Cardboard stable bedding is an excellent alternative to using straw or sand in the chicken coop. Moreover, it is biodegradable and can be added easilycompost bunk bedfor future gardening needs.
Cardboard bedding
Cardboard bedding is an all-natural option for your chicken coop floor, and honestly, it's even much cleaner and easier to maintain than the deep litter and sand methods.
Chickens cannot swallow the large pieces of cardboard. They will try to do something about it, but lose interest after the first hour. Because the litter is so light, the chickens will touch the litter for you many times throughout the day, which is a nice bonus.
But my biggest love for this litter is that my chickens love it! We have seen a lotimproving healthversus straw and other dusty bedding. Every time we add new straw or wood shavings, the chickens often have irritated sinuses. But not with cardboard bedding. There is no dust or pollen in the cardboard bedding, which is also a great option for me because it allows me to lay down the bedding without wearing a mask while taking unnecessary allergy medications.
Overall, this is the healthiest optiononschickens, and that's what we're going to use nowThroughout the yearinstead of just the summer months. I wanted to share this option with you because it is not generally available. I'm definitely so excited that someone introduced me to cardboard bedding - because I will never go back to the others!
Keep reading to learn more about using cardboard bedding in the coop!
Breeding chickens on the farm
Chickens are the gateway animals to any farm! Learn more about how to care for backyard chickens!
- The basics of raising chickens
- How to hatch chicks in an incubator
- The egg colors of the chicken breed
- 10 Ways to Help Your Chickens Beat the Heat
- How to treat common chicken diseases
- How do you keep chickens warm?
- 6 reasons why every farm needs a rooster
- Reasons for breeding grassland animals
- Save money by raising chickens for eggs
8 comments for Pap Coop Bedding for the chicken coop
Where can you find cardboard hutch bedding? 🙂
Answer
You can try calling your local recycling center or even a supermarket to find out where they send their empty boxes for processing.
Answer
Surprisingly, most cardboard will fit in a shredder. We collect the boxes from outside our local wine and liquor store. That's enough for our situation here. We also use shredded cardboard as mulch in our garden.
Answer
My grocer will be happy to give you anything you want when you go in the morning when they restock the shelves before putting it together.
Answer
I have 4 pound bags of shredded cardboard
Answer
I bought a $100 16 page shredder at Costco and shredded all my regular brown cardboard boxes and then stored the strips in feed bags. I don't like glossy paper because I don't trust it not to have plastic in it and it looks bad if I spread the slurry, so I put corrugated cardboard with a glossy label in the shower, separate the layers, throw away the gloss and then dry and tear the other two layers. Sometimes I grate, sometimes I throw boxes of cereal, etc., depending on my mood and how shiny they look.
I just lined a horse/llama stable with this bedding (the animals don't live indoors so I don't need a lot of bedding) and there are still tons left over. I plan on trying it for the chickens this winter when they are indoors and I hope it works as well for me as it does for you!
Answer
I love cardboard for the nest for the reason you gave. I get any large pieces I can use from a local furniture store. They are happy that it is being taken away so they don't have to deal with it. They pile it up behind their store before it's towed away and we just drive back and get whatever we want.
Answer
Does the cardboard keep them warm?
Answer
