Can Sienna sleepers be used for a chicken coop?

[jonleung]

I am building a frame for a chicken coop. It will sit on soft ground so will be subjected to rain, so I plan to use H4 sleepers.

Can I use the standard H4 CCA sleepers or will that affect the chickens?

I've used "Sienna" sleepers before for veggie beds as I believe that these are suitable for that purpose, but cannot find them any more. My local store has some "Ironwood" sleepers that look very similar (a kind of brown colour) but they just say "Ironwood H4". Are these the same as the Sienna that we used to be able to get?

What treatment do they in fact use? I found an old guide online "Ironwood Ironwood-Sleepers-Quick-Guide-Nov16" that suggest that Ironwood has a CCA and a MicroPro variant. Does anyone know what chemicals are used in MicroPro? Are the brown ones I see on the timber racks the MicroPro variant?

[robchin]

HI @jonleung - good question. 

I work for Bunnings and know a little about this sort of thing. CCA stands for Copper Chrome Arsenate - so the preserving agent contains Arsenic and some other components which have controlled uses. The rule of thumb is don't use CCA treated wood for anything you'd expect human contact with or for food eg. Vege beds etc. So OK to use on your chicken coop. FYI Ironwood is a brand that also uses a chemical preservative that includes CCA. Sienna sleepers on the other hand is treated with a different preserving compound (Copper Azole) that is different to CCA and is considered much safer. Good luck with your chickens. It's a great thing to do in your back yard.

Do check with local council in relation to local regulations - they do vary from location to location. 

[MitchellMc]

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community @jonleung. It's wonderful to have you join us, and many thanks for your question about sleepers.

It's great to see that @robchin has answered your question. I just thought I'd point out that some of our stores keep hardwood, concrete, composite and polymer sleepers if you're looking for a treatment-free option.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell
 

[jonleung]

Thank you for your response, @robchin

So would you say that it *IS* OK for chicken coops, even though we eat the eggs that the chickens produce (but not the chickens themselves). Would the CCA a) harm the chickens or b) work their way into the eggs?

I cannot find Sienna sleepers explicitly, but I can find brown sleepers titled by Bunnings as "Ironwood H4" (though not on the website that I can find). Is anyone able to confirm whether these brown Ironwood H4 are the CCA variant or the MicroPro variant? I realise that whilst MicroPro may not be the same as "Sienna", the Ironwood brochure albeit from 2016 claim it is less hazardous than CCA.

Thanks also @MitchellMc for the input.

[MitchellMc]

Hi @jonleung,

I believe Ironwood is a brand. Sienna is a sleeper style, and MicroPro is the treatment they use. If you can let me know your closest store, I can double-check whether Sienna sleepers are available with the non-CCA-based MicroPro treatment. I can also verify the Ironwood sleepers and their treatment, but as @robchin mentioned, the Ironwood sleepers that we carry are CCA-treated.

The only 'treated' sleepers we carry that are not of the CCA treatment are the Sienna MicroPro, and unfortunately, they are not available in all locations.

Mitchell

[jonleung]

Hi @MitchellMc

My local store is Taylors Beach (Port Stephens).

As mentioned, they have Ironbark H4 sleepers 200x50mm which is red/brownish in appearance.

They also have CCA H4 treated pine sleepers 200x50mm which is more grey/green.

If the Ironbark is also CCA then there wouldn't seem to be a reason for stocking it other than for cosmetic (colour) purposes.

I can no longer find the product named as Sienna, which I *have* purchased before from this store but some years ago. I do have some left but still need a bit more.

Thanks for chasing this up for me.

[EricL]

Hello @jonleung 

I've called the surrounding stores near Taylors Beach and I'm afraid the only store that carries the Micropro treated timber is the Glendale store which I believe is quite a distance from your one. 

If you are only missing a few pieces for your chicken coop, I propose using FITTA 200 x 51mm 2.4m Charcoal Composite Sleeper. It cost a little bit more but is made from recycled materials which should be ok to use on your chicken coop. Plus, the item is in stock at your local store at Taylors Beach.

If you need further assistance, please let me know.

Eric

[jonleung]

Thanks everyone for the help - this was very useful for me.