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Is it safe to creosote a chicken house ?

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  • #1

    Is it safe to creosote a chicken house ?

    We have 6 laying hens that live in a traditional wooden ark type house that we purchased last winter. The hens have free access to a 50 sq metre run and after laying eggs about 8 in the morning they seldom go back into their ark until dusk.
    The person we bought the ark from said that the best way to ensure that it lasted for several years was to paint the outside of it with creosote once a year. If we are fortunate enough to get an Indian Summer we were hoping to do this in the autumn.
    We have not really any other suitable accommodation in which to house the hens for a few days and we were wondering if the creosote fumes would be harmful for the hens even though we are only intending to treat the outside of the ark? I know there are other water based wood preservatives but these never seem to protect as well as creosote.
    Any views on the matter would be welcome !
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  • #2
    it's weird isn't it, 20 years ago, no one would think twice about whitewashing walls and creosoting outside wood, but now we've got all conscious of everything ...... sorry dunno, was just reminiscing ..... i remember creosoting my grans chicken house inside and out every year, and they were very healthy
    Last edited by lynda66; 09-08-2008, 12:13 PM.

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    • #3
      Could be wrong, but I believe Creosote is now a banned chemical and not available for sale to the public.
      I you'st to have a handle on the world .. but it BROKE!!

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      • #4
        awwwwwww shame i loved the smell of it

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        • #5
          Doesn't seem to be banned near us - my local hardware store offers a choice of dark or golden ! But it's much thinner than the treacle-like creosote you used to be able to buy directly from the old coking plant at the town gas works.

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          • #6
            I think you'll find the "creosote" on sale now is a water based wax material and not the "toxic" oil based old recipe.

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            • #7
              As far as I know it is now impossible to buy creosote and illegal to even possess it.
              But I did love the smell of that stuff.

              From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

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              • #8
                Creosote is now banned & yeps Alice it is even illegal to possess it!Where Andi works(he's a fencer~not Olympian!!)they use Tannin as a substitute~according to him still lethal stuff if you manage to splash it on your arms & face!!!
                the fates lead him who will;him who won't they drag.

                Happiness is not having what you want,but wanting what you have.xx

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                • #9
                  In the UK there is hard to obtain the old fashioned "real" creosote, but not impossible. There is currently a shortage but I have just bought 20 litres with no problem from a trade paint supplier. It is NOT illegal to possess the old creosote. However it can only be supplied for agricultual or trade use and not to the general public. I use it to treat a wooden poutry house as a last ditch attempt to eliminate persistent red mite. Just keep the hens away from the treated ark until dry. Modern so called creosote is usually sold under the name CROCOTE. This is still a wood preservative but watery and weak stuff and although a bit toxic will not get rid of persistent red mite invasion.

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                  • #10
                    I wouldn't use the old CreoSote, buy the CreoCote instead. I got mine from B&Q, about £10 a tin. It still smells the same you may be pleased to hear, but is much safer to use. You'll need to really scrub it into every nook and cranny, and leave it to dry thoroughly for 2 or 3 days before putting your birds back in. Along with diamataceous earth thrown liberally around inside and outside the coop, and on the birds if you can manage it (I put some in their dust bath too), it's kept our coop clear all year so far touch wood, and I've heard of it keeping them at bay for 3 years or more. Personally I'm going to re-do our coop again every 2 or 3 years, just to be on the safe side.
                    sigpicGardening in France rocks!

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                    • #11
                      I do my coop inside and out once a year and keep the girls away until it dries. Haven't had a major red mite infestation yet


                      Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum
                      don't be afraid to innovate and try new things
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                      • #12
                        I spent the first 40 years of my life almost permanently covered in creosote. Starting off when aged 3 or 4 I discovered a bucket of it and painted twenty sheets of brand new corrugated iron with it. I was covered and my dad was none to pleased. We treated all our poultry houses with it inside and out every year and those sheds are still solid to this day (Most were built 70 yearsago). We have been denied the use of this wonderful material because some scientist found a rat with a boil on its bloody nose after being fed creosote buttys for three years.
                        It did no harm to any of our poultry, me my family or our staff, ever. however I wouldn't recommend it as an eye ointment, it hurts.
                        Interestingly in 50 years we only had one outbreak of red mite in one poultry house (We had about 100 30 ft x 10 ft pens) and this was soon cured by spraying them with parrafin.
                        The danger is more on the combustible side, after spraying a shed inside, me and my workmate where sodden with it and sat down outside for a quick fag. my mate decided it would be quite funny so set fire to the bottom of my coat when I wasnt looking. I burst into flames like a Tibetan monk!!!!. Fortunately when i stopped running round screaming I managed to shed my coat with only minor burns.
                        Last edited by Bill HH; 01-10-2014, 06:31 PM.
                        photo album of my garden in my profile http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...my+garden.html

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                        • #13
                          I use the real deal, a farmer friend picked it up for me. I couldn't buy it myself. I use it inside and out, though I leave the coops empty for several days before they are back in use - it is nasty stuff. It's a horrible job though I use it every other year on my coops. I don't have much problem with redmite.

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                          • #14
                            Try a product called creoseal it`s a waxy finish and smells like creosote I have just painted boards that I will be using for a raised bed with this and is easy to work with, it is made by a company in Leicestershire so may be worth while searching the web
                            it may be a struggle to reach the top, but once your over the hill your problems start.

                            Member of the Nutters Club but I think I am just there to make up the numbers

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                            • #15
                              Here we are Creoseal info & online sales ...... Creosote-substitute
                              Last edited by bearded bloke; 01-10-2014, 02:13 PM.
                              He who smiles in the face of adversity,has already decided who to blame

                              Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity

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