Want to paint coop but hens already laying in it!!??

[chickenmom24]

Hello!

I have 5 gorgeous hens and am new to the backyard chicken community. I'm still learning all the ins & outs when it comes to raising and maintaining backyard chickens.

My hens have a really nice, large run and a very spacious coop attached to it where they do their laying & roosting.

There is a really nice piece of plywood that faces the backyard/outside of the coop and serves as one of the walls for the coop that is begging for some paint! So my question is, is it safe to paint one piece that is facing outside and not inside the coop if I know my chickens will probably be laying in it and sleeping in it that same day?

My plan (if it were safe) would be to wake up around 6 am and let the chickens free range in the backyard as they usually do as I paint, then that piece would have all day until around 7:30 pm. to dry - around 7:30 pm. is when my hens go back into their coop to sleep for the night. I have 3 chickens laying already who lay for about 10-30 minutes a day.

I know fumes can be harmful so I definitely want to make sure it's safe to do this! If it's not, I'll just keep that piece of wood as is because it's totally NOT worth the risk! I love my girls too much.

 

[SueT]

Welcome to BYC!
If there's any question about safety, I would get paint labelled 'low VOC"

 

[JDN]

If its the exterior sidewall, I don't think I'd worry much.

 

[True Patriot]

If you stick with the plan of painting early as soon as they go out and prevent them from going back in until dry there shouldn't be any problem. Use a latex paint, they are water bases and are relatively low on the hazard scale. Once dry they're non-toxic. Depending on humidity, it should be dry to the touch within 2 hours, and cured in 6-8.