[Nervous Novice]

Hello- this is my very firys post to any website!  I am preparing to get some hens and am setting up the hen house.  It is made of cedar boards- should I paint the interior to make it easier to cleans?

[bellagirl]

Welcome ! I am new too, about a week I think. So I'm still learning. Our coop was already treated  with a good, safe wood treatment. Inside and out.  As long as the outside is treated on your coop I would have thought thats ok. Be sure that its done when weather conditions warm up and are drier. Well before your hens arrive. Then re-treat every year.
Have fun !
This Forum is so helpfull. I am still reading through past posts and get lots of tips

[dizzylizzie]

i have treated some coops inside, and some not! if you are looking for treatment, as a general rule, if its safe for bats, its safe for chucks

[karlooben]

hi there nervous novice , there is no need to paint the inside of the coop as long as you clean out the poo each day and clean out an freshen the bedding weekly u will find the  house wont get that dirty  . to keep down any bugs an red mite then u can spray the walls every other tpye day system with poulty sheild and add diatom to the bedding this will with cleananess .

[Roughlee Handled]

I would fill all cracks and paint with gloss. This is not for cleanliness but to stop red mite from living in the cracks.

[beulah59]

Wouldn't the hens pick off the gloss?

You can make a slurry of diatom and poultry shield to paint on all interior surfaces ... not pretty, but effective!

[richyrich7]

I never bothered in mine, just a good paint with paraffin once a year , kills everything
 ( except your hens )   

[Roughlee Handled]

Wouldn't the hens pick off the gloss?
........

What sort of hens do  you  have?  Mine don't go round  pecking the wooded coop. Can you pick off the gloss paint in your house? I cant (then I do not try to often).

Yes you can paint the inside of your coop as richyrich7 says and it works.  I do prefer the easy clean option though.

[woodside farm]

I would paint it with creosote from scats, we used it last year and it got rid of all of the red mites.

Michelle

[Roughlee Handled]

You can not apply creastote to a new building unless you are a qualified contractor.  Unless  you are a contractor you can not purchase creastote. You as a member of the public can only purchase creastote substitute.
Creasote was banned for a reason and has a very high VOC level!!!
You would be confining chickens to a small space with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[woodside farm]

You can not apply creastote to a new building unless you are a qualified contractor.  Unless  you are a contractor you can not purchase creastote. You as a member of the public can only purchase creastote substitute.
Creasote was banned for a reason and has a very high VOC level!!!
You would be confining chickens to a small space with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The creosote I bought from scats is perfectly legal, I have hundreds of chickens and had no problem with it (remember to wear a mask when applying, and keep the chickens out until dry) I found last year this was the only thing to get rid of red mites.

Michelle

[GrannieAnnie]

It was one of the creosote substitutes then Michelle, or you are allowed to use proper creosote, because you are a smallholder like us.

Roughlee is right, creosote is illegal for just anyone to use.  It must have been something like creocote.

http://www.creosote.co.uk/

[woodside farm]

It was one of the creosote substitutes then Michelle, or you are allowed to use proper creosote, because you are a smallholder like us.

Roughlee is right, creosote is illegal for just anyone to use.  It must have been something like creocote.

http://www.creosote.co.uk/

If you go in Scats it is 'Creosote' not 'Creocote' it smells just like the original Creosote (hence the mask) but is thinner, last year I tried everything (including Creocote) to get rid of the dratted Red Mites  and found that this Creosote was the only thing that worked.

Michelle

[karlooben]

I never bothered in mine, just a good paint with paraffin once a year , kills everything
 ( except your hens )   

but dont smoke at the same time 

[joyfull]

Michelle, not getting at you but this is the law.
Scats may get away with selling it if they, when questioned say it is only for professionals to purchase. The law does state that creosote for the general public is banned, this is why we cannot advocate it's use on this forum. Most people on here are not businesses. This link will take you to the governments prohibition of use and marketing regulations 2003 papers.

http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si/si2003/20031511.htm

Joy xx