Decorating your coop ***UPDATED*** added pics!

[erindubb]

plexi glass - What a great idea. Thanks so much! That seems way easy!

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

Thanks for the ideas guys!! Im going to take pics now and will upload tonight..........

As far as paint i wanted to do red and white but thats too boring... i want something bright but not tacky..

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

front of coop door is covered by vine, which we will be cutting back soon

front/side view

side view/run

side..

inside, to the left nesting boxes and door to run

nesting boxes...

Human area... lol storage before actual chicken space

Looking in from front door..

again...

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Oh leave the vines growing on it--just curt back enough to keep them in check and allow you to open and close the door evenly. I remember seeing a magazine years ago that showed a potting shed that had been faux painted. When the door was closed, it looked like it was ajar and you could see inside. A faux shovel was painted to look like it was leaning against the exterior wall, and various painted flowers along the side mingled with real ones. The owner's cat was lurking among the painted flowers...or at least a portrait of him was

Can't you just see it showing nest boxes overflowing with hay, a BIG hen mama-ing some chicklets and a rooster crowing his heart out--all in faux. With your REAL birds wandering about.

 

[sheilawagner]

I think if you can put some stuff in there for the chickens to be entertained that would be functional and fun for them. For eg, hang a mirror on the wall, or dangle some old CDs. Or create a fake tree with branches so they can perch, or even create a dust bath. I'm also trying to brainstorm ways to entertain the chickies so they don't get bored while in there.

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

Oh thanks! love the cd idea... what will they do to them though?? (the cd's)

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

and what about paint?

 

[Tdub4chiks]

Quote:
I can picture this. How beautiful it would be. Great idea!

 

[Iheartchicks<3:)]

to bad i have absolutely NO artistic talent!

 

[CityChook]

I think that vine at the front door is beautiful. It just needs a good hard haircut to tame it down a little bit.

Putting posters/wall hangings inside your coop is a total invitation for a dusty mess. Better off to keep the walls broomable/cleanable (ie: flat). If you wanted to hang anything, I'd recommend a good mirror (make sure it's mounted REALLY well) to reflect what little light that tiny window will provide.

I'd wash it down as well as you could inside and paint it a light, glossy color. You'll be amazed at how much paint transforms a space. Prime it first to seal in all those past (unremovable) stains. Give the nestboxes a good hard scrub/rinse. Then seal them with linseed oil mixed 50/50 with mineral spirits. This leaves the natural look of the wood but protects it from moisture/poo and will make it easy to clean next time. I'd also leave those plank half-walls in natural wood, too - I think they're pretty. You can apply that oil with the poultry wire intact.

If you had an image that you liked, or even wording, you can simply print it out on your computer to the proper size (tape it together if the page isn't big enough), tape it to the wall with removable painters tape and use some carbon paper (I'm old enough to remember that stuff) from any office supply store to transfer the design onto your freshly painted wall using nothing more technical than a sharp pencil. Bam, instant color by numbers. Then you can use acrylic paints or even those oil-based paint pens (I get mine from Michaels) to fill in the lines. No artistic talent needed.

That space over the human table begs for a narrow shelving unit on the side to stack supplies and a nice "mural" about eggs over the table. I'd find some matching sealable storage bins (medium metal trash cans?) to put under the table on casters to put your feed and shavings into. If they won't fit under the table, put them under the window - no wheels necessary then. Seal the table with the linseed oil and maybe paint the table top for easy cleaning. Heck, I'd put bathroom ceramic tile on the top, but that's me...

BTW, I'd put some ventilation into that coop. I see you have a window, but depending on where you live that might not be the best option.

Hope this helps -

Here's my coop interior:

ETA: cool rainbarrel