Can you use pressure treated wood on coops

[JennH07]

My Hubby wants to know if pressure treated wood is ok to use to build a chicken coop?? We have an existing small coop that we are adding to, and he has some pressure treated wood that he was going to use to add on, but figured we better check first. Thanks!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are liable to get some different opinions on this one. I consider it a personal choice. I don't believe the chemicals used these days are not quite as bad as the ones that used to be used. The older the pressure treated wood, the more of the chemical has already leached out.

I use pressure treated wood for anything that touches the ground and sometimes for other parts if that is the wood I have available. Some woods last longer than others but to me the benefits of not having to rebuild or repair on a regular basis far outweighs any potential harm. If you go onto the FDA website, you will see that there are recommendations as to how many parts per million or whatever scale they use of certain chemicals do no known damage or harm. That does not mean that I try to get up to that limit and stop. I do try to avoid any level of known bad things, but I don't sweat minute amounts, if that makes any sense. I don't know the levels that will wind up in your chickens systems in your specific application, but my personal opinion is that I will worry about things I consider significant. To me, this is not one of them.

 

[hetty]

I do hope so, we have just used old wooden patio plank as posts, to make a 10ft sq run for our bantums.

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

Several folks told me that the chemicals used today are not harmful. We built our run out of pressure treated lumber.

 

[calista]

I agree with Ridgerunner that it's probably pretty paranoid to worry about this issue, especially with older wood where the chemicals have leached out.

However, I have an old Extension Service pamphlet that says:

"Be careful not to use chemically-treated wood structures near livestock feed or food-producing animals because they can transfer potentially harmful levels of chemicals into animal products, such as meat, milk, and eggs."

So I wouldn't build my nest boxes out of such wood.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
If that pamphlet is old, it probably is referring to the old arsenic based preservative. Nowadays, they use a copper based preservative that's much less toxic. It's corrosive and will rust zinc screws, though, so you do need to use the new kind of deck screws, certainly for anything load bearing.

I would not use even modern treated wood for perches. Or for nestboxes, either, because I love to use plastic storage totes instead of any kind of wood ones, anyway.

 

[LaurelRidgeDreams]

This is interesting.


http://www.ehow.com/facts_5583661_treated-wood-dangerous-chickens_.html

 

[Splash Giants]

I have used PT wood for almost 25 years on my coops and I have never had any problems.

 

[wolfpak]

You could use it for fencing, or for framing. Personally, I won't use the stuff. I've read any PT wood use is not allowed if one is to call the birds or eggs "Organic." Why take the chance? I try to stay away from doing anything that will add to my cumulative toxic load from environmental exposure to potential toxins. We have a few low raised beds we made out of basic pine boards, then coated with a water based stain-sealant. After a number of years we replaced the boards that were in constant contact with the soil. I'd rather that than take a chance on PT.
IMHO, but you have to make the choice for yourself.

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Treated wood is very nearly all that I use with my poultry housing. Especially if it's going to come within two feet of the ground.

Maybe in the arid or more northern climates they can get away without using treated wood, but not in the southeast unless you're using cypress/cedar or plan on replacing it every year or two.

I've yet to see a chicken gnaw on a piece of wood. In fact it's the fact that 'organic standards' won't allow treated wood, but you can use a thousand miles of galvanized wire dripping zinc all over the place was one of the reasons I decided organic wasn't worth the bother.

.....Alan.