sawdust? Does it get too wet or encourage pests... We don't shred glossy stuff, just bills etc

[PurpleDragon]

I have no idea. Our council collects all our paper waste and recycles it. I don't know how well it would be, getting wet. It might turn all mushy and papier-mache-ish.

[Imp]

I don't know how well it would be, getting wet. It might turn all mushy and papier-mache-ish.

Yeah, that's what I thought... Unless I change it every 48 hours, do you think that would work?

Our Council only take food quality cardboard and plastic for recyc (and the brown garden wheeliebin).

I would prefer to reuse the paper myself in this way because then it can be immediately composted; better placed in the waste management hierarchy than recycling and processing I thought

Lynda

[PurpleDragon]

Do you think you would generate enough to change it that often? I have 4 hens and I only change their wood shavings once a week. They are free range and have a lot of room to roam, though, so I guess they poop a lot outside.

[Imp]

Do you think you would generate enough to change it that often?

Yep, you're quite right... quite right *sighs* I suppose I could pop it over a thin layer of newspaper and sawdust in the next boxes only. I really want to use it.

Thanks for letting me bounce the idea around

Lynda

[PurpleDragon]

What you could do is use it until you run out, for a couple of days, then when you run out, go back to using whatever you were using beforehand. Then, save up some more and change back again. There's nothing to say that you can't have different bedding for them, I shouldn't think. If you are going to compost it anyway, the extra benefit of chicken poop in the shreds would make some lovely compost.

[FluffyMuppet]

We use shredded paper in the nest box for our chooks. I aim to change it weekly; sometimes we have to change it more often if they poo in the nestbox, but generally they don't. It doesn't get wet though.

[Wombat]

You could use it to make those burnable paper bricks.......