Whitewash the Inside Of Your Coop: Recipe, Cheap and Easy

[mobius]

This is the old-fashioned stuff I love to do, and I have had some inquiries, so I am posting the recipe:

Why do it? It prevents lice and mites, and has a small-antibacterial effect.

Whitewash recipe:

For one gallon:

One gallon warm water, mix in two cups table salt til dissolved.
Add and mix throughly: 7 cups HYDRATED lime (garden or feed store).
You can add maybe 1/4 cup elmers or wood glue. Helps it stick and last...
Mix and keep mixing as you use. The lime can settle out pretty quickly...
Slop it on well..roller, big brush, rags....get in all cracks and crevices...
Dries more quickly if weather is warm....I even did the ceiling of the coop...
Goes on clear, dries white!

People do this once a year during coop clean-out!

 

[Tooshay89]

I have linoleum on the floors covered with sand. I love the sand method... So easy to clean!

 

[mobius]

P.S. It washes right out of your old painting clothes, by the way....and you can hose off any drips or splatters or drops with a good stream of water from the hose...or wipe off with rag and soapy water...

Many people use gloves while applying because whitewash can have a drying effect on your hands. Just so you know...

 

[mobius]

@mobius no, it's not the right stuff. I've looked EVERYWHERE. Apparently no one sells it here locally, which is odd because I'm in a huge agricultural/horse capital area. I ended up having to order it online, which is fine, but paying $50 to ship a $10 bag of lime sucks. It better be the best bag of hydrated lime you've ever seen

Absolutely, that is AWFUL! So sorry...and yes, my bag cost about $10...

 

[newbie2016]

Started our coop this weekend. Bought my doors and windows at a restore place for humanity. Am so very excited. Was wondering what to do with the inside. Thank you for the recipe and pic. I am learning so much from BYC and am in need of more.

 

[Tooshay89]

Yay!! The whitewash project is complete! I'm so pleased with the results. I'll take a better picture tomorrow of the final result. It was still drying most of the evening and by the time it was totally dry, it was too dark to take a picture, but here are the preliminary results (an hour after applying):







And yes, there are almost always cats in my pictures. They supervise everything I do. ;-)

 

[Betty crocker bear]

My kids and I are currently reading Farmer Boy but Laura Ingalls Wilder. In it, she describes Alamanzo white washing the henhouse. Of course, I came to the Internet to see what old timey techniques that they used. Thank you so much for your recipe and all the photos! Do you feel like it keeps lice and mites away so far? I’m definitely doing this.

 

[yochickiemomma]

Thank you for sharing your recipe I think Ill try It In a few weeks when It warms up here. we still have white stuff on the ground and the girls won't leave the run/coop. lol

 

[mobius]

You are welcome! I thought it might be just in time for folks to gear up for the new season! Barely over snow here in Montana...

 

[Folly's place]

Love it! Thanks for the recipe! Mary