Painting the inside of the coop...

[Dancing]

Ok, we had to move the chickens into the coop while it is still semi under construction. The main building is built and today we put up a temporary yard so we could shoo them outside while we put in the windows (welded wire with fold down siding flaps on the outside for bad/cold weather). We still have to put in nest boxes but no big hurry, still a while before they need those.

Still so much to do "cosmetics" wise.

But my question is this...

If I decide to paint the inside of the coop, which I really want to do, how long do the chickens need to be out of it before they can come back in?

This coop has TONS of air flow with two big windows and a big walk in door I can open to air it.

I want to use interior/exterior water based paint and it is HOT here (in the 90's today) so it should dry fast. I just don't want my birds keeling over from any residual paint fumes.

 

[R@ndy]

I would wait 24 hours just to be safe

 

[annek]

I painted mine with lime paint. There are no fumes, and it won't hurt the chickens so no wait is needed. However you won't be washing it off if the chickens splatter things on it! You make it with hydrated lime, water, and salt and splash it on.

 

[PurpleGizmo]

I would also wait 24 hours if you're painting the whole thing at once. If you can't put the chickens somewhere else overnight, you might get away with painting the inside in small sections over several days to keep the fumes down.

 

[lux_interior]

I used barn paint that dries in 30 minutes, and did two coats and moved them in the next morning. There's no lead, and i had tons of ventilation, they were fine... I'd say if you take them out into a run or yard in the morning, and paint it then, they should be able to go in it by dark

 

[Yeti]

I'm kind of in the same boat. Plan on moving chicks into the coop by the weekend but know that I will still have lots to do cosmetically - inlcuding painting the interior. The exterior paint I am using inside says it dries in 2 hours at 77deg weather - so when its hot - I'll paint early to let it dry and for the vapors to escape.

I also think that if you sit in the coop for at least half-an-hour and you question whether or not your birds should go in - find them someplace else to sleep for the night. If you are comfortable and would spend the night - no worries.

P.S. I just remembered what a friend of ours does for painting in the house which we also do. She worked at a hospital and they would add a capful or two of vanilla extract (imitation works just as well) to the paint and then would stir it in. Cuts the paint smell down to almost nothing.

Good luck!

Erik