Best Paint for Chicken Coop

It’s quite common to see chicken coops made out of wood due to being a cheaper and more available option. 

Every year or two, it needs to be painted with a preservative such as paint or varnish. It’s to stop the wood from getting rotten, and it’s quite a common occurrence.

While you can opt for varnish and preservatives, getting the best paint for chicken coop seems to be the best option. Ultimately the choice is up to you as wooden coops will benefit from all three.

For the crowd who prefer to paint on their chicken shed, this article will guide you to the most feasible options on the market. The next point is vital.

Quick View: 5 Best Paint for Chicken Coop

1. KILZ Exterior Siding, Fence, and Barn Paint, Red, 1-gallon
2. BEHR 1-gal. Red Exterior Barn and Fence Paint
3. Rust-Oleum 329211 Ultra Matte Interior Chalked Paint 30 oz, Farmhouse Red
4. Rust-Oleum 1964502 Enamel Paint, Quart, Gloss Colonial Red, 32 Fl Oz
5. FIXALL Skid Grip, 100% Acrylic Skid-Resistant Textured Coating – F06525 – 1 Gallon

Best Paint for Chicken Coop Reviewed

In this section, we’ve put together a series of overviews for the selected five paints for the chicken coop using the same criteria we’ve discussed above. Keep reading!

1. KILZ Exterior Siding, Fence, and Barn Paint, Red, 1-gallon

If you are working with a large chicken shed, you will need a lot of paint to cover the exterior.

Taking this fact into account, we’ve put this KILZ paint at number 1. With the ability to cover 300-400 sqft of area, this is the best exterior paint for chicken coop protection.

Any good exterior paint should protect the structure’s surface from harmful situations such as scratching, harsh wind, rain, etc. And this all-purpose exterior paint is resistant to peeling off, cracking, and blistering.

For painting an animal’s shed, the best option is water-based paint. Fortunately for you, KILZ exterior paint is made of a unique oil/water-based formula that will provide you longevity as well as protection for the wood.

As an external paint, this is its advantage over varnishes and preservatives. It’s certainly a much more economically sound option.

Expanding on its area coverage feature, if your wood surface is porous, this gallon of paint will cover somewhat 200 sqft of area. And if the surface is smooth, the coverage area will go well over 500 sqft.

This paint will be dry in 2-3 hours. However, if you wish to recoat the surface, give it 8 hours to dry beforehand.

The VOC level is 100g/l, so it’s not low. But it’s not harmful either. That should also tell you that it’s not an appropriate interior paint.

So, what’s the final say on this? Should you buy it or pass it? If you have a large shed, this is an excellent investment considering you’re getting a lot for your paying price.

The color red also looks good. As waterproof scratch-resistant paint, this has a lot going for it.

2. BEHR 1-gal. Red Exterior Barn and Fence Paint

One of the most robust paints on the market, famous for lasting years, is the barn and fence paint from Behr.

While it’s not on the same level as the Behr premium plus, it certainly does well in its price range. It also comes in a 1-gallon can and the color red. If this sounds good, you’ll appreciate the rest.

This will be best used if you have a chicken coop made out of plywood, fences, shingles, siding, etc. If you have a laminated wood surface, it should work, but you wouldn’t expect the same performance as you would with a rough surface.

The difference in surface texture will also make a difference when it comes to the coverage area. Depending on the surface texture, you should be able to cover an area between 200 and 500 sqft. That’s a whole chicken shed for most people.

This barn paint is completely safe for your chickens and other livestock you may have on your farm.

What kind of finish are you looking for? If you want a flat finish, you won’t be disappointed with this Behr paint.

Just like the previous paint, Behr is resistant to peeling, cracking, and blistering as well. However, that’s only applicable if you’re working with untreated wood.

If it’s treated wood, you will be required to repaint after around one year as the paint will peel off by itself.

Even with that bit of downside, this barn and fence paint from Behr is a great buy, thanks to the bunch of positive features. Especially, the longevity of this paint impresses the crowd. As an oil/water-based paint, this is an entirely non-toxic paint.

3. Rust-Oleum 329211 Ultra Matte Interior Chalked Paint 30 oz, Farmhouse Red

Those were all about coating the exterior of chicken sheds. If your main concern was covering the interior, you should be looking at paints like this Rust-Oleum chalked paint purposefully created for the interior.

