Chicken coops are the most expensive initial investment in backyard chicken farming. There are many creative ways to lower your sticker price by building your own. Chicken coops can be as original and varied as their owners, from traditional red barn shapes to retro funk to sleek, modern chicken tractors. But some materials are not suitable for keeping these beautiful birds, and particle board is one of them.
Particleboard (also known as particle board) is made up of wood chips and sawdust that are held together with a large amount of glue and then compressed into slabs. It is cheaper and lighter than plywood, which makes it tempting to use it in a chicken coop. However, it has two major drawbacks.
A major problem is that particle board absorbs moisture unless it is covered with paint or serious sealer. Anyone who has put a glass on a cheap table and discovered an instant ring in the particle board cover as a “wood finish” wallpaper knows what I mean. Chicken poop is very wet. Constant exposure to droppings will cause the particle board to warp, discolor, and potentially disintegrate.
Which brings up problem number two. Chickens have a high respiratory rate and are very close to the ground. Air quality is very important to keep them healthy. Since particle board is partially made up of sawdust and glue, when it falls apart, these can be thrown into the air and end up in the chicken’s lungs. If you use good bedding, this is less likely to happen, but why take the risk? Especially when you can easily avoid the potential in the first place?
So what can you use? A popular option is to place your chicken coop on bare ground. This can get messy and is a bit less safe from ground predators than other options. The next step is to lift the chicken coop off the ground with wood. The “repurposed” lumber can include table tops, doors, or scraps from any local lumber yard.
You can also use plywood. Plywood is similar to particle wood because they are layers of wood. However, the wood is sheet and the sheets are glued at right angles to each other, it is less likely to warp, and the top surface is straight wood. Another option is to use any type of board and cover it with linoleum. This will make the surface easier to clean.
The most expensive option is concrete. Concrete has the advantage of being durable and easy to clean. It is also more difficult for predators to penetrate – there is no digging through well-placed cement.
