Building a run....

[Amethyste]

My husband is starting to make plans to build our Ladies a new run this summer. He was looking at using treated lumber, but I don't know if that is safe to have around the Ladies or not. There are big notices saying that it has arsenic used in treating it, and that you need to use safety precautions while cutting it etc. I really have my worries about using that type of wood . Should he continue to look at it and price it out? Or should he look at a different type of lumber all together....

 

[FremontCAguy]

I went the route of using treated lumber that is closest to the ground, and then using regular wood on top. However I still need to paint the wood with something otherwise it'll get water or sun damage. I'm planning to use Thompson water seal and maybe some polyurethane coating (read somewhere here). So I guess it's pick your "poison."

You may want to check into how the treated lumber was made. I heard there may be some diferences?

But, as far as I know, I don't see the chickens pecking at the frame or anything...maybe it doesn't matter. My chicks are only 8-10 weks old.

 

[boothin]

I would probably stay away from the treated lumber. No way to know for sure if it would be okay or not but I think it's better to err on the side of caution. The SPF whitewood lumber would be okay and would last several years. It is your cheapest option. Sealing it and painting it would help it last longer. You could look into something like cedar which is very rot resistant will last longest but is quite costly. Middle of the road is Douglas fir but I've found it harder to find where I am.

I went the route of using treated lumber that is closest to the ground, and then using regular wood on top. However I still need to paint the wood with something otherwise it'll get water or sun damage. I'm planning to use Thompson water seal and maybe some polyurethane coating (read somewhere here). So I guess it's pick your "poison." You may want to check into how the treated lumber was made. I heard there may be some diferences? But, as far as I know, I don't see the chickens pecking at the frame or anything...maybe it doesn't matter. My chicks are only 8-10 weks old.

There is a different kind of wood treatment that has become pretty widely used in the past 2 or 3 years I think that doesn't contain arsenic. That doesn't mean it is safe, but it is safer. There are also several other methods but they generally aren't widely used as CCA or ACQ.