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- #111
I love this chicken run composting idea! You have inspired me to do the same on our place.
Glad to hear this idea has value to you. I can attest to the fact the chicken run composting system is the best way of composting that I have used. The chickens do most of the work and they love it!
What do you think about cinder blocks being used as a border? I have always free roamed my chickens so building a run is new to me.
If you're going to build the run with wood, I think you're on the right track with cinder blocks to avoid ground contact with the wood. My run is just a fenced-in area, so I use metal T-posts and welded wire fence.
I just have 2X4 welded wire fencing on T-posts, as well. So, I am not too concerned about any wood rotting out. If you build a wooden frame for the chicken run, I would think the wood should be ground contact treated wood at a minimum. Putting the frame up on cinder blocks is probably an idea if you don't use treated wood.
If you use treated wood, and you are still concerned about how long the wood will last when in direct contact with active composting, then maybe you could line the inner fencing with a sacrificial scrap wood liner providing a barrier between the compost and the wood frame of your fencing. If/when the scrap wood liner falls apart, just replace it with some more leftover lumber.
I suspect the scrap wood liner itself would last for many years.
FWIW, I have some pallet wood bins where the wood is only heat treated, not ground contact treated, and the wood on those bins are over 5 years old and the wood is still fine. I'm sure ground contact treated wood will last even longer.