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

[gtaus]

I've started chicks in the brooder (s) on shredded paper/junk mail/cardboard. Besides keeping the feeders full, I m pulling dandelions with dirt & putting in brooders. Provides natural grit. They do taste the shred, the I see them spit it out.

When I first got chicks for eggs, there was an elderly lady at the store who told me to add some sand, or fine grit, in with the chicks. I asked why that was needed because chicken starter feed does not need any grit. She told me that chick starter feed does not need grit, but those chicks sometimes pick up and eat some of their brooder litter - whatever litter you use - and having some sand or fine grit for the chicks just helps them prevent getting stuffed up.

I also pull dandelions or clumps of grass with dirt on them and put them into the brooder. I think it helps them to get used to what they will be exposed to when they leave the brooder and go outside. If they eat some of the dirt, all the better. But I live on a lake, so I always have some sand from the beach in the brooder for them as well.

 

[Intuit]

This is great information. I'm new to raising chickens and I did think about using shredded paper for the coupe, so i'm gonna start saving up and doing just that.Thanks ladies for all your comments

 

[BDutch]

The endless wet weather is making things worse and worse each day. Personally I am at the point of a break down from this endless rain. If I have no chickens, I would be off somewhere sunshine for a week or a few days at least. But I can not and my chickens stupidly eating just about any bedding materials I give them, this compounded my difficulty.

I had a muddy run too after a lot of rain many years ago.
This is what i did:

• Make deep holes in the ground with a tool to dig holes for poles to make a fence. The holes were 80cm-90cm deep and went through a clay layer that caused stagnating of the water. Filled the holes with pebbles (river stones). The pattern is 1 hole every meter.
• I also planted a few bushes in the run. 4 bushes (different berries and a laurel) on 15 m2. I need to cut down the bushes every year.
• Add shredded wood chips from pruning and autumn leaves to keep the soil healthy.

I have no problems anymore in rainy weather anymore after I made the pebble holes.

 

[BDutch]

where we don't have any commercial industries dumping chemical waste into the water or environment.

They don’t tell you. Its the government who needs to protect us and needs to monitor.
It’s not possible to burn it like plastic. If you try to, it gets in the air.
So if someone/factories burn waste it gets in the air. If the fire-brigade stops heavy fires or oil from burning they use PFAS extinguishers. If someone/factories clean with chemicals it gets in the water. If factories produce something like oven paper, tefal pans, special outdoor clothing, fire extinguishers special foils, it always leaks it into the environment.