Inside Walls of Coop?

[Yardegg]

Dear Fellow Coopmasters,

I'm converting a mini-barn into a chicken coop. I want to insulate it and use some sort of paneling inside. I'm torn between plywood and OSB. Whatever I use will be painted with oil based "Porch & Floor" paint, suitable for exterior applications. I'd like to be able to scoop out the litter, then wash the really badly soiled areas under the roosts, etc. I would appreciate any advice you can give, or past experiences (good or bad) that anyone would like to share. By the way, it is a 10' x 14' building which will house about two dozen hens. They are free-range birds, so the won't be confined very long or very often.

Yardegg

 

[patandchickens]

Plywood will use less paint and hold less dust/dirt (b/c it's smoother surfaced than OSB). OTOH it is more expensive if you are buying retail. I'd say, if you can scrounge plywood, use that; but there is nothing really *wrong* with OSB for the interior, IMHO, provided it stays fairly dry.

If you use OSB inside and wanna go hosing the coop down, then a smart touch might be to use 3/4" plywood (instead of the OSB) for the bottom 2' (or more) of the wall. Reason being that plywood is a more rot-resistant, plus which it means that if you DO end up ever having to replace the lower part of the wall, it is already a separate strip for easy localized removal-and-replacemnt.

Good luck and have fun,

Pat

 

[FFChick]

I'm considering using 2 1/2 inch thick foam boards to line the inside my new coop. They come with protective covering. I was going to do the same thing on the underside of the floor.

I've seen the foam boards sold at Home Depot & Lowes and is easliy cut with a gig saw.

Winter is coming and thinking of ways to keep my girls warm.

 

[Yardegg]

The "foam board" idea sounds interesting, but would the chickens peck it to pieces? Mine absolutely attack styrofoam as I found out one day by leaving a cooler unattended. Anyway, I'd like to know if the covering on the foam boards you write about would be "beakproof."

Yardegg

 

[FFChick]

The boards sold have solid color covering so I don't think they would peck it. I have chicks in a box and notice they peck at any little spots on the side walls. I've used the boards in a wet wall (water pipes in a wall) so I've got a couple small pieces left over. I'm going to tack up some as test pieces. The boards have a great R-value and better than fiber glass.