Creosote - have I made a mistake?

[RichmondHens]

Put a hen swing in - they'll love it! My pekins took to one immediately, I put one up for the big girls last night and I saw them eyeing it up already first thing this morning! And yes, they will swing on it! Bizarre I know!
JM

PS mine are just a thick branch tied on with jute twine, but you may need something tougher for bigger birds.......................

Hen swing?

[SuzyB]

I love the idea of a hen swing, will definitely be trying that one out!

[chris]

I'm beginning to think I'm wasting my time with this creocote stuff.. I've just checked on another forum which has a thread just of chicken runs/coops for ppl to look at. so far I've found 1 person that's bothered to protect the inside of them from what I can tell (they actively stated that this picture is them protecting the inside with some stuff (diamote or something like that)...

The converted sheds too (that look in similar condition as mine did) don't have each slat sealed with silicone... do I need to do this? I've just bought two more tubes of the stuff!!! - what i mean by this is like in this picture:



Bit messy, it's been tidied up now... Moved from white to translucent too, as that just looks terrible!

[Suechooks]

Creocote will make the environment very unfriendly for the redmite and kill it.. Diatom is a powder product you sprinkle around the coop which will kill them by breaking down their outer coating by abrasion. Personally I use both and I spray the perches daily and the whole coop every week or so.
Don't underestimate the catastrophic effects a bad infestation of red mite can have. People on this forum have lost or almost lost birds who have been made so anaemic they die because of undiscovered red mite. If you read previous posts about this you should get the idea.

[OverWyreGrower]

We creocote-d everything we could (perches, nest boxes etc....)

We also use red-mite powder or diatom (whichever we can get) to powder everything once a week or so....

[RichmondHens]

Chris, calm down. You don't have to silicone every slat. If you have already creocoted the wood then that will be adequate protection for the time being. If, as you stated in an earlier post (maybe a different thread) you intend building/purchasing a new house next year then what you have done so far to your shed will be fine.

And speaking from experience, creocote is the best thing in my opinion for killing and repelling red mite. We don't bother with anything else. As long as the wood has completely dried out before you put birds in then it is fine.

BTW, it is always worth having a spare coop or rabbit hutch or similar to pop birds in for a few days when you repeat the creocoting, but you don't have to worry about this just yet.

And I agree with Sue, red mite can be devastating if you don't catch it in time, so it really is worth thinking about in advance.

[chris]

Thanks, I didn't realise there were replies to this thread.

I can still smell the creocote (man it's not nice stuff - just reading about it and it's "limited evidence of carcinogenic effect"). Do I need to wait until I can't smell any creocote at all before I get the birds?

There's seems to be an oily sheen to the wood if you can understand what I mean... perhaps it's not completely dry? Bit odd though, as I did it almost a week ago.. I'd have thought it'd be dr ynow.

I can't believe such drastic measures are really needed - as in I'm surpised there's not a more enviornmentally friendly approach to prevention/cure! Still, I'm happy that it'll do it's part to keep the blighters out (fingers crossed).

I have an external garage that I could put the birds in, if I need to redo it.. I do fully plan on making a "proper" coop though,

Anyway, regarding the slates - some of the slates are warped, which is why I was sealing them in, as there's not tight - I was thinking it'd eliminate drafts.. Some knots have fallen out, that I was plugging up, and some slates are sitting apart as they have shrunk/expanded. So "normal" overlaps are fine?

The coop is butt up in a corner of a fence/wall - below a tree, so I think it's pretty well protected from elements, and a fox can't dig in from 3 sides (fence is right up against a curb).

Off topic - I've read conflictiing evidence about perch sizes... from 1inch to 4 inch etc - I've a creosoted perch that's 32x22cm I think - so a bit less than an inch, by just over an inch and a half odd I think - is this ok wide side flat for them to roost on? If not I'll go and get another, not a problem.

Really appeciate the advice peeps - thank you

RH, yes I do tend to go OTT - many would describe me as an a**l person!

[Suechooks]

Thanks, I didn't realise there were replies to this thread.



I can't believe such drastic measures are really needed - as in I'm surpised there's not a more enviornmentally friendly approach to prevention/cure!

Off topic - I've read conflictiing evidence about perch sizes... from 1inch to 4 inch etc - I've a creosoted perch that's 32x22cm I think - so a bit less than an inch, by just over an inch and a half odd I think - is this ok wide side flat for them to roost on? If not I'll go and get another, not a problem.

Really appeciate the advice peeps - thank you

RH, yes I do tend to go OTT - many would describe me as an a**l person!

As I said in another post I think they need a perch around 2" wide with rounded off corners as they rest on the breast bone as well as their feet. I've always used 2x2 planed wood for perches - saves splinters and rounds off easily. Bantams obviously could have narrower though my bantams use the 2x2 perches happily. You need fairly robust thickness to support the weight of resting birds and anything too narrow will only bend and/or break, particularly if its fairly long.
Regarding protection against red mite - the trouble taken now will reap dividends in future - ask anyone who's had an infestation. I've built my newest coops of external ply to minimise the hiding places plus creosote plus silicone joints.

[chris]

Thanks again - for my next one I'm going to use ply, definately - much easier to create the box strucutre out of single panels too

Shall use a wider perch too, thanks.

[Suechooks]

Yes definitely better - if I can do it anyone can!

[chris]

Had planned on getting some hens tomorrow.. But I can still smell the creocote, so looks like I'm going to have to wait!! Arghhhh! Not the most paitent person in the world

[chris]

Having never used this stuff (creocote) before - is an oily type residue normal? It's dry in there, but I can see a sheen - and when wiped some comes off.

I've just pressure washed with ***** all inside and it seems to have helped a bit. It's been over a week since I creocoted it.. have everything ready bar the coop - so getting a bit impatient!

[Suechooks]

I can only guess that the wood is already treated with something which is preventing the creocote soaking in and drying?
It should definitely be dry by now. I do a couple of coats and its dry the same day but I leave it as long as I can to put chooks back.
Dunno what you can do really. Sorry.

[chris]

Maybe it's the age of the wood, and the paint on the outside... I'll see how it is tomorrow, maybe try some on new wood- infact I'll check that perch !

If it's a no go I'll start building another and get them in the spring !

[Scarlet]

The smell does stay in the air - I think you're worrying too much- and you need a few beers!! If I try to rub the grime off the walls after the dog has shook his tail I will get some emulsion on it!