This is geared towards the amateur crowd, so the 30-ounces of paint should be a perfect amount to cover a small chicken coop.

The color feels so homely and vintage that you will feel like using it in your home rather than in your chicken’s. With an ultra-matte finish, it gives off a chalky vibe and a completely dry but smooth surface.

Whether your coop’s wood is treated or not, it will fit in nicely if you follow steps like using sandpaper to rough up the surface a little.

It’ll increase the adhesive’s power so that the pigments can last long on the wood. That being said, this paint doesn’t require a sandpaper finish for most surfaces.

You’ll only need one coat on most surfaces. Generally, porous surfaces will demand more. However, they’ll also last longer on such surfaces. If one coat doesn’t work, five is the highest limit. More than five coats will turn out to be a waste.

The waiting period for it to completely dry is 2 hours and for recoating, give it 8 hours or so beforehand.

It is the best paint for an inside chicken coop. You should be fine from both the angles of affordability and safety for the chickens.

Thanks to the paint’s thickness, one coat seems to be enough for most surfaces, although porous wood surfaces may require a second one.

4. Rust-Oleum 1964502 Enamel Paint, Quart, Gloss Colonial Red, 32 Fl Oz

What if you wanted to paint your chicken coops’ interior and exterior with the same paint can? You can do it with this variant of Rust-Oleum paint. Unlike the ultra-matte color, this one is appropriate for both inside and outside use.

It’s not as cheap as you’d expect from a versatile paint, but it’s certainly a product to consider.

As we all know, water-based formula is the best way to make sure your paint doesn’t cause health issues in humans and non-human. And this paint is precisely that. This acrylic paint has an odor, but you will only notice it if you try to.

It’s resistant to chips and peeling off. That’s necessary for ensuring a long-lasting coating. Most barn paints are famous for lasting a decade!

While that’s unlikely because of the ever-changing weather pattern, you’re looking at a couple of years of uninterrupted protection with a good coating.

As it is a semi-gloss paint, the surface won’t have a dry surface. That’s not to say that it’s a negative. It’s all about preference.

How big is your shed? This paint has a standard coverage area of 120 sqft. Usually, this isn’t enough to cover both the interior and exterior of a shed. If it’s enough for you, that’s a great deal!

In about 30 minutes, the project will become dry for you to touch. Give it a couple of hours for recoating.

It is the best paint for a chicken coop if you’re looking to paint all over. The price isn’t going to attract a lot of customers; however, the sheer quality of it will attract the right ones.

5. FIXALL Skid Grip, 100% Acrylic Skid-Resistant Textured Coating – F06525 – 1 Gallon

The last one to be mentioned in this article is the anti-skid textured paint also used as coating from FIXALL. Comparing to the four other paints above, this is a unique product thanks to its textured anti-slip finish. The color is also not a bright red.

This coating is known for durability whether you’re using it on the exterior or the interior. Although it’s not marketed as barn paint, you can safely use it on wooden surfaces. It performs the same way it does on concrete or asphalt.

The anti-slip feature, to be frank, isn’t something necessary for a chicken coop, be it the interior or the exterior. Indeed, it’s a nice-to-have feature. You can use this on the pavement in front of your chicken coops to get the best out of this anti-slip feature.

It will adhere to most surfaces known to you, including wood, asphalt, cement, stone, and so on.

If you’re painting on wood, make sure to use 180-200 grit sandpaper to smoothen out the surface and clean it from unnecessary roughness and debris. You will also need to use a primer for wood application.

As an acrylic paint, this is based on water. And that makes it the safer option for your poultry and livestock. The paint won’t peel off easily, nor is it easy to chip.

That being said, due to the thickness of this paint, it takes much more time to become dry than other paint.

It’s apparent from the overview that it has a few upsides and downsides. The final decision is up to you. If you need the anti-slip feature in your chicken coop, this is the best option. Otherwise, the above four will be a better economic decision.

Things to Consider Before Buying

As with all things, thinking before making decisions will always reward you. Making the best out of your money can only be ensured if you know what to buy and what’s the best among the available options.

Therefore, the question is, how do you find the best paint to coat your chicken coop? Here are some pointers to help you out.

