just a couple of questions

[kittykat8]

can someone answer my couple of questions


I bought a straw bale instead of a bag of treated straw in bag to put on floor of house is this ok if not will it be ok to use as a one off. I have some soft shavings for nest boxes

I do not have wooden nest boxes yet will either have to buy or ask hubby to make some, it it will be in a couple of weeks time. Is it ok to use cat litter trays I have large deep ones and easy to wash.

Is it ok to to paint the inside of the house with white gloss


thank you


marion

[Bramble-Poultry]

straw bale is fine. its what we use (literally by the tens of hundreds each year) it works out so much cheaper too that the "treated" bale. what is exactly are they treating???? its just dried wheat stems........

wooden nest boxes, mine dont bother with them anyway, and just find a communal corner of the shed and lay in there. so all i do is thicken up the shavings in that area to make it more cosy for them to lay. Cat litter tray would do, as would a small carboard box on its side.

white gloss - be careful on this one, if you are using a wooden shed, the gloss may stop the wood from breathing. Yo umay not notice it now, but in the winter with the birds warm breath you could end up with a condensation problem if your ventilation isnt wonderful, which could then lead to respiritory problems.

Why paint the inside, is there a particular reason?

[kittykat8]

I read on an earlier post that someone wished they had painted their shed for easier cleaning, the coup I have taken over has been fixed up it is a fair size , it has a gavinised sloping roof, and felt has been nailed on the body of the shed as some of the wood was week and batton wood nailed on the felt. The coup has a window that can be opened and I will fit a bit of mesh on the inside to stop the bird getting out when it is opened.

The coup was full of cobwebs which I have cleaned out well and I will be washing it with ***** fluid today, my husband suggest painting the inside with tesco shed paint which is breathable as protection.

Thanks for taking the time to reply


marion

[MaureenHall]

I'd paint the inside with Creocote to deter any red mites, though it stinks for days and you wouldn't be able to put your chooks in there for about a week. I'd also get rid of the felt too and replace it with something else - felt's a brilliant hiding place for mites too

One of my coops is painted inside with white gloss and it's really easy to clean now, though I don't think I'd do that again. The other coops are creocoted inside and out

[Hilary B]

straw bale is fine. its what we use (literally by the tens of hundreds each year) it works out so much cheaper too that the "treated" bale. what is exactly are they treating???? its just dried wheat stems........

wooden nest boxes, mine dont bother with them anyway, and just find a communal corner of the shed and lay in there. so all i do is thicken up the shavings in that area to make it more cosy for them to lay. Cat litter tray would do, as would a small carboard box on its side.

white gloss - be careful on this one, if you are using a wooden shed, the gloss may stop the wood from breathing. Yo umay not notice it now, but in the winter with the birds warm breath you could end up with a condensation problem if your ventilation isnt wonderful, which could then lead to respiritory problems.

Why paint the inside, is there a particular reason?

The other potential snag with gloss painting the inside is that if the wood can't 'breathe' it encourages rot! There will always be some dampnes getting into the wood of the structure, if it can't get out again.....
As assistant to a surveyor, the places we see rotten wood (in houses, sheds etc) are ALWAYS associated with lack of ventilation to the surface of the wood!