Please help me design my run!

[aart]

Can I use pressure-treated wood to build the run and/or would I need to seal it?

Nope.
And if you do seal wood,
I do not recommend Thompsons, learned long ago that it wears off pretty quick.

 

[IOT]

Nope.
And if you do seal wood,
I do not recommend Thompsons, learned long ago that it wears off pretty quick.

Do you mean no, I can't use pressure-treated wood, or no, I don't need to seal it?

 

[CluckerFamily]

I say no to the treated wood.
I have had my coop for 7 years and there is no rotting. Maybe the concrete blocks help. But I also figured when it rots, I’ll just fix it, for me it isn’t a lot of work.

 

[aart]

Do you mean no, I can't use pressure-treated wood, or no, I don't need to seal it?

Oh, sorry....no you don't need to seal pressure treated wood, tho you can after it fully dries out(a year).

 

[veedabowlu]

" Pressure treating does make wood rot resistant. But — it doesn’t make wood water resistant. Pressure treated wood still soaks and looses moisture. And as a result, the wood moves, cracks, twists, bends, cups and virtually tears itself apart."

I'm not sure of the toxicity... I built my first coop/run with a shipping crate (think of a 2x4 crate to ship a pickup truck bed by itself) and pallet wood four years ago... the girls or I haven't had any ill affects... (maybe its why my memory is slipping... OR maybe I'm just getting old, lol)
I did paint my coop... my wood was pressure treated.... but not pressure treated ground contact.. That is something new to me...

" Because most decay fungi and termites live in the ground, you’ll need an appropriate level of protection for wood used in those scenarios compared to material that is used above the soil. Southern Yellow Pine with a Ground Contact designation is intended to protect your lumber from rotting in applications that have direct contact with soil (either resting on or installed into the ground) and excess moisture (beyond normal rainfall and watering systems). It’s used in cases where frequent wetting or immersion in fresh water doesn’t allow the lumber to dry. It should also be used in some building scenarios where components, such as deck or dock joists, beams, and ledger boards, would be considered critical to the safety of the structure and difficult to replace. A Heavy-Duty Ground Contact may be required in certain high-decay hazard or exposure applications (structural retaining walls, horticulture sites, etc. "

 

[IOT]

I say no to the treated wood.
I have had my coop for 7 years and there is no rotting. Maybe the concrete blocks help. But I also figured when it rots, I’ll just fix it, for me it isn’t a lot of work.

I see, but I already have some pressure-treated wood, so my question is not so much whether I need to use it, but whether it's safe to use? (I cannot return it and have no other use for it at the moment)...

 

[aart]

I see, but I already have some pressure-treated wood, so my question is not so much whether I need to use it, but whether it's safe to use? (I cannot return it and have no other use for it at the moment)...

I'd say it's safe.
How old is it...did you buy it or.....?

 

[Chica'sChickens]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum and also to having chickens. I'm in the process of figuring out how to make my run, have limited carpentry skills and a lot of questions! Please feel free to direct me elsewhere if my questions have been answered.

I want to make a 12' x 12' run, about 6' in height and ideally I'd like it to have a more or less solid roof (I live in the northeast and we get quite a bit of snow here, would be nice to keep it out of the run so that chickens can still go out, I heard they will not go out in the snow). I have some 2 x 4 x 8 lumber and I'm wondering if it's possible to build the frame with this, will it be sturdy enough? Also, I would prefer not to use concrete to hold the posts in place, is this possible?

Thanks so much!

Chickens will go out in the snow. I made a chicken Mansion for our girls.

 

[IOT]

I'd say it's safe.
How old is it...did you buy it or.....?

I bought it at home depot, so I'm assuming pretty new.

 

[aart]

I bought it at home depot, so I'm assuming pretty new.

@DobieLover knows more about PT than I.