Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[PrairieFairy]

I have a - "trying to make a decision / open to opinions" about Coop stuff.

The coop I purchased (as a temporary 1-2 year solution until the Mister builds my chicken palace) used OSB on the floor and nest boxes. Looking at pictures online of other coops that had similar - I decided to go ahead and put a thick coat of oil based high gloss enamel barn white on the entire interior so I could more easily clean it, to seal the OSB from moisture, and see if I get any pesky mites living amongst my peeps.

I checked it today as it finished curing last night - and it is rock solid enamel now.

Part of me wants to put a second coat on everything inside again for good measure. Part of me says - 2 coat everything EXCEPT the floor and just lay a vinyl remnant down over the enamel coat.

Anyone do one or other of these choices when you were at that point and with the wisdom of time living with that choice - want to weigh in? Also - I have three coated the nest boxes - would I want to do vinyl or leave as is? Pros/Cons?


Edited to add - yes - I primed everything with Zinsser's Oil Based Primer for additional water blocking...

 

[iamfivewire]

if you put vinyl floor, use a decent quality - i put some cheap thin stuff in our coop last summer, & the birds have pecked holes in it.

 

[flufssilkies]

we have 4 2 week old foster kittens that will be looking for homes in a couple weeks

 

[aart]

I have a - "trying to make a decision / open to opinions" about Coop stuff.

The coop I purchased (as a temporary 1-2 year solution until the Mister builds my chicken palace) used OSB on the floor and nest boxes. Looking at pictures online of other coops that had similar - I decided to go ahead and put a thick coat of oil based high gloss enamel barn white on the entire interior so I could more easily clean it, to seal the OSB from moisture, and see if I get any pesky mites living amongst my peeps.

I checked it today as it finished curing last night - and it is rock solid enamel now.

Part of me wants to put a second coat on everything inside again for good measure. Part of me says - 2 coat everything EXCEPT the floor and just lay a vinyl remnant down over the enamel coat.

Anyone do one or other of these choices when you were at that point and with the wisdom of time living with that choice - want to weigh in? Also - I have three coated the nest boxes - would I want to do vinyl or leave as is? Pros/Cons?


Edited to add - yes - I primed everything with Zinsser's Oil Based Primer for additional water blocking...

I painted nothing on my coop.
I like my vinyl flooring, but I got a heavy duty foam backed type..... tested by bending over corners, if it creased or cracked it was a no go.
and I used single sheet for no seams for liquid to seep thru, which was not easy to install, but needed no attachment...see My Coop page.
Had has held up well for 2.5 years now.
It worked well to line poop boards too, except where I pounded on frozen poop with the hoe and put a hole in one place ...and I wish I had installed it a bit differently.

 

[PrairieFairy]

I painted nothing on my coop.

Well - as much as I would have liked to avoid painting - the Mister saw the OSB and after the dissertation I got on "paying for poor workmanship" and my pointing out that "the most quality focused craftsman I know had been too busy to build it himself so if he didn't like what I was left with on my budget, perhaps he should start planning the chicken palace now" - I was able to get to detente by swearing I would seal the OSB as well as I could.

Snort.

FYI - he's still studiously avoiding discussing the extra chicks even though he had to over hear me telling the kids how geeked I was to find two Sebring chicks and they don't count on my total because they aren't any bigger than a big bumble bee each...and I am totally awesome with him refusing to acknowledge their existence. I prefer it actually.

 

[snowflake]

I have no paint on my coop inside. not even on the floor. asI don't have water in my coop the floor stays dry. poop boars also keep the floor clean.

 

[gladahmae]

Our first coop has an osb floor. 4 years old now and it's just starting to show some moisture damage at the entry/pop door. We didn't seal it. Put cheap vinyl tiles down and called it good. That whole coop is built out of scraps from when we built our house so I'm ok with that being the floor.

If your plan is to build a fancy coop, then just use the paint you already have and save the money on the vinyl for when you build your own. (That's my $0.02)

 

[1muttsfan]

Hi Grammi, sunny up here today too although very chilly around 45 today - woke up to a dusting of snow this morning.

I did paint the inside walls of my coop, makes the interiors much lighter. Floors are sheet vinyl.

 

[PrairieFairy]

If your plan is to build a fancy coop, then just use the paint you already have and save the money on the vinyl for when you build your own. (That's my $0.02)

Fair enough - I think if I get one more coat on - that enamel should be hard enough to power wash it and not damage it. I wish it would warm up a little more so I could finish the painting...my first batch of chicks are flying all around in the garage/poke barn.

I totally failed to realize how fast they would grow and I am a solid week behind where I need to be. Someone remind me it's ok to learn when I am scrubbing poo off his tool bench...

 

[1muttsfan]