Stain, Paint, Pressure-Treated, Cedar? (run)

[pathwandering]

I'm going to start building my 8x8 walk-in run tomorrow and can't decide what to do about the wood - sounds like cedar is out? Should I use Fir and paint or stain it? Or perhaps pressure treated? My toddler will be eating the eggs - if it wasn't for that I honestly wouldn't worry so much about chemicals, since it's an outdoor space and I think the birds will be fine. Anyone know of hard data on this? I've read lots of opinions. I'm not eager to redo this project in a couple years.

 

[Ohio ducks]

To be honest I wouldn't worry about any "chemicals" in the wood. As long as your birds arnt spending every single day trapped in the coop it won't make a difference. In fact, I think your biggest worry should be the type of paint you use. Chickens will eat anything...

 

[Peggy O]

We are using pressure treated for the outside run, coated with stain/sealant that shouldn't flake off. I also have a toddler and was going to paint the homemade parts of the coop's interior (we behave a kit coop with a homemade addition). But I was worried about paint flaking off so we are just leaving the interior areas unfinished. The kit coop is also unfinished inside. We only used pressure treated at the roofline and for the legs the addition sits on. I'm not terribly worried about pressure treated outdoors. I have no evidence of it's safety though.

 

[vehve]

They've stopped using arsenic in favor of copper when pressure treating wood about ten years ago. So a lot of the warnings about pressure treated wood stem from earlier days. I'm not saying you should have your kid chew on it, but it's a lot safer than it used to be. The biggest polluter would be the sawdust from construction.

Cedar on the outside probably isn't an issue either. I'm not really familiar with using it, but usually people are more worried about using cedar shavings as bedding, and if you're hysterical about it, maybe lining the inside of the coop is to be avoided in case of any fumes coming from the wood, but in outside conditions the amount of ventilation really should take care of the minimal amount of fumes that it would put out.

As for painting the wood, I'd go with some sort of stain that is absorbed into the wood if you're worried. Modern paints are less prone to flaking too, especially when applied correctly, but it's always a good idea to do research on whatever you decide to use.

 

[4 the Birds]

I'm going to start building my 8x8 walk-in run tomorrow and can't decide what to do about the wood - sounds like cedar is out? Should I use Fir and paint or stain it? Or perhaps pressure treated? My toddler will be eating the eggs - if it wasn't for that I honestly wouldn't worry so much about chemicals, since it's an outdoor space and I think the birds will be fine. Anyone know of hard data on this? I've read lots of opinions. I'm not eager to redo this project in a couple years.

Cedar is a lightweight and strong wood that is very resistant to rot and insects. It is an ideal wood to use to build the coop and run. Pressure treated wood is much cheaper but heavier and common in the big box stores so that is why it is the building material of choice. Many times kit coops come in cedar because it is such a lightweight material for shipping. Cedar chips and shavings are what have a strong aroma and should be avoided in the coop as a bedding material. Really no need to paint the interior of your coop unless you are wanting cuteness. A good exterior paint and primer mix will give the exterior good protection from the elements. I use pre painted bead board for my coop walls since it has a baked on exterior paint coat for quick and easy installation.