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

[Bawkbok]

Thank you for your comments. Yes, I know I have work to do to return to order. Once I hold my shredding party, I will add a bag full to the coop. We use deep litter anyway. I suppose it will be a 40 gallon trash bag size. Yikes. I am making it my mission during the cold dark days of winter to get organized. Cleaning out and organizing closets, cleaning and mopping under the beds, cleaning out the filing cabinet - all good projects for indoors. If only I could muster the energy - another cup of coffee is in order.

 

[Kayuduck]

I have thought about using shredded paper. I haven't because of the "matted, stinky mess" possibility.

We have a way to recycle the paper, corrugate, and "boxboard" (cereal box like stuff). But there are some piles of paper that I want to shred, because they have person info on them, so I haven't taken them to be recycled.

I might try a small pile to see how it goes.

One question, though... any issues with the chickens eating it? That was my other concern. "Oh, look, girls! Bright colored bits! I wonder if they taste good? Not that one... not that one... not that one..."

That's what I was wondering as I read the post. Shredded credit cards? Chickens are curious.

 

[Bawkbok]

I definitely would not put credit card shreds in the run. Those sharp edges seem like a disaster waiting to happen. Paper is one thing but hard plastic doesn't sound like a positive experience. Perhaps @gtaus has experience with this and can provide insight.

 

[gtaus]

That's what I was wondering as I read the post.

I can tell you that I have never had a problem using paper shreds because of the "matted, stinky mess" possibility. It just does not happen. I use the dry deep bedding method, and in the none snow months, the chicken poo dries out and automagically disappears into the paper shreds bedding into the lower levels.

In the snow months, the chicken poo freezes on top of the paper shreds just like it does with any coop litter I have ever used. I just toss on a fresh layer of paper shreds about every 2 weeks in my coop throughout the winter. Frozen chicken poo does not smell. In the springtime, when everything starts to thaw out, I clean out the coop.

I definitely would not put credit card shreds in the run. Those sharp edges seem like a disaster waiting to happen. Paper is one thing but hard plastic doesn't sound like a positive experience.

I don't put any kind of plastic in my paper shreds litter. I compost all my used paper shreds coop bedding for use in my raised bed gardens. The last thing I would want to do is pick out pieces of plastic from the compost.

I think there might be some confusion as to credit cards because I often mention that I shred heavy cardboard boxes by cutting them into ~2-inch-wide strips and feeding it down the center credit card slot. That much smaller credit card slot in the middle can handle the cardboard (on my home shredders). But I never shred plastic credit cards, only cardboard strips.

I think shredding plastic credit cards for use as coop litter would be a very bad idea. Not only if a chicken ate a piece of plastic, but the sharp edges of shredded credit cards could possibly cut their feet. I compost all my coop litter, and I don't want to cut my hands on plastic shreds when I work the gardens.

I also remove any plastic windows from mailing envelopes and any plastic tape on boxes before shredding. Like I said, I compost all my paper shreds coop litter, and I don't want to be picking out none-compostable plastic bits and pieces from my gardens.

 

[paintedChix]

If you don't have a nice cordless power cutter, check out the power cutter at Menards

Got one & what a difference!!

 

[gtaus]

Got one & what a difference!!

I only mentioned the power cutters because my old hands would cramp up when using heavy-duty manual scissors to cut up cardboard. It was just too hard. So, I did not bother with shredding cardboard. But with the power cutters, I now process all our cardboard boxes from Amazon, QVC, etc... Of course, that power cutter is useful for many other tasks in addition to cutting up cardboard. It's just a very useful tool to have, IMHO. Glad it worked out for you as well.

 

[avjudge]

In the snow months, the chicken poo freezes on top of the paper shreds just like it does with any coop litter I have ever used. I just toss on a fresh layer of paper shreds about every 2 weeks

The solid frozen ridge of chicken manure is also extremely easy to scoop. I don’t clean (much) when it is above freezing, but once we get into cold weather I will go in every week or 10 days with the manure fork and remove that ridge. The winter coop is in a corner of our barn so we have manure-handling utensils right there.

This just makes things a lot less unpleasant when the thaw comes. A winter‘s worth of manure releases a lot of moisture all at once.

I don't put any kind of plastic in my paper shreds litter. . .
I also remove any plastic windows from mailing envelopes and any plastic tape on boxes before shredding. Like I said, I compost all my paper shreds coop litter, and I don't want to be picking out none-compostable plastic bits and pieces from my gardens.

We (humans) are doing a good enough job of permeating our environment with plastic without adding to it by careless shredding!

 

[gtaus]

This just makes things a lot less unpleasant when the thaw comes. A winter‘s worth of manure releases a lot of moisture all at once.

That may be true, but I have relatively few chickens in a larger space. With the dry deep bedding system I have used, I have not had to clean out the coop until after everything thaws in the spring.

The top layer of paper shreds is usually pretty good as the chicken poo seems to work its way down to the bottom. But if I have to remove any frozen winter chicken poo, I do use a manure fork. It just works better than a shovel if the poo is frozen.