Preventing my coop from rotting

[Suckafish272]

The newer treated wood that uses copper shouldn't be a danger to your chickens.

I've heard that treated wood isn't a danger to chickens mainly because they don't normally eat it. But seeing as how the use of copper based paint for boats is being phased out over most of the country due to its toxicity and the fact that it is used to kill fungus in labs, pools, etc I would hardly say it's not a danger. Every copper based product I've used has "Toxic" somewhere on the bottle.

That being said, the legs of our coop are made of treated wood, coated several times in Kilz.

 

[drmusic]

Interesting. I guess I thought that copper was safe since copper is still used for water pipes. Maybe something else used in the treatment process makes it toxic. My daughter has a degree in toxicology - I'll have to ask her next time I see her.

I would paint the untreated wood with a good exterior paint or stain - maybe the stuff recommended for wooden decks. The TV ads for the stuff they sell at Home Depot shows people dancing on it in bare feet. If it is intended for human contact it's probably safe.

 

[ContessaKris]

But do I need i seal it first and then paint it? Also wanting to caulk the cracks and corners. Is that going to be a problem? I plan to do it on the outside discreetly.