Currently I use compacted and chopped straw as bedding for my five Wyandotte bantams. Being the editor of a local magazine, however, I always have bags of finely-shredded paper easily available. Is there any reason why I should not use this as bedding? I have hesitated to do this in the past as I thought the print on the paper might have some adverse effect on the birds, but can you clarify this for me.
Laurence Beeken says:
Paper shreddings are fine as long as they are cross cut short as opposed to long shreddings from personal shredders – which can get tangled around the chickens’ legs.
I’m not aware of any issues with print/inks, and have used shreddings successfully in the past. Be aware that if the pages are shiny/gloss; they tend to be less absorbent and you may find they stick to the hens’ feet when they get soiled.
