Whitewash the Inside Of Your Coop: Recipe, Cheap and Easy

[mobius]

@Tooshay89!!! OMG! Those pics look fabulous already! I am SO glad you are pleased...tell us if you thought it was easy to put on, mix, etc...your experiences? How you applied it? Great Job!!

Here kitty! (I saw the black one in the window)

 

[Tooshay89]

I love how it looks! So much easier than painting, I will say that much. And cheaper, too! (Especially if you don't have to order hydrated lime online and pay $50 for it, lol!)

I mixed up 2 gallons in a big bucket to make sure there was enough. I used maybe a little over half of it in total for my 8x6 coop. I did everything, even the nesting boxes, inside of the door, all of the ceiling beams, etc. I didn't whitewash the floor because it's linoleum, so no need. It took me, from start to finish, maybe two hours? I lost track of time. I'm in Florida so it probably wasn't the best idea to start in the afternoon with the heat that we have down here, but I just wanted it done so I could move the chicks into their new, upgraded home.

It was super easy to apply. I added in two more cups of lime than recommended because I was concerned that it wasn't thick enough. It didn't get any thicker with more lime, so I just assumed it was supposed to be pretty thin. I used a paint brush and roller to apply the whitewash and found that the brushes work a little better than rolling it since they were a lot of small creases. For actual plywood, it would probably go on easier with a roller, but since a lot of my interior had a strange, porous backing, those areas were a lot harder to apply and made a mess with the roller, but not a huge deal. Because of the weird backing situation, I somehow dripped it on the outside of the coop, but it washes off easily with water and a paper towel.

I had a sinking feeling that maybe I wasn't doing something right when I got done, because it wasn't very white. And it goes on pretty much clear, so I wondered how white could it possibly get. But it did! It takes several hours for full effect, and now it's bright white and I love how it looks. It was nice that I could move in the chickens the same day and not worry about odors or chemicals.

Here are some pictures from this morning. I had to bribe the chickens to stay in by giving them a little oatmeal.










Here's a close-up of the weird material in most of my coop. If you have regular plywood, it's probably a lot easier to apply.

 

[Tooshay89]

Looking at the pictures from yesterday, I think the material in my coop has a lot to do with it not getting as white as yours, @mobius . I could probably do another coat to make it brighter, but I think it'll be fine as is. I really just wanted it coated to protect against bugs. I also use dried herbs in my coop, so I'm hoping we avoid any major outbreaks of mite, lice, etc.

 

[mobius]

Yay for herbs!!! I just trimmed my lavender back and put all the dried bits from last year in the hen boxes!

@Tooshay89 the most important thing is that you are pleased with the process and the outcome. I am so happy you are, cause I think it really truly works. An extra cup or two of lime doesn't hurt a thing. And now you know for next year that about a gallon will do it. The material you have looks very absorbent...but! that is good cause it will absorb the lime all up into the walls that way...Lovely job you did by the way and THANKS for the pics...So excited for you, and super-exciting chicks are in their new home!

 

[mobius]

Also I did use two coats this first time, just to get it whiter, over new wood, but I will just do one coat in the future...doesn't have to be two coats...pure personal preference...

@Tooshay89 I have to thank you also for the great user report and pics, cause I am sure it will help many others!

 

[dyorto]

My coop was just delivered today. I think I'm going to try this after I'm done building my roosts and pop boxes to put in there

 

[captivatedlife]

After seeing this in dying to try it! First time chicken owner, I love that this is a natural, old fashioned way of doing it! Thanks for sharing.

 

[mobius]

Thank you @dyorto!

Also,@captivatedlife , isn't it great to share pics? then folks can see how it works and decide if they want to try, just like you did!

Show off your whitewash project!

 

[newbie2016]

I have linoleum on the floors covered with sand. I love the sand method... So easy to clean!

I just purchased my linoleum remnant today, hardwire cloth for my windows and some chicken wire to make a wall and door inside the coop to separate a space for the food and for me to get to the eggs without entering into their area. Tomorrow we finish and bringing electricity to it. By tomorrow evening, my 8 hens will be moving in.

Quick question.... after reading about this white wash procedure, it should be okay to do this procedure this next week and the chicks can go back in for the night right?

 

[Tooshay89]

It should be fine! I put all of mine in the same day, there aren't any fumes or residue to worry about. Since its only hydrated lime, salt and water, I don't think there's anything that could hurt them. I'm all for natural solutions so this was a great option for our coop. Can't wait to see how it works for everyone else!