OH NO! Another nest box question.... haven't seen it addressed before

[Dr.Doorlock]

I'm sorry, but I think particle board is a BAD idea and I have concerns about VOCs in some of the coatings. Natural woods with longevity are pine, fir or best of all....cedar! The cedar has a natural deoderizer and the cedar oil makes the wood last DECADES. It looks good, too. If you want to make it last even longer, use boiled linseed oil, a natural product. There are also coatings and paints which are baby safe, therefor chicken safe. Ask the guy's at Lowe's or Google "Volotile Organic Compunds".

Particle board is also a bad idea because the chickens can peck a few crumbles and digest them. Treated lumber is a definate NO-NO because they use formaldihide to treat the lumber. It leeches aout after a period of time and can get in their food or water. Keep this stuff out of the veggie garden and out of the chickens' quarters. (o;}

 

[JennsPeeps]

Cedar shavings can't be used for chicken coops due to the wood being toxic to the birds. Would cedar boards be toxic if freshly cut?

 

[ChanceRider]

Quote:
That was my question as well. So far, my chickens have shown no interest in pecking at their next boxes. Perhaps because they spend a lot of time outside their coop and really only go inside to roost for the night? At any rate, I'll keep an eye on their boxes for signs of "abuse".

 

[ChickenToes]

I can't imagine a bird pecking at the particle board hard enough to actually break little crumbles off of it. Many many people here on BYC have used particle board and have had good experiences with it.