Run material and wood type

[Cmct3987]

I’m getting ready to build a bigger chicken run. I’m lost on what to seal or protect the wood with. I’ve search and coming up with a bunch of different things some good some bad. I’m not going to use pressure treated and know that it’s “safe” nowadays but am confused on how to protect my wood constructed run. What did you use?

 

[DobieLover]

What did you use?

Pressure treated.
Why wouldn't you use it? If the wood is going to be exposed to the elements, it should be pressure treated.

 

[Bananabread]

I chose not to use pressure treated wood, recognizing it may ultimately lead to problems way way down the road. That said, I felt fine using non-treated construction grade studs. Keys to note: make sure it's not in direct contact with ground/dirt. All of my wood is elevated. That said, it sits on cinder blocks which unfortunately do transfer water to wood when wet. That said, with enough of a roof overhang, you can keep the concrete relatively dry which means your wood will stay reasonably dry. I painted all wood with multiple coats of external grade paint. Not just to prevent water/moisture entry but also to slow the decay from UV and the sun, paint is a good idea.

 

[perkolator]

I chose not to use pressure treated wood, recognizing it may ultimately lead to problems way way down the road.

And this problem is?

Perhaps the old version of PT lumber would leach enough harmful stuff over time, but the industry changed that recipe like 20yrs ago now.

I used PT lumber on my main structure even though I elevated it on cinder block. PT lumber was cheaper than regular lumber + products to seal it. My 2nd run I used T-Posts and bamboo poles from the yard. Also made a rabbit hutch around the same time, but for him I used regular fir lumber because I knew he'd chew on it, the exterior facing pieces I sealed with some poly I had already.

 

[Bananabread]

And this problem is?

Perhaps the old version of PT lumber would leach enough harmful stuff over time, but the industry changed that recipe like 20yrs ago now.

I used PT lumber on my main structure even though I elevated it on cinder block. PT lumber was cheaper than regular lumber + products to seal it. My 2nd run I used T-Posts and bamboo poles from the yard. Also made a rabbit hutch around the same time, but for him I used regular fir lumber because I knew he'd chew on it, the exterior facing pieces I sealed with some poly I had already.

Sorry--I wasn't clear...I was saying choosing to not use pressure treated wood may lead to problems long term. As in, using non-pressure treated wood may ultimately lead to problems

 

[Cmct3987]

Sorry--I wasn't clear...I was saying choosing to not use pressure treated wood may lead to problems long term. As in, using non-pressure treated wood may ultimately lead to problems

Ok so I’ll use pressure treated, elevate it and paint it. Is that the right way to do it?

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Where, in general, are you? If you put your location into your profile we can give better targeted advice when climate matters.

This is one of those times because the availability and the durability of different woods is affected by location and climate.

For example, where I am wood is rapidly attacked by various insects and fungi due to being a warm, wet climate. But in a cool dry climate even untreated wood may last a remarkably long time.

Also, are you talking about an open-topped run that is just a fenced area or a covered run? The solutions can be different for each.

 

[Bananabread]

All that said, the reason I chose not to use PT wood is that I wouldn't use it for a veggie box so not sure why I would want my chickens scratching and ingesting soil exposed to it. I know this is all debatable and I'm sure based off current informaton the risks are marginal but I also know our understanding of chemical exposures changes overtime. While certainly PT wood help a coop last 40 years...I'm not sure I'll be around that long and I'm sure other components of the coop will have likely have broken down and decayed by then begging for replacement long before non-pressure treated wood not exposed directly to soil will need to be. Just my opinion and definitely not to be taken any more than anybody else's...just an explanation of my rationale.

 

[FunClucks]

Ok so I’ll use pressure treated, elevate it and paint it. Is that the right way to do it?

No need to elevate or paint pressure treated wood. There are two types of pressure treated wood. Use Ground Contact rated pressure treated wood for when it touches the ground. Use exterior exposure ("weather shield" and other names), non-ground contact pressure treated wood for when the wood doesn't touch the ground. It will be fine. I lay it on the ground to attach my apron to. It will last for years.

The only thing that ticks me off is they sell it wet, and I like to make sure it dries out straight before building with it. Warped boards are no fun to work with/ work around. I have the most amazingly warped door on one of my coops because of that reason.

If you're determined to paint it, make sure it dries out for several months first until it's super dry. Don't want to seal in the moisture used to pressure treat it. I like to use exterior / barn paint or polyurethane. I used porch and patio paint on the exterior plywood floor of my metal chicken shed.

 

[FunClucks]

All that said, the reason I chose not to use PT wood is that I wouldn't use it for a veggie box so not sure why I would want my chickens scratching and ingesting soil exposed to it. I know this is all debatable and I'm sure based off current informaton the risks are marginal but I also know our understanding of chemical exposures changes overtime. While certainly PT wood help a coop last 40 years...I'm not sure I'll be around that long and I'm sure other components of the coop will have likely have broken down and decayed by then begging for replacement long before non-pressure treated wood not exposed directly to soil will need to be. Just my opinion and definitely not to be taken any more than anybody else's...just an explanation of my rationale.

I used non-pressure treated wood for my raised garden beds because I was worried about these same things, and within 3 years it was rotting and within 5 it had fallen apart completely. I was super ticked because those were hard to build. So I replaced the wood with cinderblocks.

Micronized copper azole has minimal toxicity and leaching, so that type of treated wood was used for my chicken coops. I figure they're much more likely to die from other things. Unless they actually eat a lot of wood (and they haven't yet) they'll be fine.

http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/treatedwood.html