Paint or stain?

[RESQME49]

Got a new coop made of cedar with fire frame. Stain or paint? And is there anything I need to watch for as far as not healthy for the chickens?

 

[ScottandSam]

Got a new coop made of cedar with fire frame. Stain or paint? And is there anything I need to watch for as far as not healthy for the chickens?

Not clear on the question? Many will swear by this or that so I'll just state my experience. We used oil based inside coop. And stained the outside. Our girls don't peck at the walls.inside or out. I feel the oil based is easier to use water on to clean it up. Our floor is blackjack 57. And the don't pick at that either. I can use a nail or putty knife on both interior surfaces with out any damage to the wood.so it doesn't chip.
Now on the stain sure I can chip wood off with stain on it, but our girls have good grains, oyster shells and free range so there not into eating there coop.

Scott

 

[Ohmyheart]

I went with Paint for inside to help with easy clean up. Stain with outside as stain soaks in and protects the wood better then paint. Plus you can get it tinted to almost any colour.

Water base on both I think. Sorry I have kids and my mind is a tad fried

 

[AkChris]

I went with stained wood and a painted trim on the outside (mostly because I like the look). The inside is painted white with a good exterior grade waterproof paint. The chickens don't bother either. I like the white paint inside as it makes it brighter and easier to clean.

Eventually the paint will become weathered and likely flake off. Chickens love to peck at things that are chipping, have a rough peeling texture, or just look interesting. I think a fresh painted coop in good shape has little pecking interest for a chicken. An older one with flaking paint might be a different story. My chicken run shares one side with an old wood shed that has painted plywood sides. The chickens pecked lots of holes into it, they managed to make one about baseball size in a matter of a few days. I eventually covered the shared shed wall with old metal roofing because the chickens holes were getting to be a problem.

So if you paint your coop just know that you'll likely need to do some upkeep and repainting to keep it in good shape.

Personally I love the look of weathered cedar so I probably wouldn't do much more than an oil or simple clear sealant to help protect it a bit. Maybe stain or paint the fir trim for the visual contrast.