Does anyone use or know if it is OK to use the shredded paper from an office paper shredder as bedding in a chicken house? Just wondering if the inks on the paper would be harmful if the chickens take to eating the paper. Plenty of shredded paper around these days and with Country General closed now in our area we won't have a new country store,Bomgaars, opening until March, this might be a nice option for bedding.

-- Nancy (nannyb@huntel.net), December 21, 2001

Answers

Should be fine, and the manure would give you a good start on composting it later. Just make sure there's no carbon paper in it - the inks on those can be a bit nasty. Carbon copies wouldn't have enough to worry about - just not the carbon paper itself. Oh yes, you'd better have a strict "No Smoking" policy for your chicken house, and make sure that neither your poultry nor their visitors break it.

-- Don Armstrong (darmst@yahoo.com.au), December 21, 2001.

I would be cautious using shredded paper as it will retain moisture which is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria & mold. Also, moist newspaper matted down means a slippery floor which is hard on the chickens legs as they're constantly slipping. It can also result in spraddle leg of young chicks.

I personally would stick the newspaper straight in the compost heap so as to keep your chickens healthy.

-- Buk Buk (bukabuk@hotmail.com), December 22, 2001.