Coop plans

[Sinfonian]

Kilz is an excellent bathroom primer that is great for mold and moisture areas.

Yeah, my plan is to prime first since it's raw OSB we're talking about for the lumber, and Kilz is a great product. I guess my answer is I'm fine using a washable paint on the interior as the hens won't bother it. Good to know. Thanks

I wouldn't use pressure treated wood (or wood of any kind, for that matter) for a parrot enclosure because parrots do chew wood. But chickens don't. As long as the wood is intact, not rotting or splintering, there's really no way for a chicken to get her beak into it.

Good to know Elmo, but I'm still planning on Trex for the boards that touch ground. I know it won't rot and I don't see the chickens eating plastic if it's in board form. As has been said, better safe than sorry.​

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Yeah, my plan is to prime first since it's raw OSB we're talking about for the lumber, and Kilz is a great product. I guess my answer is I'm fine using a washable paint on the interior as the hens won't bother it. Good to know. Thanks

I wouldn't use pressure treated wood (or wood of any kind, for that matter) for a parrot enclosure because parrots do chew wood. But chickens don't. As long as the wood is intact, not rotting or splintering, there's really no way for a chicken to get her beak into it.

Good to know Elmo, but I'm still planning on Trex for the boards that touch ground. I know it won't rot and I don't see the chickens eating plastic if it's in board form. As has been said, better safe than sorry.​

Oh GAWD (slapping my forehead) I just realized what you were talking about with Trex... engineered lumber. Made of recycled materials.... Good Good idea... If It werent so danged expensive I would use it as well.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
You're planning on setting the tractor over your garden beds, too, if I recall correctly. I do know there is the possibility that the preservatives in wood can leech in to the soil, where they can potentially be taken up into the vegetables you eat. I do know that it isn't recommended to use pressure treated wood to build raised garden beds, for example. Sounds like those Trex boards are just the thing for your application.

 

[gsim]

I built my raised veggie garden using RR crossties around perimeter. But I lined the inside with double 4 mil plastic before filling it with dirt/compost. Arsenic is a part of the treatment of RR ties. Old ones are not near as bad, but on a warm day sometimes you can smell the creosote if you are close to it.

Gerry

 

[Aimiel]

I should make a confession here: eleven years ago, when we bought our current home, there were seven railroad ties in our yard that the former homeowner admitted to having stolen from the tracks which border our property. I laid them in our hillside, to make steps leading to the yard. The fact that they were there and would be in the watershed, no matter what I did with them is the only excuse I have. At the time, I didn't know anything about creosote, copper, arsenic or any other poisons that are used to treat wood. Today, I would NOT purchase ANY wood product treated with anything toxic, and I especially wouldn't use such to build a home for chickens I expect to be eating the eggs from or giving eggs to my neighbors or family.

 

[Sinfonian]

Quote:
Hehe, here in the Pacific North WET, we tend to go with pressure treated wood when others do not. My brother and I both built our raised beds out of as safe pressure treated wood as we could buy, not because we were striving to be non-organic, but because any other wood rots in a year here and couldn't see rebuilding every year and dealing with all the soil relocation. So we use pressure treated wood for veggies but not for chickens... Better safe than sorry.

Which reminds me, I'll have to figure something when I ark them for a day or two in each bed in the fall... hmm?

As for the expense of Trex, my folks built a deck out of it, and yes, that's costly. Two 2x4s is peanuts compared to fixing the coop every year. I'm not building the whole thing out of it, just what touches ground.

 

[elmo]

Quote:
I've only been at this chicken keeping thing for going on two years, but I have spent an inordinate amount of time watching our chickens during that period. Hundreds of hours, easily. I'm fascinated by them. In all those hours of observation, I've never seen one of my chickens peck at wood. Maybe if there was a bug on the wood, they'd peck at the bug but they're usually quite accurate with their beaks. Their eyesight is amazing. They can pick out a single millet seed dropped in a dense thatch of grass. In the spring they run around the yard chasing gnats that are too small for me to see. It's hilarious to watch becase it looks like they're just running about chasing imaginary demons.

I honestly wouldn't be worried about them pecking at pressure treated wood because I don't think they'll be interested in it. They'll peck anything green growing next to the wood which as we've mentioned could have absorbed chemicals leeched into the soil. But you're eating those vegetables anyway, so I don't think there's any significant risk to either you or the chickens from letting them range in your garden from time to time.

 

[Sinfonian]

Not to hijack my own thread, but speaking of arking the chickens daily, I know 10 SF per bird is minimu, but I was planning only a 4x8 (32 SF) ark for 4 birds. Would that cause problems? Part of my reason for 4 birds is in case of mortality, but I wouldn't get rid of one if they all survived, unless it was a rooster...

Thanks folks!

 

[Sinfonian]

OMGoodness my brother dislikes this site! Everything I mention from here is pooh pawed to death. He is so contrarian it's unreal. I would personally like to thank everyone for being so friendly and helpful. Seems we're going to build our coops our own way and raise our chickens our own way also. Too bad too, heh's normally a very nice person. Odd.

 

[cajunhillbilly]

Quote:
Ya know on somethings I agree with your brother! some of the info on here is useful but when some of the folks on here want to give info to you they take their opinions too seriously and that causes a pissing match! I am not in it for the fight but I will give my opinion and walk away, if you like my opinion and want to know more then that person can PM me. Other than that I get alot of my info from experience with trial and error. The biggest thing folks dont understand is that they are in a hurry to give their opinion before they know where you are (i.e. city, suburb, farm, country or what not!). I am in the country and I dont have alot of land and I do have neighbors , so what might work for me might not work for someone in the city! I do subscribe to Backyard Poultry Magazine and other books, where great information can be obtained.
Well that turned out to be a rant....lol. Just My Honest Opinion!!!!
I do appreciate you Sinfonian on contacting me for info, I am not an expert but somethings can be figured out by common sense although what I might find as common sense might be a difficult task for others to accomplish. So thats why I prefer not to argue with anyone on what they have to say on any subject although sometimes I get to feeling like your brother feels towards wanting to raise the birds the way he wants.
This is your post, your question, people need to give info and move on instead of trying to prove each other wrong!
Im sorry If I stepped on anyones toes but sometimes some things need to be said whether they get you in trouble or not.
Thank you,
and I wish you the best of luck with your coop and run, and your chickens!