chrismahon
Well-known member
I took two wooden framed shelters from the runs today and jet washed them down ready for shipping. Like all the coops they have sacrificial pieces of roofing lath screwed to the bottom of the legs with decking screws, so that damp doesn't creep up the grain of the leg wood and rot them. ALL the sacrificial pieces had rotted after just two years and were therefore removed and binned. The roofing lath is treated against rot with conventional water based pressure impregnated fluid, but obviously it isn't that good. The decking screws were as good as the day they were fitted and were easily removed -Timbermate GuardDog.
Our newest coops have decking planking fitted at the ends of the feet with the heavily ribbed side uppermost. Not only is the anti-rot treatment of planking far better than lath, but the wood is better quality and the surface ribs allow water to drain away from the bottom of the coop feet.
So I would recommend to anyone who has any wooden chicken equipment to fit sacrificial pieces to any parts in contact with the ground. That should mean the equipment lasts many years longer than it would have, provided the pieces are replaced every few years or so.
Our newest coops have decking planking fitted at the ends of the feet with the heavily ribbed side uppermost. Not only is the anti-rot treatment of planking far better than lath, but the wood is better quality and the surface ribs allow water to drain away from the bottom of the coop feet.
So I would recommend to anyone who has any wooden chicken equipment to fit sacrificial pieces to any parts in contact with the ground. That should mean the equipment lasts many years longer than it would have, provided the pieces are replaced every few years or so.
