shredded paper

[janeyo]

My girls have had a big bag of mixed woodshavings and chopped straw for the past year. One bag has lasted this long which I thought was pretty good. But it's just run out so my dad kindly shredded all his old bank statements for me to use in the nest boxes.

Well they LOVE it! They have had a fine old time spreading it about everywhere. None left in the nest boxes. But it is all over the floor of the coop, and floating round the run!

Good job it will decompose

Trouble is they haven't really laid since I put it in, too busy having fun rolling it instead I think!

[Eyren]

*lol* I put a big pile of it in the nestbox of my eglu the other day, as one of my bantams has finally come back into lay after the winter break. Next day, half of it was trailed out the front door! Mind you, I think the cats had even more fun with the bits I dropped on the way out to the garden - my blue Burmese was leaping on it with her tail fluffed up so much, she looked like a squirrel

[kirsty b]

I tried shredded paper, but mine kept eating it.

[shirlthegirl43]

I was wondering about using shredded paper for mine. I guess the remarks on this thread will help me decide!

[janeyo]

They do seem to think it is some kind of new game. Maybe if they had had it from the start they wold just accept it?? And NOT strew it all around!

[MaureenHall]

I use shredded paper when I've got enough of it, and yes, they do still spread it around But they spread the straw around too, so there's not a lot of behavioural difference. I find that the paper makes a nice warm bed for them, and a comfy nest, but when it gets wet it sticks to the eggs far more than straw does. Another reason I like it is that it's free

[lynda66]

yup, mine dig up the straw too, it's their favourite game .... that and eating

[hawthorns]

i use shredded paper and dont get any bother with it. thumbs up from me

[-pat m]

I use a base of wood shavings and then some shredded paper from the office on top (the first time I used it I went down to lock them up and they were hanging around outside the coop! Not sure what it was I think). Now they are fine I keep straw in the nesting box and rake out the paper every week and this gives so much extra life to the shavings!


Pat

[jonny_s_p]

I've used a mix of small woodchips (from chainsaw) and shredded paper for a year now. My chickens seem to love it.

Jonny

[Henschool]

Shredded paper should NEVER be used for chickens as they can eat it an suffer from an impacted crop as it does not digest and can cause serious problems.

[-pat m]

Shredded paper should NEVER be used for chickens as they can eat it an suffer from an impacted crop as it does not digest and can cause serious problems.

I’m worried now!

My chickens have had a top dressing of paper, which I rake off each week and replace; they seem fine, should I withdraw the paper? I have never seen them eating it?

Regards
Pat

[dozey1]

i used shredded paper for about 2 weeks and betty my hen started having respiratory problems . I now use easibed,shavings and a bit aof straw. no problems now..

[MaureenHall]

Shredded paper should NEVER be used for chickens as they can eat it an suffer from an impacted crop as it does not digest and can cause serious problems.

That sounds serious. When I got my first ex-batts, I asked about using shredded paper and was told it would be fine. I've not had any problems (so far, 1 year on) so not sure what to do now, whether to take your advice or the BHWT advice

[janeyo]

I am going to use my shredded paper up. They will then had had it for a few months and I will be able to see if there are any probs with it. They hate it in the nest box and won't lay in there if it's in there so I have to put down chopped straw anyway.