What kind of paint is safe?

[Chris09]

For my meat chickens tractor I used a lyme whitewash. I found instructions on the internet, bought a bag of hydrated lyme and went for it, (mix the lyme powder with water) even though my meat chicks won't be here till the end of April. It seems to be holding up really well, although it leaves a white dust on your hands when you touch it so I don't think I will do it for the coop, of course that will change if someone knows how to keep that from happening!

Did you use salt?

The problem you are having is called chalking and salt is one of the ingredients said to help with the chalking.

The basic Whitewash Paint is,
12 cups hydrated lime
4 cups salt
2 gallon water

Chris

 

[crazychickenwom]

Did you use salt?

The problem you are having is called chalking and salt is one of the ingredients said to help with the chalking.

The basic Whitewash Paint is,
12 cups hydrated lime
4 cups salt
2 gallon water

Chris

Thanks so much Chris! I will redo it and add the salt this time! Thanks alot!

 

[AmyLM]

Well hubby and I painted the first coat on the inside of the hen house... and we went with Palimino Gold. LOL we were half way done and I suddenly relized what it looked like... Yellow walls with white trim. I swear... the chicks will feel like they are back in the egg again. LMAO... the inside of the hen house looks like a yoke!

 

[jdeoliveira74]

Most latex paint today is low voc anyway so fumes should be a problem.. as far as it being bullet proof i painted my truck with latex paint and it take one heck of a beating and no problems!

 

[debid]

Poor chickens will wonder why you're stuffing them back in the egg!

I painted the inside of mine a pastel sky blue so they would feel like they're in the great outdoors.

 

[Desirai]

thanks for everyone's advice!

I want to paint the outside of my coop to match our house (gray and red) in case we ever sell the property (possible, but improbable)

The inside.. I don't know yet. Something fun. I've read that chickens (or birds in general) can distinguish certain colors. I assume that since chickens can empathize, they can also draw moods from colors.. so bright happy colors might keep them happy.

(I'm weird.. yeah.)

 

[AmyLM]

thanks for everyone's advice!

I want to paint the outside of my coop to match our house (gray and red) in case we ever sell the property (possible, but improbable)

The inside.. I don't know yet. Something fun. I've read that chickens (or birds in general) can distinguish certain colors. I assume that since chickens can empathize, they can also draw moods from colors.. so bright happy colors might keep them happy.

(I'm weird.. yeah.)

Oh your not weird! That's exactly why we painted our inside of the hen house a bright happy color because before... it looked terrible! I will post a pic f the make over as soon as we get the final touches done tomorrow. I would LOVE to see pics of yours Our hen house is a room in our red barn... so I really cant repaint the whole barn... but lets face it... a bright red barn with white trim and a iron chicken shaped weather vane on top... its why we bought the house! Doing the coup to match the house... ** good idea ** I saw another person here who was litterly making a miniature version of their actual house for the chickens. It looked AMAZING... i wish I had those skills... but Ummmm.... my house isn't cool looking like that.

 

[Desirai]

I wanna see!!!! do you know who? or where I could see pics? that is SO COOL

I saw another person here who was litterly making a miniature version of their actual house for the chickens. It looked AMAZING... i wish I had those skills... but Ummmm.... my house isn't cool looking like that.

 

[blessedchick]

Oh your not weird! That's exactly why we painted our inside of the hen house a bright happy color because before... it looked terrible! I will post a pic f the make over as soon as we get the final touches done tomorrow. I would LOVE to see pics of yours Our hen house is a room in our red barn... so I really cant repaint the whole barn... but lets face it... a bright red barn with white trim and a iron chicken shaped weather vane on top... its why we bought the house! Doing the coup to match the house... ** good idea ** I saw another person here who was litterly making a miniature version of their actual house for the chickens. It looked AMAZING... i wish I had those skills... but Ummmm.... my house isn't cool looking like that.

PHEW! I'm so glad to be surrounded by a bunch of weirdos like myself!

My new coop will arrive mid March and it will be unpainted so it will be painted to match my house and barn - "Desert Sand". I also ordered it with a matching roof color and an extra sheet of matching steel to re-roof my existing coop so the buildings will all blend. And yes, I'm already plotting the happy interior...some bright color ("Back to the Egg Yellow" perhaps?) with fun designs to keep those chicken brains (and me) happy.
I can't wait to see some interior shots of coops! There are some beautiful ones on the Coops page here...very inspiring!