PALLETS,PALLETS,PALLETS

[Mehjr10]

Here is my build https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/683809/harts-chick-shack, working well so far, Best method to break up the pallets was to cut the nails with a sawzall and a metal or demolition blade.

 

[KDK1]

so about how long did it take you to make kind of coop and did you use any intact pallets to make it

I was in no real hurry as my chickens were already in another smaller coop (3X10). I worked weekends for about a month on it. Maybe six days total, AFTER the pallets were deconstructed. That took about three days. No intact pallets cause I didn't want spaces in the walls to harbor any unwanted guests.

 

[EggLuver]

In a cold climate you can leave the pallets whole and then stuff the cavity with straw for insulation before sealing one side of the wall.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

In a cold climate you can leave the pallets whole and then stuff the cavity with straw for insulation before sealing one side of the wall.

Make sure you seal the bottoms somehow to keep mice out of the walls (as KDK1 mentions above).

 

[btym]

Pallet wood can be a great material to build with- it looks pretty cool, is free and available virtually everywhere, and keeps a lot of old pallets from merely being throw into landfills (economy down = shipping down = lots of unused pallets).

BUT BEWARE! Because pallets are used for shipping and can be reused hundreds of times, they're almost always soaked with all sort of nasty chemical and pesticides for the shipping process! Contamination tests of pallets have shown that the average pallet usually has more than one harmful chemical soaked into it. Garden planters built out of pallet wood have been know to have traces of those chemicals leached into the soil. There have even been cases of massive food contamination/recall because pallets transporting goods that were sprayed with a dangerous chemical were later used to transport food that had close contact with the wood. That is exactly why most campsites with fire pits include "Do not burn painted wood or wood pallets" somewhere on the camp warning signs... they don't want you (or the environment) breathing those potentially dangerous fumes.

I'm building a coop right now that will be using pallet wood for siding, but with other materials beneath it so the chickens won't have contact with the pallet wood. Especially if it rains or if the wood is generally wet in the winter, I don't want any nasty chemicals getting to where my chickens eat, drink, sleep, and lay the eggs that I eat.

Don't let this keep you from using pallet wood! Just be safe with it! And wash your hands before you eat or handle your chickens if you've been working with it!

 

[Darson Hut]

Something to keep in mind about pallets is a stamp or stencil with the letters HT or PT. HT means the wood in the pallet was heat treated. PT means pressure treated, not good for your birds. My pallet coop has only HT wood.

 

[patti17340]

O yea Pallets are the way to go... My husband and son have gone crazy this winter collecting them.. They just finished a compost bin and are planning on fencing my garnden with them.. I told them they would have to paint them White first.... My son tore some apart and made this really nice wine rack/ shelf that he gave to several people at Christmas they loved them..
There are tons of ideas just use google and you will be hooked too..I want them to make me a potting bench for my hoop house..

 

[appps]

I am curious where you guys find these free pallets?

As owners of a business that pays $ 30-$50 to replace every pallet stolen from a building site before we can pick them back up these threads often make me wonder if people realise when they take them somebody does pay for it eventually.

 

[paridisefarm2009]

I am curious where you guys find these free pallets?

As owners of a business that pays $ 30-$50 to replace every pallet stolen from a building site before we can pick them back up these threads often make me wonder if people realise when they take them somebody does pay for it eventually.

If there are pallets On the side of the road they are free a lot of businesses Just put them out for people to Just come and Get that is where I get Mine , or Craigs list has free pallets , I personally would never pay for a pallet

 

[Stumpy]

I have found my pallets in a variety of places. My local farmers' co-op has a huge stack and I was told to help myself to them. One day this week I was passing by a lawn mower store and stopped and spoke with the owner. I had seen some huge pallets next to a dumpster and asked about them. He helped me load them in my truck. I don't always assume that they are free for the taking, although when they are next to a dumpster, it's pretty obvious.