To Paint or Not to Paint that is the question.

[Sonoran Silkies]

geese'n'chickenlovr :

I would maybe pick a color that chickens can't see(like red).I put just a square piece of paper colored yellow and they went crazy pecking at it.I'm only painting the outside,and maybe the inside.

If you can see it, so can they. Actually, even if you can't see it, they may be able to. Chicken vision (ALL bird vision) is considedrably better than human vision--a much larger spectrum of colours and more types of receptors.

The "can't see red" idea comes from using a read heat lamp--that red masks other reds, such as blood, by making EVERYTHING look reddish. Much the same way as using a blue light would mask things that are naturally blue.​

 

[CityChook]

True, birds don't care. But you're not painting it for them -- you're painting it for YOU.

If you paint it now (prime first!! I like oil based primer when working with wood followed with latex exterior paint) with semi-gloss paint, it will be substaintially easier to clean later on. Poo sticks to bare wood. Scraping it is hard. But poo on a painted surface will basically wipe clean. Not all of it, but 99% of it will. My coop is painted (primer and 3 coats of paint) and I simply spritz down the walls to soften the dry poo, wash with sudsy water, finish with vinegar to disinfect and let it dry. Very simple. And very clean.

PS I haven't had any trouble with the chickens pecking the paint. But there aren't any loose edges either. Be tidy.

I just cleaned out my coop last weekend and was VERY glad that the walls were painted. It still took several hours.

There are lots of posts on this forum advocating painting the interior of your coop. Sure, it's an extra step, but a worthwhile one in my opinion. Do a search.

 

[lichick28]

I painted the inside of the coop semi gloss white for all the reasons already stated & to make it look brighter in the fall/winter season

 

[Jx2inNC]

So far, I've been using polyurethane to cover my flooring. A few more coats and it should be in great shape!
I wanted to keep the wood look so I decided to try this route.

 

[skyblues22]

You want to keep clean?? Keep out moisture?? Than yes, definately paint, I would do a exterior paint on the inside for sure.

 

[hkwdesign]

Personally, I like the look of painted, and I'm in the process of painting ours ~ "Cozy Cottage" by Behr in a semi-gloss exterior.
My coop is also sharing space with my potting bench in the same shed, so I wanted it nice & bright and cheery!
Good luck - look forward to see what you do!