Pallet coop

[nayeli]

My beliefs are based upon the fact that making furniture etc from pallets has become a lot more popular and I have NEVER read or heard about any negative consequence. I would wash the wood off and paint it with non toxic paint but of all the things in our houses and in the world I don't think this wood is that unsafe.

 

[raisinemright]

Moonshadows, Your not hurting anyone's feelings here (I hope anyways) your entitled to your own opinion on this and I am sure of your facts. This is not a thread for argument, I am sure some did not realize the harm some pallets carry. I appreciate your information on the subject and like I said until my chicks hatch with 2 heads, or they glow in the dark I will use pallets for building structures such as a coops. Its cheap they can turn out very beautiful and sturdy. But if you dont like building with pallets thats fine I totally understand your point. This thread is for people to follow my build along "pallet coop" not to argue about how harmful or not pallets are. But all this talk about building is really getting me pumped up for spring like weather to hit. I am over the negative degrees around here!!

 

[Nana D]

I will be building more chicken coops with pallets. I just landed an endless supply of them. I currently have a box that I raise my babies in that was made of pallets. I say, "Go for it" it's cheap. No money spent, is money well saved, and mission complete.

 

[boskelli1571]

You are right!

In addition to what you said, you want to know a few other things before you use pallets for your coop OR any other project.

Standard Wood Pallets will have 1 of 2 markings on the side rail:

HT means the pallet was Heat Treated: it may or may not have been exposed to chemicals during this process - Most people think this process renders pallets safe, but pallets that are HT are more susceptible to molds.

BT means the pallet was treated with Methyl Bromide, a chemical pesticide

Pallets may also be treated with other fungicides and poisons, and you won't even know about it.

Here's a little more info:

Wood pallets are like sponges – they’re porous and readily absorb water and other fluids. This creates a breeding ground for bacteria like salmonella, E. coli and Listeria that can cross-contaminate food. Wood pallets are so unhygienic that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said they must not be used in connection with food preparation because of the risk of Listeria contamination.

We used to repurpose pallets, but no longer do.

Great info. thanks Jim! I will be building a small coop for my starter chicks this year, but will move them into the 'main coop' at 10-12 weeks. I anticipate they will spend perhaps 6 weeks max. in the pallet coop. After that, I think I will keep it for a 'hospital' or similar for isolation only. I had heard similar info. on Mother Earth (I think), about not using them for raised beds because of possible chemical contamination or if the wood is untreated, possible bug problems, Sue

 

[MoonShadows]

Hey,

I am not looking to argue. I just stated some dangers about pallets, and a few of you ran with "I hope", "I think", " I believe"....which couldn't be further from the truth.

Your chickens don't have to "glow in the dark" to be contaminated, or you contaminated by their eggs or meat....or the indoor furniture or do-dads you build with pallets.

The evidence is all over the internet, no matter how much you "hope", "think" or "believe"....and, it is not "opinion".

Hidden Dangers of Wood Pallets
http://www.bricksandbaubles.com/2012/08/hidden-danger-of-wood-pallet-upcycling.html

Hidden Dangers of Wood Pallets Escalates
http://reliableplant.com/Read/22482/Dangers-wood-pallets-escalate

Why is Making Furniture from Wood Pallets so Dangerous
http://www.pallettruth.com/wood-pallet-furniture-dangers/

Don't Reuse Wood Pallets
http://www.cheaplikemeblog.com/environment/dont-reuse-wood-pallets/

Toxic Chemicals: Think Twice Before Repurposing Wood Pallets
http://www.poetichome.com/2010/08/30/toxic-exposure-the-danger-of-repurposing-pallets/

That's just a few.

Do what you want; it's fine by me. But, when the overwhelming evidence is something is dangerous, I don't try to justify using it with unsubstantiated "hope", "belief" or "thinking"...even if people have been doing it for years. There are so many other things people have done for years that we now know are unsafe...even some you folks who refuted me probably have stopped doing yourself. Maybe you'll come to see the danger with re-using pallets as well. I hope you do.

 

[raisinemright]

Duly noted

 

[azcook]

this is ours currently! This weekend we are putting the second layer of pallets on and covering up the gaps....

 

[Nana D]

Looking good

 

[nayeli]

Looks good! I'm looking forward to seeing more of these pallet projects, for those of you who decide to build them =)

 

[yogifink]

Here are a couple shot of a pallet coop I built.

In regards to the previous comments on the dangers of building with pallet wood: I agree with your concerns, however there are many ways to mitigate the dangers of using them. The first shot would be to gather from a safe source where the pallets have not come into contact with unsafe chemicals, obviously using pallets from a chemical company would not be wise. It is very easy to find untreated pallets that have no more dangers to use than plywood that is made using formaldehyde. Many pallets that I have used are untreated pine. Unless you are going to build with solid, untreated lumber, chemical dangers are present wether you choose to believe it or not. The question then becomes, what are you will to tolerate and what can you afford.