Do you ever browse Pinterest or Instagram for ideas on decorating your chicken coop? If you do, you might have noticed that many of those coops are painted on the inside. Before you go out and buy the paint for your chicken coop, take a look at this list of pros and cons for painting the inside of the coop.
Pros of painting chicken coop interior:
- Looks cleaner
- Protects wood
- Can be wiped down
- Seals small cracks
Cons of painting chicken coop interior:
- Additional maintenance and expense
- Fumes can be harmful to chickens
- If not kept clean, coop will look dirty
Read on to get more details on each of these pros and cons of painting the inside of a chicken coop.
✅ Paint Can Make the Inside of the Coop Look Cleaner
A fresh coat of paint can make the dingiest of areas look brighter and cleaner, including the inside of your chicken coop.
When painting the inside of your chicken coop, choose a bright color to open up the interior. You can consider colors other than white, like a light blue, soft yellow, or even a muted pink.
✅ Paint Can Protect the Wood
Paint can protect the wood inside the chicken coop from moisture.
To get the most protection of the wood, use a primer or sealant before painting the inside of the coop.
✅ Paint Can Be Wiped Down
Use a semi-gloss or gloss paint on the inside of the chicken coop to make cleaning the coop a bit easier. Glossy paints are made to be wiped down. I would suggest using an exterior paint since they are more robust and were designed to withstand the elements, like rain and wind, better than interior paints.
✅ Paint Can Seal Up Small Seams in Coop
If you have very small seams in your coop’s construction, a thick coat of paint can help seal those seams. The paint can fill in those small gaps and prevent air from leaking in or out.
Your chicken coop does not need to be airtight, however, since ventilation is a critical aspect of a chicken coop’s design.
⛔️ Paint Means Additional Maintenance and Expenses for Your Coop
There are two main disadvantages of painting the inside of the chicken coop:
- Additional maintenance
- Additional expenses
In today’s world, do any of us really want to sign up for more work and spending more money?
Once a coop has been painted, you will occasionally need to repaint the coop to make sure your coop looks consistent and well maintained (if that’s important to you).
In addition, buying paint can be expensive and is just one more cost to add to your chicken raising venture. Don’t forget rollers and brushes and before you know it, you’ve spent $100 on supplies to paint the inside of the coop.
⛔️ Paint Fumes Can be Harmful to Chickens
Chickens have such a sensitive respiratory system that you need to consider how the paint fumes will affect them. If you decide to paint the inside of the coop, make sure you use low VOC paint so there is reduced chemical fumes to bother your chickens.
In addition, make sure the coop is completely dry before letting the chickens in the coop. It would be best to let the coop dry out for several days since paint odors can linger.
⛔️ If Not Maintained, Paint Can Make Coop Look Dirty
Chickens are messy animals, kicking up dust and pooping everywhere. If you have painted the inside of the coop a nice bright color, any amount of filth will stand out on the paint. If the walls are not periodically wiped down, the coop can look dirty. Dust blends in much better on a raw wood wall and requires minimal maintenance.
