stained wood near food?

[sals_chicks]

I want to make some chicken "salad bars" for my run - essentially just a wood frame with hardware cloth on one side that I can set over some sprouting areas.

Is it OK to stain the wood used for these? I think I read that after 72 hours the stain is fully penetrated into the wood, but if I am watering the area, and getting water on the stained wood, is that still chicken safe? Is there anything I could seal the stained wood with that would make it safe?

Thanks in advance!

 

[My Bagurks]

ECO wood treatment. It’s a little expensive. It comes in a pouch and you mix a certain amount with an amount of water. The whole pouch makes 5 gallons. But you just dip or brush on the treatment soaking all of it then let it dry in the sun for a day or two. Its safe enough that my father in law treats his beehives with it. The stuff in move-in ready in a couple days. It will darken over time in the sun. Plain yellow pine and cypress lasts years after being dipped in this stuff.

 

[Al Gerhart]

Most of the stains these days are either water based (still has some solvent) or oil base. Lacquer based stains are getting rarer than hens teeth. But all of it evaporates very quickly, not enough left to cause problems.