Newbie coop

[Clardychicks]

Hello all!

I need some help. I will be getting my chicks this coming week and want start working on my coops so it is ready when they are.
I have a few questions. I need to save money and am wondering if pressure treated wood is necessary as it does cost more. I am wondering if I can get away with using it on the floor and not the walls. Can I seal the untreated plywood and protect it from weather damage?
I live in the Northeast and we do have cold winters. I keep reading that ppl are insulating, but also read that this is very unnecessary and actually a hazard. Curious what everything thinks.
Also, I would love to see some pictures of coops made of pallets if anyone has one.
Thanks! I am VERY excited to get started.

 

[N F C]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I'm not a builder (my husband does all that, I just hand him nails) but you could probably get your questions answered on the coop forum. You can get there with this link:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance

There is also a coop tab with all sorts of coop builds featured:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

Good luck with your build and thanks for joining us!

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided join our flock. Contrary to common opinion, pressure treated wood is not any more rot resistant than non treated wood. The only advantage in pressure treated wood is that it is termite resistant, so if termites are not a problem in your area, I wouldn't worry about using pressure treated wood. Just put a good coating of weather sealant on your wood. Make certain your coop is draft free, dry, and well ventilated to keep moisture from building up in it. Feathers are wonderful insulators, and moisture is a far greater danger than cold. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in getting your chicks.

 

[drumstick diva]

Chickens generally handle cold much better than heat. Welcome to BYC.

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[LovinAK]

This will be our first winter with Chickens in our barn (two horse stalls converted into chicken coop). Last winter, however, we had ducks in the same barn and they did very well. We inherited the barn with our house and so we had to accept it "as is" and work with what we had.
The wood in the barn is not pressure treated and absorbed water like a sponge. To remedy this the cheapest way possible, we used left over house paint to paint all roosts and walls to help extend the lifespan of the wood and to make it easier to clean. We also bought the cheapest linoleum we could find at Lowe's and nailed it down for flooring...this was the best decision for us due to the mess ducks make and it now seems great for the chickens too. We plan to use the deep litter method this winter. We've heard as the poo decomposes it produces additional warmth for the hens.
Our barn is not insulated nor do we plan on doing so. We also live in a very cold area but planned accordingly-buying chicken breeds that are cold hardy. Hope this helps although winter is not here yet but gathering info on BYC has helped us with planning tremendously!

 

[nj2wv]

welcome to BYC !!