6 Tips for Keeping Chickens Warm in the Winter

Tips for Keeping Winter Chickens

By: Kel Amstutz

 

Over and over again,  the question keeps coming up: 

How do you go about keeping chickens warm in the winter?

Well…  chickens natural physiology combined with several strategies on our part are all it takes to keep our chickens happy and healthy through the bitter cold winter.
 

We don’t heat the chicken coop in winter, instead follow these six steps to #safely and #inexpensively keep your hens warm.

1. Get the right chickens for your climate:

The very best thing you can do to ensure your birds will be fine in winter is to start off with cold hardy chicken breeds. 

Cold hardy breeds have very small combs and wattles, making them less susceptible to frostbite. They also tend to be built a little on the hefty side, which keeps them warmer when the temperature drops.

The best cold-hardy chicken breeds:

• Ameraucana
• Australorp
• Brahma
• Buff Orpington
• Cochin
• Delaware
• Dominique
• New Hampshire
• Plymouth Rock
• Rhode Island Red
• Speckled Sussex
• Wyandottes

 

2. Insulate the coop:

It’s so important to insulate the coop as best you can before winter sets in. You can do this in many ways. If you have the money, you can use foam or fiberglass insulation in the walls of the coop then cover them with plywood. Just make absolutely sure the insulation is completely covered, because chickens will pick it at. 

Always remember that insulation doesn’t mean make the coop air-tight. 

Every coop needs proper ventilation, for polluted air and moisture to escape and fresh air to get in.

3. Close off a portion of the coop

The coop interior gets warm on cold winter nights from the chickens body heat releasing into the air. If the amount of space inside the coop is smaller, there’s less airspace for the chickens bodies to warm up. If your chicken coop is on the larger side, it will pay to make the usable space a little smaller in the winter.

This can be done by hanging plastic sheeting from floor to ceiling, or putting up a temporary wall.

4. Provide quality feed and water

Chickens eat more feed in the winter to regulate their body temperature and put on some insulating fat. 

Feed your chickens a little extra when it starts to get cold, and more importantly, provide them with fresh water at all times.

Drinking water helps with digestion, which helps with temperature regulation. If your chicken’s water source is frozen for even an hour during the day it will affect their ability to stay warm. 

You might want to consider using a heated water bowl or Water Heater Base during the winter to keep your water dish thawed at all times! 

5. Provide quality roosts

Roosting helps keep chickens warm by getting them up off the floor and allowing them to huddle together to keep warm. 

Roosts need to be big enough to accommodate all of your chickens. 
(If you see chickens on the floors or nesting boxes at night, more roosts are in order!)

The roost surface should be big enough so that a chicken can completely cover their feet while sitting on it.  

If the chickens can’t wrap their toes all the way around the roost, they are likely to get frostbite on toes that they can’t cover.

6. Use the deep litter method

The deep litter method works wonders for keeping the coop warm in winter.

Stacking six inches (or more) of litter on the floor of the coop helps to insulate it. Deep litter also produces its own heat.

Deep litter that’s started in spring is like a compost pile on the floor of your coop. The decomposing waste and litter create heat which help to warm the coop.

 

Other options:

If you live in a Northern climate in which temperatures frequently fall well below -10 degrees, and you feel your chickens are truly suffering from the cold, there are some options.

• Hire an electrician to wire the coop for heat would be safer than hanging a heat lamp inside

• Purchase a flat panel heater to install inside the coop.

 

 

It's Winter....said the Chickens!

Winter finally started knocking on our Ohio town...and we managed to procrastinate on the whole winter chicken PREP. 

Winter care for chickens can be confusing to beginners and established chicken keepers alike. There are many different schools of thought on heat vs. no heat in the coop. We are on the fence but leaning toward the no heat camp, even though temperatures can drop to below zero here (sometimes!).

If you would like to know how we plan on keeping our flock warm, this winter, without heat... well read on my friend! 

Let's talk about chicken coops and heat. 


Do you need to heat your chicken coop? 

Well there is a short answer and a long answer.

• The short answer is NO.   
• The long answer has to do with the fact that chickens can and will live very comfortably in temps that drop below zero- and this includes without supplemental heat sources.

