Shredded paper as bedding?

[sidesaddlegirl]

I just finished shredding about 7 years worth of old bills, cc statements, bank statements, the lot! Now I have a big bin bag full of shredded paper which I was going to chuck out on recycling day but then I remembered my sister in law saying how she used it for her gerbil.
I'm running low on shavings this week and thought about using it as bedding for the ponios to pad out and make the shavings stretch a couple of more days. The ponios don't eat their bedding so is it a good idea if I mix the shredded paper in with the shavings?
Figure if it's good enough for gerbils, it's good enough for "larger" pets

 

[K9Wendy]

I use shredded paper mixed with shavings. I use cross cut so the shreds are no longer than about 3 inches. I use one full bin bag with 1/3 to 1/2 a bale of shavings, it mixes really well and bulks out the bed. However, I was given a small bage of longer shreds and when I put it into the bed it was like a birds nest, it wouldn't mix through at all, so I took it out.

I like it mixed with shavings, it really does fluff the bed up, but not on it's on, if I have overdone the paper and find a wet patch of paper only it is cloggy and heavy. I much prefer it mixed. If taken out when wet it doesn't blow off the muck heap.

 

[sidesaddlegirl]

Unfortunately, my shredder was a cheapo one from Staples so all my shreds are long and straight. I think the motor packed up on mine today as it started to smell like burning as I was getting nearer the end of my HUGE pile of paper! I think my next shredder will be a cross cut one.

I'll experiment tomorrow with shavings to shred ratio then to see what works best with my long shreds

 

[pennyh]

i use it from my office to make the banks in my horses stable , i use nedz bed pro for the base & sprinkle some over the paper banks to firm them up

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Where I learnt to ride (tiny one-man-band) they had an industrial shredder that took sheets of broadsheet newspaper. All the riders and liveries used to save their newspapers up and we'd shove them through the shredder. Made fabulous warm bedding that rotted down fast and well. Then I had my own horse and kept him in so called full livery at another yard. There was never enough bedding - they used to get wood waste free from the local sawmill...just dust that got in your lungs and everywhere and was full of big chunks of wood too. So, remembering how good newspaper used to be, I used to save up all my old newspapers - friends did too - and I'd stand and rip them all up into strips BY HAND for hours at a time! Fabulous bedding but it doesn't half give you dirty hands! Got lazy in my old age and use shavings now (at a DIFFERENT yard!) but I still put the contents of our home shredder in ned's bed!

 

[vicm2509]

I mixed shavings with shredded paper (small shreads) in my horsebox. It was good, however I gave up with the paper as it blows everywhere. Should be ok in a stable though.