painting coop dark or light?

[abhaya]

I am getting ready to paint my new coop. I have a forest green paint and a white paint both are outdoor paint both are barn and fence paint. My ? is should I go dark and have a summer screen wall so it does not get too hot but warm in winter with solid walls or go white. It has a Dark Roof.

 

[patandchickens]

It doesn't really matter unless the walls are naked metal. Pick whatever you like to look at

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
Hmm, I dunno Pat. Down here in south Alabama painting things dark colors whether they're wood or metal does make a difference in regards to solar gain and heat build-up along solar/heat damage to the surface and substrate.

In our area we have a higher cooling requirement than we do heating requirement so keeping the solar gain to a minimum is a good thing...I'm not so sure how that goes for Tennessee, though. I'll be painting my coop white with lots of roof overhang...if it ever gets built.

What a person likes to look at is definitely a worthy consideration, too.

Ed

 

[chicmom]

How about green with white as a trim! That would be pretty!

 

[Tdub4chiks]

For Alabama, I'd go white, with green trim.

 

[knjinnm]

HI,
I would use white paint. If there are any flies or other bugs in the coop they will be easier to see.

 

[Moxiechick]

From everything I've read on here, chickens have a much harder time tolerating the heat than they do the cold. I'm from the north and so, like chickens, have a harder time tolerating the high temps, so I can sympathize with any creature ill adapted to the heat! We once visited TN in May, and we thought the temperature was uncomfortably hot. I vote for the white paint!

 

[dandelionheart]

I'd take a seperate bucket and dump a bunch of white in and then add a good amount of green in (to your taste). Then paint the coop that medium shade, trim with white mostly and have some dark green accents. IMO. Wouldn't involve you buying any more paint either.

 

[Judy]

Your problem is going to be heat, not cold. For chickens, Tennessee is far from cold. You will want the screen wall (hardware cloth is a lot more predator proof than screen.)

 

[Intheswamp]

I agree with ddawn about using the screen wall...the more ventilation in the summer...the better. Also, ddawn's point about using hardware cloth is an excellent point.

Down here the sides that are most important are the south and west sides...the other two sides don't catch the solar radiation as much.

A few questions...
How big is your coop?
What direction from the coop does your run go?
Is your run covered?
Any shading nearby (trees, building, etc.)?

Ed