Treated Lumber

[Rein Quest]

I have some timbers that were treated but have been out in the elements for 4-5 years now. I was thinking to reuse them like a rockboat foundation to a new coop.

The chickens might be exposed to them in the run. Should I be concerned about the chemicals they treated them with?

 

[Kat2141]

We are using an old horse stall for our chickens. The walls are all rough cut lumber and OSB but the corners are pressure treated 4x4 or 6x6's. They haven't expressed any interest in pecking at them that I've seen. In all honesty, I never even gave it a thought until I saw your post. I was concerned more about the OSB because they pecked at an old ratty piece of that, a LOT, that they found while free-ranging. But they don't mess with the walls in the stall either.

 

[Rein Quest]

It’s good to know your flock isn’t pecking at it. I’m hoping that’s a good sign as I’d really like the foundation to be treated board because of how wet it can be here.

 

[Dmontgomery]

Treated lumber used to have arsenic in it, many years ago. The chemicals used now (copper, etc.) are much less toxic. My coop/run has 18 treated posts and all the lumber within 18”” of the ground is treated. I haven’t had any birds get sick from it.

 

[aart]

I was thinking to reuse them like a rockboat foundation to a new coop.

Curious what this is?

 

[imnukensc]

Every bit of wood used in my coop and run is PT.

 

[Rein Quest]

Curious what this is?

Sorry for the late reply.

A rockboat is typically a wooden construction likely made out of scrap laying around a farm. Its built to slide across the ground in relative ease. In some ways they resemble a boat. This was once used by farmers when picking stones before planting and pulled by hand, horse, or tractor.

So basically a boat like construction for moving rocks or a rockboat.

I’m building my coop so I can hook up a truck/tractor to slide it over the ground like a rockboat when it needs to move.

 

[snow5164]

I’d like to see that when your done , we have skids under our chicken tractor and pull it but it can rip up the grass especially after rain .

 

[aart]

for moving rocks or a rockboat.

AH, that's what I thought.

 

[Rein Quest]

I’d like to see that when your done , we have skids under our chicken tractor and pull it but it can rip up the grass especially after rain .

I think the only way to not rip up grass is to have wheels on it. In theory the chickens would do more harm to a lawn in a run than dragging a coop around.