4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[OwenLdn]

Hey everyone,

 

Im about to get my first hens hopefully this weekend- and im worrying over all sorts of silly things.

 

Ive gone for a lovely wooden hen house -I would have loved to have gone for a Cube but just couldnt afford it- im saving though!– and was wondering whether people would recommend either painting the insides of the house or went round with some sort of sealant to try to fill in any cracks or joins in the wood to prevent red mite from gaining a foot hold?

 

If so what sealant/paint would you recommend to use? Ive read Cuprinol Garden Shades are safe for pets- would these be ok?

 

Many thanks

Owen

(I appreciate this is a problem most of you don't have with Eglus/Cubes!)

[Clur]

I think as long as you use a pet-safe stain/paint you'll be ok. Just give it plenty of time to dry and air before you put chickens in.

 

I wouldn't go round with any sealant - the likelihood is that the girls could peck it, and also the hen house will need some air circulation anyway. Your wooden coop will be just fine as I would imagine

 

To prevent redmite you could use anti-red mite powder/diatom - just give the coops a dusting after you clean it out, particularly around the roosting bars and nooks and crannies.

 

Someone with a wooden coop may be able to give you more advice, but hope this is a helpful start!

[Old Speckled Hen]

I use Poultry Shield applied very liberally once a month and in the spring I paint the inside of the coop with builders lime made up to a thin paste. Touch wood, I've never had any trouble.

I wouldn't seal any cracks.

[bluekarin]

I painted the inside of my wooden house with two coats of a pale cream colour normal exterior paint. This was to make it a bit lighter in there for cleaning so I could get all the muck out. And two to stop the red mites from hiding grrr. Not sure if this will work, as I've only had my girls since Oct last year, and I will need to repaint inside soon as some of the paint is coming off (my bad prep work probably )

[chickenanne]

Painting the inside with exterior gloss pain works well, as it's designed for wood and is smooth/easy clean etc. But you have to make sure it's completely dry and fume-free before you use the house for chickens.

And use poultry sheild or similar when you clean it out, that should be fine to keep any nasties away.