The authoritative public forum
  for Metal Finishing since 1989
  

  -----

Is Trivalent clear chromate coating safe for chicken coups?

Dear Sir/Madam

I am a supplier of parts for chicken coups, and have a project that I am working on right now that I can't find the answers to. I have some parts that I am having zinc plated. I know that the zinc is not harmful to the chickens, but I can't find any info about the trivalent clear chromate that is put on to seal the zinc. I have found info about the liquid form, but not any info about the finished product. Is there any info out there that would help me determine if this is a safe product to use?

Chuck Pence
Buyer - Fort Worth, Texas
2007

Chuck

We used to keep chickens. They are not very bright but I cannot remember them eating the coup. Mostly we kept Rhode Island Reds. Maybe your Texas chickens have a more varied diet.

Our safety friends lie awake at nights worrying about hexavalent chrome which is why the trivalent process was developed. I would not worry too much unless your coups are going to California. They worry about everything there!

Geoff Smith
Hampshire, England
2007

---

I thank Geoff for sharing his real-world experience and common sense with us. However, I personally think that the route we took with cadmium plating is the route we should take with hexavalent chromate coatings -- i.e., convert the easy, ubiquitous, low tech applications away from hex chromate first. Chicken wire and chicken coop components are something that ought to be easy to convert and in doing so we will not have to worry about people who may use it for purposes for which it was not intended and needlessly expose children and neighbors to hex chrome.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
2007