Treated or not treated wood? Please Read

[LindseyM12]

Hi to all. I was wondering if you have any idea what kind of wood I should use for the chicken tractor I am going to make. Thanks!!!

 

[lildinkem]

I don't trust what they put into treated wood. I think they USE to put Arsenic in as a wood boaring pest preventer. Yuck, I say, go with the cheapest non treated lumber you can get. I think Lowes here in INDY sells some 2" x 4" x 8' boards for under $2 each. That is what I would use.

 

[~*Sweet Cheeks*~]

I used pressure treated lumber to make the run portion of my tractor because I'm in the Pacific NW with the run sitting in the grass and didn't want to have to replace any of the boards in short order because the attached hardware cloth is spendy AND I used thousands of staples.

 

[LindseyM12]

Thanks!

 

[bigoakhunter]

My newly built coop is not a tractor. But I agree with what has been said, I used regular wood for coop as they will be spending hours enclosed. Used treated for my run as there is wire and breezes = good ventilation!

 

[patandchickens]

You can use treated wood for the part that touches the ground, if you really want to. However, completely aside from any possible toxicity and environmentalism issues, treated wood is HEAVIER than regular wood, so since weight is always at a premium in a tractor, you want to use as little treated wood as you possibly can.

If pressure treated wood is in good shape there is no reason to think it will harm chickens (chickens do not peck/chew sound wood), especially in a tractor where it's not like it's constantly leaching into the same bit of soil where bugs and grass grow from. But, it is a personal choice. Cedar and redwood (and locust or osage orange, if you can get them, which you probably can't where you are) are not as long-lived as pressure-treated, but with good selection and painting/sealing they can last a fair long time, even in ground contact.

For the majority of your tractor, just regular ol' spruce-pine-fir is perfectly fine, assuming you prime and paint it well (multiple thin coats, not fewer thick coats!). It is a delicate balance between sturdiness and weight.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[LindseyM12]

Hi! Today I made my tractor and it is amazing!!! I was not expecting it to look so good! I will TRY to post some pics tomorrow.

 

[Shannon's Chix]