# Chicken-friendly wood preserver



## disco_monkey79 (26 Sep 2012)

The better half has decided she wants to keep a couple of chickens, and yours truly has been tasked with building their new home.

Can anyone advise what wood preserver is best, for both preserving the wood, and not poisoning the chickens (and me, via the eggs)?

Cheers!


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## marcros (26 Sep 2012)

just let it air as best you can and use whatever. For years my father had used good old creosote on poultry sheds and runs. He is still able to buy it (has a holding number), but I am not sure what he uses these days. Probably still the same. If poultry is in the run when you do it, I would use something a bit gentler on the environment, not that you will probably be able to get the creosote anyway.

Personally, I prefer the spirit based preservers. Cupronol only seem to do 1 now, fence and shed or something like that which is expensive. I dont like the ones that are more like a paint, but they probably work just as well.


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## disco_monkey79 (26 Sep 2012)

Thanks for the reply. We'll be building before getting any birds, so will allow plenty of time for airing.

Thanks!


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## henton49er (30 Sep 2012)

Personally, I've never managed to get the chickens to hold the paint brushes, so have had to do it myself. :lol: :lol: 

I usually use a water based product for shed preservation, but SWMBO uses an eco-friendly low-odour water-based paint on her beehives, which would also be suitable.


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## AndyT (30 Sep 2012)

At the Westonbirt Treefest, I noticed someone selling some very smart chicken coops made of cedar - which is naturally durable with no treatment at all. That could be a nice option. It's often used for cladding new buildings so should be fairly easy to find.


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## thomvic (30 Sep 2012)

These are chickens for goodness sake - not babies! They have the sense not to eat anything that smells (and probably tastes) awful. Marcros' old man knew what to do. You probably can't get creosote but creosote substitute will do almost as well. Much cheaper and in my experience, longer lasting.

Richard


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## Pond (1 Oct 2012)

I used the cheapest stuff i could find, as the coop cost enough to build!

Someone recently said to me " the word chicken should not be associated with cowardice, as chickens are the bravest, toughest creatures I've come across!".

He's right. You won't hurt them with any preservative, even if you throw the tin at them!


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## Pond (1 Oct 2012)

disco_monkey79":24pi7kse said:


> and not poisoning the chickens (and me, via the eggs)?
> 
> Cheers!



I wouldn't worry, you won't get hardly any eggs until Spring now!


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## Wildman (1 Oct 2012)

marcros said:


> For years my father had used good old creosote on poultry sheds and runs. He is still able to buy it (has a holding number.


 Where does he buy it even with a holding number? I also have a holding number and used to use a lot of it, the substitute available now is rubbish in comparison


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## marcros (1 Oct 2012)

A place called Chandlers near Grantham. It is in 5 gallon drums and was the real stuff when we went in a couple of weeks ago. expensive though, I think it was 80 odd quid plus the dreaded.

A quick google came up with 

http://www.creosotedirect.co.uk/ (shiping included. not sure if this is genuine stuff- seems cheap)
http://www.birdbrand.co.uk/acatalog/Tra ... osote.html (£8 delivery on this one)


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## adidat (2 Oct 2012)

we didnt bother, instead we put a piece of corrugated clear pvc over the top. i got out chickens that where point of lay (16 weeks old) on the 30th september last year, they took about a month to start laying. we encouraged them buy putting a light in there coop that switched on about 5am. 

we all adore the chickens and they are natural born comedians. i contacted someone local and he brought 2 cages with about 20 chickens and i selected the 3 that i thought where the nicest size and colour, and not to skinny. they very quickly sorted the pecking order and are good friends it seems. we usually get 2 eggs a day. and the chickens get about an hour to roam the garden, searching for slugs, snails, worms and see pods.

adidat


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## WoodMangler (2 Oct 2012)

If there's any possibility of rodents (rats, polecats etc.) in the vicinity cover the whole thing with a layer of fine chicken-wire as well - we lost three bantams in one night to a rodent of some kind which managed to chew through the floor of the coop and dine on the contents therein.


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