Animal Husbandry - Animal Bedding - Shredded Newspaper - Print this page
We have ordered a quantity of shredded paper animal bedding suitable for many types of farm livestock. Campbeltown shredded paper contains on recycled newspaper, so no staples or other foreign objects, the paper is shredded and chopped into short lengths [resembling chopped straw]. It is fully dust extracted which makes is suitable for equine use.
In a recent report prepared by The Glasgow Caledonian University on shredded paper used as animal bedding their conclusions were as follow...
What animals can it be used for?
It has been mainly with dairy cattle and horses, but is also appropriate for use
with sheep, beef cattle, pigs and poultry.
Horses
Newsprint bedding has been particularly successful with horses as it generates
less dust than straw, so is beneficial for use to prevent respiratory problems,
particularly for horses with allergies to straw. It is sterile [free from
allergens, toxins] unlike traditional bedding materials that can contain
allergies such as dust, fungal spores, etc. It is excellent for treatment of
equine skin disorders and hair loss [due to lack of irritants], and aids dietary
control, as horses are not tempted to eat it. Newsprint bedding keeps horses
cleaner and easier to groom than other types of bedding. There is no evidence of
newsprint staining white/light coloured horses.
Dairy Cattle
Mastitis is a disease causing an inflammation of the mammary glands in
cattle, with bedding material the primary source of environment mastitis
pathogens. A major advantage of using newsprint based beddings is that it
doesn't support the growth of mastitis bacteria, reducing incidence of the
disease in dairy cattle.
Absorbency
The fibrous nature of newspapers makes it highly absorbent, the critical factor
for animal bedding, along with its high thermal insulation qualities. Shredding
or cutting allows the newsprint to draw more liquid into the fibres, holding 2 -
6 times more water than straw.
Used newspaper bedding composts well, and can be slurried with water and spread on fields as a fertiliser with no harmful leaching.
Newspaper ink is non-toxic in either liquid or dry form so it should pose no danger to animals if ingested. A study by Penn State University [USA] found no adverse effects even when cattle ate up to 2.4 pounds per head per day.
Packed in 25kg bales approx 24" x 18" x 12"
20 bales per pallet