To paint or not to paint, that is the question... Nest boxes

[LoneCowboy]

I'm making nest boxes to sell at the local feed store. I made the prototype today. Turned out pretty good, needs a little bit of tweaking but not bad. DH says I should paint them or get than stuff that covers the edges. He thinks people will be turned off by seeing the edges and thinks that paint covers lots of booboo. (not that I would make any of those...

) I think people expect nesting boxes to not be painted and to be made out of plywood. What are your thoughts on paint?

 

[joanm]

I love color! I vote paint!

 

[kstaven]

Offer both. But if you paint with a good urethane they will be sealed and last longer. So you can charge more!

 

[johnnyjack]

lol i like the old timey look so i didnt paint mine. a contest just to see whos right or wrong lol am i right? but i make mine outa 1x12,s

 

[LoneCowboy]

I would make them out of 1 X 12's too, but have you seen the price of Wood lately? It's sky high. I'm having a hard time finding nice wood, even plywood that's cheap enough to keep the price down. I did delete the use of hinges on the top. You can open the top to get the eggs, but I used dowels instead of hinges and saved about $3

 

[herechickchick]

I say have the best of both worlds. Make them look old. Take a chain or a hammer and beat the tar out of it (don't break it just distress it). Then paint it a rich farm color (like a beautiful green or red or blue). Then sand thru some of the paint to expose the wood. Then put a coat of wood stain on top to antique it (perhaps a rich walnut or mahogany). You could deco podge some vintage chicken images on to them. OH my God I am going to make nesting boxes!

Good Luck.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

Ok the osb(oriented stran board) sheets that you can find at the lumber yard are good if you do not expose them to rain or much water. It is a lot cheaper than plywood or 1x12's . Noteey are not cosmetically appealing as plywood or 1x12's. As for paint, I would leave the inside wood clear or paint with orange oil for pests or maybe a DE white wash would also work. MHO!

Randy

 

[SeaChick]

I vote for paint! We painted ours a pretty color on the outside and a very dark brown on the inside so it would be all dark and cozy for the girls. I like how cheerful they look. Plus, as you said, the paint covers the raw plywood edges (I built mine out of plywood salvaged from a building site- just asked the construction guys and they said to take anything in the scrap pile!)

 

[KrisRose]

Painting is pretty but also practical. It seals the cracks and pores of the wood so mites and other cruddies can't get in. It will also add time and expense to the cost of your nesting boxes. So perhaps offing both painted and unpainted is the way to go.
Seachick-I like your design-Do you have your coop in your garage or in a polebarn???

 

[BerdooFarm]

Quote:
Heh, I was thinking the same thing- about decoupage.. or stencils..

thinking if the artwork was something patriotic or nostalgic.. ya know "Americana" it would appeal to many, many of us chicken folk (it seems though we may differ in many ways- we see ourselves as good citizens and/or stewards of the land)...and your nestboxes become working objects d'art. Yet let it be something simple enough that you don't have to spend days and days on.

Imagine a nestbox made out of old California Orange crates... or a box with the Arizona flag ...

Whoa, I may have to try this out myself!