Can I use untreated natural wood to build a coop?

[Kuntry Klucker]

I everyone,

I am planing on building a small coop that is going to be a bachelor pen for a few of my breeding roosters.

The first time I built a coop I used treated wood and had a terrible allergic reaction to the chemicals
in the wood. Thus, I have not built a coop from the ground up since. Which brings me to my question for those out there who are wood workers or have an extensive knowledge of wood.

Is it possible to build a coop with untreated wood? I would paint it with an oil based weather resistant paint when finished.

Has anyone built a coop with natural wood?

Is this a good idea?

Thanks

 

[Gray Farms]

If you paint it every year or every other year it will still last for many years. Any part that is in contact with the ground will rot though.

 

[archeryrob]

I have build two and yes, you can use untreated wood. I used treated 4x4's in contact with the soil to stand them off as I wanted the coop to act like A run in shed roof when it rains and they are locked in the run.

To use no treated at all you can use cinder block or other stone type blocks to raise it off the ground. Make sure the blocks are covered away from the rain. Any wood touching stone when getting wet will suck water and rot badly. I use boards as plank siding run from the top to the bottom to shed water and treated it with a sealer stain. Then you can apply clear sealer in a couple years. I don't like paint on wood outside. Too much long term work and problems. I have this on a smokehouse and two coops like this. I used treated soffits on the first two and untreated on the last one. I bent metal to cover it and J bent it away from the wood at the bottom to drip water away from it and then applied oil sealer.

I also built my soffit overhangs about 6" to help drip water away from the main structure.

 

[Kuntry Klucker]

If you paint it every year or every other year it will still last for many years. Any part that is in contact with the ground will rot though.

ok, thanks. So If I just use treated wood for the part of the coop that touches the ground and untreated for the rest that will be ok.

I do repaint all my coops about every other year, so that will not be a problem.

 

[Gray Farms]

ok, thanks. So If I just use treated wood for the part of the coop that touches the ground and untreated for the rest that will be ok.

I do repaint all my coops about every other year, so that will not be a problem.

That's they way I've always built mine. Treated for floor joists then everything just regular pine lumber and OSB. I paint every other year as well.

 

[chickentrunks]

I have also built coops, dog houses, rabbit hutches etc out of untreated wood, then painted them. I prefer to set the structure up on blocks, even if it's a big one, because treated wood is treated with an arsenic solution. I don't want my animals to be exposed to that. If the treated wood is a bit seasoned you can cover one end with pitch and paint the rest, then bury it and use it for whatever animal related structure you want (my dad's method).

 

[woodmort]

Use cedar or redwood if you can get it for the basic structure and what has ground contact. It won't last forever but will probably outlast your usage.

 

[DMJ1123]

Yes. I built mine with untreated pine on a black locust footing. Black locust is rot-resistant and lasts quite a long time. I also used a clear non-toxic sealer on the outside.

 

[chickentrunks]

Use cedar or redwood if you can get it for the basic structure and what has ground contact. It won't last forever but will probably outlast your usage.

I thought I read on here that cedar is poisonous to chickens? Am I mistaken?

 

[333113]

I thought I read on here that cedar is poisonous to chickens? Am I mistaken?

I have used cedar for over 20 years as the ground-contact wood and for perches with no problems. I think I would not build a coop completely out of cedar, nor would I use cedar chips, partly because cedar is expensive, and partly because I don't like the smell. Probably in concentrated form it would irritate a chicken's respiratory system. And do you really want to keep bugs (I mean, free chicken food) away?