Pressure treated wood in the run?

[stretchc1]

Hi All,

I've gotten so many good ideas for my coop here--Thanks! Now I have a couple of run questions.

I've got 5 chickens and plan on a run that's 8'x8' with a little extension on the side of the coop--about 76 sq.ft total and between 4-5' high. I thought about using pressure-treated 2x4s to frame the run, but then I read about how poisonous it is (arsenic?). The newer stuff uses copper--which is apparently less toxic--but causes the hardware to corrode more quickly (something about a mild electric charge...). To make matters slightly more complicated, my run will be at the end of my vegetable garden (intensive urban gardening here in a very small yard).

I suppose I could just use regular untreated wood and stain/paint it to protect it, but wonder how long it will last even so.

It's hard to tell what people are using in their runs from the photos. Any advice?

 

[lux_interior]

I used pressure treated wood on my coop, only on the boards touching the ground though, all the bottom 2 x 4's of the frame

 

[annek]

I am using treated. I would have preferred not to but regular wood would be gone in a few years. I will paint mine in a few months and hopefully that will help it to seal.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

We used pressure treated under the coop for the frame and also for the door frame to the run. So far things are just fine and the chickens are healthy as can be. They are now a year old.

 

[patandchickens]

I really would not use plain lumber in or against the ground. It will rot so fast your head will spin (possibly slower if you are in a super arid climate on sand, but, still).

If you don't use pressure-treated (and really there is no rational expectation that a few posts sunk in the ground for your run are going to do ANYTHiNG to your chickens or veg garden, IMO) then at least pony up for cedar, or locust if you happen to live somewhere it's available.

Yes, you don't wanna use plain or galvanized hardware on pressure-treated wood (old *or* new style), but that is not a problem, there are coated screws available for use, or you can step up to stainless steel, either of which will work fine. (Edited to clarify: HOT-DIP galvanized [specifically - not electroplated] is probably ok on the new ACQ wood but coated or s/s is still better; however coated or s/s screws are FAR easier to find than good quality galvanized ones, and you really oughta be using screws not nails to put most of your coop and run together)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[musson]

What is the problem with galvanized hardware and pressure treated wood?

 

[CityChook]

I used pressure treated wood. No problems 1 year later. I also put a coat of waterproofing stain on it to hopefully help it last a little longer and look a little nicer.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Oops, sorry, that sentence is missing the word "cheap". As in, p/t wood will eat low grade galavanized hardware. Hot-dip galvanized stuff is basically ok (coated or s/s are still better tho), but good luck finding hot-dip galvanized SCREWS, which is what most coop and run construction ought to be put together with.

I'll go back and add the word

Pat

 

[musson]

Thanks for clarifying that, I just used pressure treated wood and hot dipped galvanized staples last weekend, I was afraid I did something bad.

 

[Agape Builder]

ALL pressure treated wood uses copper. The copper is what gives the lumber it's green color.

The old pressure treated wood that is now banned for the most part is CCA treated, or Chromated Copper Arsenate. (ie: Chromum, copper, and arsenic.) It would corrode fasteners and metals in contact with it due to the copper content and the effects of electrolysis.) That pressure treatment was banned several years ago except for usage in large pilings and timbers.

Today's pressure treated lumber is usually ACQ, or Aluminum Copper Quat. (Aluminum and copper you know. Quat is a sort of detergent. They use it in laundry detergent, and you can even buy it as a disinfectant for chicken coops.) The main reason for the change was primarily to eliminate the arsenic that was leaching out of the CCA treated wood with rain and environmental processes that was introducing arsenic into out water supplies. Not a good thing.

The new ACQ lumber does not resist bugs and rotting as well as the old stuff, but it does corrode fasteners even faster than the old stuff. The solution is to use only stainless steel, hot dipped galvanized, or other specially coated fasteners designed for ACQ lumber. Also, whenever placing welded wire mesh or other metal pieces up against the wood, place some sort of physical barrier between the wood and the metal, such as several thick coats of paint, a strip of tar paper / roofing felt, plastic, rubber, et cetera. That will take care of any possible corrosion issues.

Do not be worried about using pressure treated lumber in your chicken coop. It is the best to use where ground contact or water may be an issue. However, do NOT use the sawdust or shavings from pressure treated wood in your coop or run. The chickens might ingest it, and that is poisonous to them. If you do use sawdust or shavings, just make sure that it is not from pressure treated wood.