Painting a coop

[Chickylady77]

I have a new coop I will be putting together soon and I was wanting to paint it black but everyone I have mentioned this to (non chicken people) say it'll get too hot. Has anyone had experience with this? My backyard is also pretty shaded. I really just want to paint it black for aesthetic unless it'll actually negatively affect my lil chickies...

 

[BoundlessLove]

Where do you live? What is your hottest temp during summer?

 

[Chickylady77]

Central of the Carolinas. We can get up in the 90's in the summer.

 

[BoundlessLove]

My opinion only here:
Chickens seem to handle cold weather better than hot weather. Chickens need lots of overhead ventilation in the coop. This is VERY important!

Personally, I would not choose black paint with the summertime hot temps in the 90s.
May be too hard on the chickens in summer days when they would be inside the coop instead of free ranging. (Bad weather, predator issues, etc.)
I live in Tennessee so we do have some 90s summer temps, as well.

 

[StinkyAcres]

You say this is a new coop you will be "putting together soon." Is it a prefab (from Tractor Supply or someplace like that?). With the temps in your area it's best to do a mostly open air coop.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

When it comes to having chickens, I strongly encourage new folks to place health and suitability far above esthetics (appearance.)

It might be worth scrolling back to posts on this particular sub-forum from summer of 2025 to read the frantic (and occasionally heartbreaking) posts by those trying to keep their beloved birds alive during record heat. I recall a streak of posts, many by experienced chicken keepers, where one or more healthy birds died a day from heat.

I’m up in the mountains of NC, and our temps were frequently in the mid-90’s. I assure you that inland central Carolinas gets much, much higher than that in the summer, and again, chickens suffered and died.

 

[debid]

I'm in TN where it can be hot and very humid in the summer and gets cold in winter. If I were building over again, I would build a 3-sided shelter attached to a large and fully fenced "run" area (hardware cloth) and forget all about trying to box them into a sturdy/cute coop building. Face the open side of the shelter East to block the wind year round, slant the roof so it drains outside the enclosure and won't be torn off by strong storm winds. Spend some $ giving them sturdy, small hole fencing. Function over beauty but bonus points if it can be pulled off without being an eyesore. If it's 3 sided, it won't matter what color the enclosure is painted, heat isn't building up with one whole side open.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is this a cute tiny coop that might hold heat or a nice walk-in coop with good height? The taller it is the better you can set up good ventilation. Ventilation is important in winter and summer in the Carolinas.

Debid's idea of a three sided coop with the fourth side open wire mesh can work well but the way I read your posts you already have the coop, just wondering how to paint it. The more we know about what you are working with the more likely we can give specific advice.

You said it will be in the shade, at least partially. I'd avoid putting closed nests on a south or west wall (especially if the sun can hit them) as they might become ovens on a hot sunny afternoon. Open top nests should be OK.

I understand how important aesthetics are to some people. Much more important to my wife than to me. Other dark colors can absorb a lot of heat, not just black. Being in the shade really helps. So does good ventilation. You can maybe make it work. But on the other extreme I build a solar oven, a box using black paint and plexiglas for the greenhouse effect to cook chicken and bake a sweet potato. They can get hot.

 

[debid]

Yes, I was expecting "will be putting together soon" means a coop kit in a box that's not yet opened. If it can be returned, there are loads of other options that will last longer and lots of help and encouragement available here.

But if the kit is gonna be it, we want to see what you are working with so we can give reasonable advice about it.