Paint or ?? Chicken roosts

[BitterrootChickenLady]

Hello all! I am new to chickens, but very excited! I am finishing up building my coop, to get chicks in the spring. Hoping to build the run in the spring, while they are little and in the brooder.

I have installed 20LF of 2x4, flat, roosting bars for the coop. I have painted the interior of the coop, except for the bars. My intuition tells me my birds roosting on painted bars for so much of their life, isn't necessarily healthy for them. I am looking for a healthier alternative, which would allow easier scraping, as opposed to bare wood.

I was considering bees wax? It would coat the wood. Any idears?

 

[CCsGarden]

I would not paint the roosting bars, If the paint falls off they will eat it and it may not be that great for their feet. I use Tung oil too coat the coops and perches . I also sand mine down too make them smooth and clean them. If the roosting bars are too sharp, it will cause bumblefoot.

 

[Cebarmlds]

I don't know about bees wax, maybe someone would answer that. But I didn't paint mine but sanded it smooth.

 

[TwoCrows]

When birds roost, poop falls to the floor, very little if any poop should be getting on the roost bars. I wouldn't paint them. Bees wax might make them slippery. Any poop that gets on the bars can be scraped off, wire brushed off or use the product Poop Off with enzymes to dissolve the stains.

 

[CCsGarden]

View attachment 3972869

They aren't new , This thread got posted in the forum
It's fixed now though I got tricked too, don't worry.

 

[aart]

No need to paint, or anything else, IMO.
My plain 2x4 roosts have been fine for 10+ years.
I did power sand off any rough spots/splinters.