Paint type questions- interior walls

[Rachelz]

Hi all! We're getting so close! We know we want to paint the interior of our coop to reduce the appeal to bugs and so on, but have a couple of concerns:
- it is very very cold here right now. Even with a heater, I'm worried it will take forever to dry.
- will it release toxic fumes when it warms up in the spring?
- is paint toxic to chickens? I feel like they should be OK with anything low voc, but i know birds can be super sensitive

 

[nuthatched]

Wait until spring to paint, unless you have a few days of shirt sleeve weather.
A few coats of any exterior latex will be fine.

 

[Ted Brown]

I used hydrated lime mixed with water (lots of info online); goes on translucent and drys to white. Can be easily renewed as needed.

This is "back in the day" stuff. Cheap, durable, eco, deters bugglies, easy to apply. Can be tinted.

 

[BDutch]

Hi all! We're getting so close! We know we want to paint the interior of our coop to reduce the appeal to bugs and so on, but have a couple of concerns:
- it is very very cold here right now. Even with a heater, I'm worried it will take forever to dry.
- will it release toxic fumes when it warms up in the spring?
- is paint toxic to chickens? I feel like they should be OK with anything low voc, but i know birds can be super sensitive

Why would you want to use a solid paint?
The wood is a more heatthy and natural surface than an impermeable painted wall. Coops do not rot from the inside.
And a chicken coop needs no decoration.

To keep red mites and such away from settling into the wood, I use a ‘paint’ made from diatomaceous earth.

There is also a natural chalk paint (white) sold for coops and pigeon tills available where I live. Maybe its the same as lime paint? Its poison free and helps to avoid an infestation too.

One con: you have to paint the surfaces where the chickens touch the walls every now and then.

 

[aart]

it is very very cold here right now. Even with a heater, I'm worried it will take forever to dry.

It may 'dry', but it won't cure properly.
Follow mfg's guide for the right temps to paint.
But, really, paint won't really deter bugs.
What type of wood is it?

 

[Rachelz]

It may 'dry', but it won't cure properly.
Follow mfg's guide for the right temps to paint.
But, really, paint won't really deter bugs.
What type of wood is it?

It's just plywood. I've read a lot of places that mites like the micro cracks in wood. Also, lol that chickens don't need decorations. These are our first chickens and they are our pets for sure! Here is the sign we're putting on their coop when it's done!

 

[aart]

I've read a lot of places that mites like the micro cracks in wood.

More like the cracks and crevices where one piece of wood meets another.