Paint Type

There are mainly two types of paint depending on the base formula: Oil-based and Water-based. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. So. which one’s the more appropriate one?

• Oil-based Paint

These paints have oil as their base, so they’re certainly more durable. That being said, it takes a lot of time to dry completely. It makes the process a lot longer than you’d like. You’ll also need materials like paint thinner to clean up afterward.

The issue with oil-based paint is the messiness as well as its chance of having high VOC content.

• Water-based Paint

It might sound biased, and we’re biased, but water-based paint is the better option, thanks to its less toxic nature. You will also find that they’re much easier to maintain and clean. You could simply use soap water to take it off if you needed to.

These paints take much less time to dry, which makes them a better option for swifter painting demands.

Paint Finish

Two common finishes are gloss and matte. While these two don’t have any huge advantages over the other, having a glossy finished surface gives it a better waterproof property. And it looks good as well.

Paint Color

The color of your chicken coop is a point of discussion from the perspective of aesthetics. It’s certainly not a point that determines the paint’s performance.

Red is the most common color, and it has a history behind it. Check the FAQ section. It’s not mandatory to have your coop colored red but stay away from dark colors as the birds can’t see in the dark. The emulation of the dark will stop their activity.

Size of Your Coop

The total surface area to paint will determine how many containers of paint you’ll need to cover. Some paints will be able to cover 200 to 500 sqft of area per gallon of paint. On the other hand, thicker paints of premium quality will only cover 60-80 sqft per gallon.

This is also an economic issue to consider before you spend a hefty amount.

Safety Concerns

Low-VOC paint is the best option. But it’s very rare to see quality paints with less than 50g/l VOC. If you find paint with less than 100g/l VOC, you’ve hit the jackpot.

All of our selected paints fall in this category, and these are completely safe in a small amount. Regular inhalation and ingestion will cause health issues.

A matter of caution before going into the reviews; you should stay away from the Zero-VOC paints.

Most of the time, these zero-VOC paints contain other toxic elements as an alternative. So, the zero-VOC becomes only a marketing tool rather than a safety issue.

Paint vs. Stain: What’s the Difference?

When you’re going to coat your chicken coop, it’s natural to come across this debate between paint vs. stain. Which is the better one and more appropriate for chicken sheds?

In terms of definition, paint coats the surface of the wood only, whereas staining it penetrates the wood surface and goes inside.

Stain doesn’t change the external pattern of the wood, but it also doesn’t give any protection to the wood surface.

Stain fades away over time and lasts considerably less than a paint coating. You will have to stain your wood several times compared to a one-time application of paint. Staining will make it feel like a new structure. You’re adding a new layer of beauty.

Moreover, staining will hold the internal structure together. This will prevent the wood from rotting.

On the other hand, paint protects the wood from getting rotten; however, it will hide the external pattern of the wood.

If you want to keep the external texture on display and don’t need to protect it from water and dirt, the stain is a good option.

But for chicken coops, painting has been the optimum method. It gives a good visual to it while maintaining good wood condition.

How to Paint a Chicken Coop?

Painting a chicken coop is pretty straightforward. You just have to prepare it adequately.

Preparing the Coop

Whether the chicken coop is a new one or not, you’ll have to use sandpaper on the surface. The unnecessary roughness and debris from the surface top have to go if you want the paint to stay for a long time.

If the wood is old infested with mold, wash it and scrub it. Let it dry, but don’t put it directly under the sun as it might make it curved.

Use sandpapers with 180-200 grit to get the best results. Fine grits will give a smoother finish with long-lasting results. Clean the dust and debris.

Now use a good primer to the wood surface. If it’s not enough, apply a second coat. Again, sand the primed surface and clean the surface.

Painting the Coop

Now, you’re ready to apply paint on the surface. Apply a generous amount if you want to finish up with a single coat.

But our suggestion will be to be moderate when applying the coat. Then wait for a few hours, and use the second coat to ensure perfect coating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Words

The best paint for a chicken coop would be the Rust-Oleum enamel paint in terms of both exterior and interior protection. The best paint for coverage is KILZ’s siding paint. You have to make sure your chicken coop surface is clean; otherwise, you’re wasting your money.