What is best for caulking?

[09northernchick]

We are finishing up the insulation and plywood covering. I know you have to caulk all cracks and crevices to discourage any little creatures such as mites from inhabiting those areas.

What type of caulking will work best and not hurt my girls? Do they pick at it and eat it?

 

[Uppity Peon]

I would look for pure silicon caulk. However I think you might be overly concerned about it. Mites are going to be living in your chicken's feathers and bedding no matter what you do. For some reason the more we try to eliminate parasites and bacteria, the more we suffer from other health problems such as cancer and autoimmune diseases.

 

[patandchickens]

They very much do pick at it and eat it, if they at all can. I am not sure how bad it necessarily is for them (assuming they have grit) but my feeling is that it's better to keep from finding out

IMO the best thing, if you want to caulk seams (and it is not like you HAVE to), is to put the caulk or glue in when you are assembling the joint in the first place, so it is filled with caulk or glue, then screw the pieces together and wipe off whatever amount squoozes out. The space is thus filled but there's nothing to peck at.

If you have really gappy crevices that you want to retrofit with caulk, my personal preference is to add a piece of trim (quarter round, or whatever you happen to have lying around that'll fit) and caulk well behind that before nailing it into the corner or across the seam, and strike off whatever squoozes out.

For retrofitting things that aren't real gappy, personally I prefer to sift a bit of food-grade DE into the crevice (I am not a major DE cultist like many here, but in crevices it will do no harm and quite possibly some good). Alternatively, you could just paint or polyurethane over the crevice so it isn't a crevice anymore.

One thing you probably do want to avoid, if using caulk, is the super-duper long-life exterior latex or mixed-content caulks. I have used two of them (one on the barn roof, one mistakenly in the chicken building) that REEKED of nasty solvent for some days despite lotsa airing out, and I am skeptical it's good for chicken lungs. Plain ol' silicone caulk is best, if you use caulk - all it releases when curing is acetic acid (the vinegar aroma you smell) which isn't that bad and isn't that long-lasting.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[CityChook]

I used silicon caulk, exterior, paintable. I did it after the walls were constructed, but before I primed and painted. All corners and the entire floor/wall joint area. I wiped all excess away (no bead shows) and then primed/painted. I have not had any problems with the chickens messing with it or eating it, but I guess if they could "see" it, they'd probably mess with it. I think the paint over it pretty much hides it by making it blend with the plywood walls.

 

[Agape Builder]

The problem with silicone and most latex caulks is that they shrink and pull away from the wood too much. It is a bit more expensive ($5 to $5.50 per tube) but I ONLY use polyurethane caulk now, and that is from a building contractor. If you go to Lowe'd or home Depot, it will be the PL Caulk. It is quite simply, the best... It stays flexible, but sticks and will not come out or have the problems associated with other caulks. One word of advice, though. Get a package of "Goof" or "OOPS!" wipes to clean your hands off with when you are done.