Paint nesting boxes?

It's probably not necessary to paint them, but if you plan on washing them then a coat of sealant of some kind might make that job easier. Poo will stick stick stick to bare wood, where it will simply wipe away with water on a sealed surface. If paint is your thing (it's mine), then go ahead and paint them. It will only make your job that much easier.

 

No, chickens don't peck on paint ....unless you've got some big sloppy paint drips that dry, and then they might try pecking at those. Just wait until the paint's dry and there's no more paint smell before putting the box into the coop with your chickens. The real hazard for chickens (like all birds) is inhaling the fumes from wet paint in an enclosed area.

I use plastic nestboxes, mostly, but I now have one wooden nestbox that I recycled from an old drawer that I could no longer use as a drawer. I painted it, inside and out, with latex semi gloss paint. It will be easier to clean, and the paint also seals the wood somewhat to give mites fewer places to hide.

Before I put in bedding, I always put a light layer of poultry dust or DE down on the bottom of the box to deter mites.

 

I like to paint mine as it helps eliminate the tiny little nooks that mites and bugs can hide and make them much easier to clean dust and poop off. Try to use a gloss or semi gloss paint as it washes up easier.

I also like to have color in my coops ~ the chickens don't care ~ but I do! My old coop is sunny yellow inside with navy blue nest boxes and the new coop is sky blue and I just picked up a quart of hot pink "oops" paint for the nest boxes.

 

Painting is a good thing, I paint at least every two yrs just to keep things clean and looking good, plus it's just easier to clean and protects the wood.

AL