- Dec 21, 2009
- 448
- 15
- 121
Greetings to everyone from America's Vancouver, and Merry Christmas!
I have given my wife the gift of chickens for Christmas. (Well, I'm not actually giving her chickens for Christmas, but we will have them in early Spring...). We are permitted a flock of five chickens (no roosters) here in town, and after talking about it for a couple of years, and after enjoying fresh eggs from others, we have decided to take the plunge and raise our own little urban flock. We are very excited about this and it makes a great deal of sense for many reasons, but I have some basic questions about toxicity of certain materials to chickens.
I have a basic coop materials question: What about using treated lumber in construction? Is it safe long term if you cover it with an untreated cap??
I live near the Columbia River gorge, and we get some extremely brisk winds here on a regular basis. I have real concerns about a free-standing coop blowing over, so I plan on using treated 4x4 posts on the corners of the coop, that are set in concrete at least 2 feet in the ground. That presents a problem of exposed pressure treated wood inside the run. I don't see any other efficient means of securely anchoring the coop, other than to set posts into concrete anchors. The rest of the construction will be with Douglas Fir and untreated (but painted) plywood.
If I use cedar boards on the inside of the run to cover the treated wood, will that be sufficient to protect the birds from the chemicals in the treated wood??
I am also a believer in epoxy resin for difficult construction projects, and I wonder if anyone has any experience with epoxy products, (paint, resin, and fiberglass) that is exposed to chicken manure? Tough environment, and I wonder if epoxy (specifically West Systems marine resin) has some useful applications in coop construction.
Also, what about paint? Is there any kind of paint to avoid due to toxicity to the birds? Is is safe to use a primer like "KILZ", and cover it with a latex porch paint? Is it safe to use latex paint, or is oil based paint safer?
I am planning a coop and run that will provide about 40 sq. ft. of enclosed run space, and a raised, insulated shelter/roost of 16 sq ft of inside floor space, with separate, insulated nesting boxes that are accessible from the outside. I believe that anything worth doing, is worth over-doing, so my coop will no doubt be as earthquake and nuclear weapon resistant as Home Depot and I can make it. I'm planning on shelter walls that have siding on the outside, block foam in the center, and painted plywood walls inside. It should stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I am also considering including some sort of ceramic heater in the initial construction.
I've always been a fan of Rhode Island Reds, and since we love brown eggs, that's probably the breed we will select. We are excited about the prospects of our own small flock, and I'm particularly excited about the prospects for my compost pile and raspberry bed...
Again, it's nice to be here, and I look forward to any comments and suggestions that anyone has to offer.
Cheers, and Merry Christmas!!
Bob
I have given my wife the gift of chickens for Christmas. (Well, I'm not actually giving her chickens for Christmas, but we will have them in early Spring...). We are permitted a flock of five chickens (no roosters) here in town, and after talking about it for a couple of years, and after enjoying fresh eggs from others, we have decided to take the plunge and raise our own little urban flock. We are very excited about this and it makes a great deal of sense for many reasons, but I have some basic questions about toxicity of certain materials to chickens.
I have a basic coop materials question: What about using treated lumber in construction? Is it safe long term if you cover it with an untreated cap??
I live near the Columbia River gorge, and we get some extremely brisk winds here on a regular basis. I have real concerns about a free-standing coop blowing over, so I plan on using treated 4x4 posts on the corners of the coop, that are set in concrete at least 2 feet in the ground. That presents a problem of exposed pressure treated wood inside the run. I don't see any other efficient means of securely anchoring the coop, other than to set posts into concrete anchors. The rest of the construction will be with Douglas Fir and untreated (but painted) plywood.
If I use cedar boards on the inside of the run to cover the treated wood, will that be sufficient to protect the birds from the chemicals in the treated wood??
I am also a believer in epoxy resin for difficult construction projects, and I wonder if anyone has any experience with epoxy products, (paint, resin, and fiberglass) that is exposed to chicken manure? Tough environment, and I wonder if epoxy (specifically West Systems marine resin) has some useful applications in coop construction.
Also, what about paint? Is there any kind of paint to avoid due to toxicity to the birds? Is is safe to use a primer like "KILZ", and cover it with a latex porch paint? Is it safe to use latex paint, or is oil based paint safer?
I am planning a coop and run that will provide about 40 sq. ft. of enclosed run space, and a raised, insulated shelter/roost of 16 sq ft of inside floor space, with separate, insulated nesting boxes that are accessible from the outside. I believe that anything worth doing, is worth over-doing, so my coop will no doubt be as earthquake and nuclear weapon resistant as Home Depot and I can make it. I'm planning on shelter walls that have siding on the outside, block foam in the center, and painted plywood walls inside. It should stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. I am also considering including some sort of ceramic heater in the initial construction.
I've always been a fan of Rhode Island Reds, and since we love brown eggs, that's probably the breed we will select. We are excited about the prospects of our own small flock, and I'm particularly excited about the prospects for my compost pile and raspberry bed...
Again, it's nice to be here, and I look forward to any comments and suggestions that anyone has to offer.
Cheers, and Merry Christmas!!
Bob