Plan for crummy wood chips

I have been getting wood chips from the same tree company for several years. Normally they are wonderful. This year is not my year I guess. Late winter early spring I called and requested wood chips. My sister-in-law told me a lot of companies are changing for the wood chip, but thankfully not the one I use. I try not to be to demanding, basically all I ask is no poisonous wood. Sometimes I will use the wood chip in the bottom of a new raised bed, or as mulch in my veggies garden, and I don't want to have to worry about it. They don't seem to mind.
Months ago by, and no wood chips. Trying to be patient and not a pain I wait. I finally email them just to make sure I haven't fallen through the cracks. Good thing because I had.
I have finally gotten my wood chips. I'm grateful, but to be honest not thrilled. I don't know if there blade needs to be changed or sharpened, or if it's  the type of tree, but it's more like shredded wood instead of chips.
I've been trying to decide what to do with them. Any wood chips can be used for paths, which is what I desperately need them for, but the shredded sharp nature of these are not great.
I'm definitely going to compost some of it. There's lots of leaves, and all the different sizes, will do well. I'm going to dump a lot of it in my chicken yard.  There yard is bare at the moment, so it will give them entertainment, and bugs I'm sure. With time they will mix with the chicken poop, and compost down, and I will use it in the garden. I will probably use a bunch to ring my trees.
With luck (which hasn't been on my side this year) I can use up this pile, and maybe get another that's a little better for walking on.
I'm still grateful, even crummy wood chips and useful.

Huh. Looks like they used to be woody vines. I've used them as paths, it's fine.

When there's a high proportion of leaves and small twiggy material, it's what we call ramial. This is actually the most highly sought after variety of wood chips for general garden purposes because it will break down faster than plain wood and bark. The only downsides are the way the twigs clump together, making it harder to scoop, and the stabby nature you pointed out. A fork gets around the first problem, and good gloves will protect you from the second one.

From what Phil suggested the wood chips are not so crummy after all.

I am no authority on wood chips though that pile looks glorious to me.

I guess I have been spoiled in the past with amazing chips.
Please don't think I'm not grateful, or complaining. I'm very grateful, and they will help in several areas. I think of the past when I didn't know I could get free wood chips, and I spent a lot of money, and lot of plastic waist to get wood chips. Yep I'm very grateful.

While it is a bit more work, if you have existing wood chip in your path it might be worth pulling it back before laying down that long shredded material. You can then re-rake the semi-broken down stuff on top and at least blunt the sharpness a little bit.

I dislike thinking that I might be a bother to my local arborist contacts but I have had been forgotten before. I need to nudge one of them soon and see if they might have a pile they would be willing to drop off.