[Ghdp]

As a consequence of keeping my flock undercover i am building up a significant heap of the above (and at least 5 more weeks to go!) The wood chippings are the usual stuff that you might find in a loose box and so quite light. I am wondering if I can just rest it up for a few months and then dig it into my veg plot? I have a feeling wood chippings should not go into a compost heap/ veg plot but cannot remember if that is right and if so why.
Any suggestions?

[YorkshireLass]

Sounds perfect compost material.

The woodchip thing refers to the large chippings you might see as a path or mulch - if you dig those into the soil, the decomposition process actually locks up nitrogen so it's not available for the plant. Laid as a surface mulch, it's fine, apart from slugs 

Your wood chips sound more like shavings so should break down without this problem.

[Ghdp]

Good oh. I will use it??

[Womble]

Ghdp, another thing you can do is switch to 'hemcore' or 'aubiose' horse bedding instead of shavings. These look a bit like chopped up straw. They're firstly much more absorbent than wood shavings, and secondly compost much quicker  .

[BrimwoodFarm]

Glad I saw this thread as battling the same problem. I've been layering in their house but today I noticed it's getting a little too wet/poo covered so will need to do a muck out at the weekend and replace with new, fresh straw.

Now to find a place to build a new compost heap!

[doganjo]

I've been using cross cut shredded paper from offices (No newspapers).  Can I compst that?  I intended burning it but would rather compost if possible

[Ghdp]

Thanks Womble. Good idea.

[macgro7]

I've been using cross cut shredded paper from offices (No newspapers).  Can I compst that?  I intended burning it but would rather compost if possible

Absolutely!
You can mix it with chicken poo and it will be fantastic compost!
I only use straw for poultey bedding at the moment. We are gonna have a looooot of it for this year's compost!

[Lesley Silvester]

I've been using cross cut shredded paper from offices (No newspapers).  Can I compst that?  I intended burning it but would rather compost if possible

I put shredded paper into the goat shed together with the straw and the whole lot gets composted and used.

[doganjo]

I've got people falling over themselves to give me shredded paper!  The only reason i can think of is they feel sorry for my chooks because they have office contracts to take the shredded paper away

[PK]

I stopped using wood shavings some years ago as it always took an age to compost down. I use chopped straw Nedbedz) which is much better at composting and is cheap.

[Terry T]

Isn't there an increased susceptibility to red mite using straw, because they hide inside the stems and are harder to spot? That's the reason I've stuck to shavings but I'd love to find a better alternative for my compost heap.

[cloddopper]

Put the hen house cleanigs out side in a big heap wet every 2 inche layre with a hose & then cover with a weighted plastic sheet . The pile will sweat in a day or so the released amonia will help fed bacterial that compost things & the amonia alos turns to nitrare fertilizer .
 .
Turn the heap over once every thre days for six turnings if at all possible .  Damping it as you rebuild & recover . Don't add any more the the heap your are cooking save new stuff for a new heap elsewhere .
By the end of a month it should have gone well past the time period to breakdown the wood & it will have lost the tendency to " Burn " the plants IF you spread it out thinly over the bed before digging it in .
 Don't put carrots  or parsnips in the area for at least a year though or you'll get forked roots .

 Burnt leaves .. They are not really burnt but they go light in colour toward the edges of the leaves  due to too much nitrogen in the soil , So it looks like a plant that's been too close to a fire