Chickens are not people. I know that you are thinking...DUH Kel, but sometimes this can lead to oversight.  People, you and me, we can NOT survive in a non-heated building outside in subzero weather...but your chickens can. 


Chickens will show no sign of distress in cold weather and will survive just fine in the cold, up to -10 degrees Fahrenheit (and truth be told that some chickens can do just find when temps drop lower than that).

Plus, your chickens have a cozy coop where they can stay when it gets to cold outdoors for them. 

Some interesting information, if you think that using a heat lamp is the answer to your guilt...well first and foremost (and the number 1 reason why NOT to use a Heat Lamp) is that they cause coop fires, many reported cases, in which your entire flock will parish, not to mention the spread to neighboring houses and/or outbuildings. (Yes, I am a firefighters daughter!)


It is difficult to secure a heat lamp in order for it to not fall down. Then factor in a flying chicken knocking down the lamp or debris flying into the lamp, all of which are fire hazards.



Another important note to make is that if you use a Heat Lamp and let's say the bulb goes out or you have a power outage...you will lose your flock due to the sudden temperature change.

Chickens who are used to a warm coop in the winter need time to accommodate a sudden temperature drop.  

The worst part is that you will remain completely unaware of any issue because the onset will not show until it is already to late to save your chicken(s).


If you feel strongly that your coop needs to be heated, please avoid a heat lamp and look at a flat panel heater, installed by a professional to ensure safety for your Chickens. (But heat is not necessary!)





So, HOW do Chickens survive winter?

Valid question. Part of this process is understanding your birds, knowing what works and what doesn't and helping your flock flourish!

I spoke about not having to use a heater or heat source to remain comfortable during the cold winter months, but it is fair to wonder the physics and makeup of a chicken as to why it is not needed.

Chickens Fluff. 

I know you have seen them do this probably a hundred times. We call this being a "Top Dawg Chicken" in our family. (Mind you, we are two adults and two kids under the age of 7!)

When the chickens fluff up their feathers they create an air pocket between their feathers and their skin. This is where warm air radiates from the chicken's body and keeps them comfortable even on the coldest of nights.




Chickens also cluster together, usually on a roost, to cuddle in order to keep one another warm. Sleeping on the roost keeps the chickens off of the cold floor.




If you are still not a believer, a suggestion came to me that if you venture to your coop one cold night and put your hand under the chickens wing, or between their feathers, next to the skin...you will feel your chickens warmth and have that peace of mind (or Ah Ha moment!).

Next, let's talk drafts! 

The subject of drafts is a pretty serious one.

Drafts can cause your toasty, warm chicken to become frigid and cold...very quick!  If air is blowing on your chickens, this disrupts the warm pocket of air that your chickens have created when fluffing their feathers and will cause them to catch a chill.

You want to eliminate drafts within your coop...but you do NOT want to seal off all air completely due to ventilation.

Confusing, right!

Eliminate drafts by closing the chickens entrance to the coop at night and on very cold days.  You will also want to insulate any windows you have in your coop using caulk and/or a barrier block. This material can be cardboard, wood or plastic.


A good way to differentiate between a draft and ventilation is to know that a draft is a wind or breeze that is blowing on your chickens.

A small, light draft is enough to disrupt feathers and cause a chill. When you leave a door open in the coop, it is like you put a fan on your flock for the night.

Ventilation is all about air circulation throughout the coop. 

We want to prevent drafts but we still need to make sure that air is circulating in and out of our coop so that our chickens can remain in good health.


So, HOW do you VENTILATE your COOP? 


We need to make sure our coop is well insulated and closed enough to keep out drafts but allow air to still be able to come in and leave the coop.

This is mandatory in order for dust,  CO2, moisture and ammonia to escape and bring in fresh air for the birds to breath. The best way that we have found to block a draft, but allow for proper ventilation is to cut some small windows where the walls meet the ceiling.

The windows only need to be about 1-2 inches tall but however wide that you want.  They can be cut between the studs and secured  with hardware cloth.  This is important because small animals can squeeze through small spaces and the chicken wire and/or screening will not be able to keep these predators out.

The overhang from the roof outside the windows will prevent winds from blowing in, but the open windows will allow polluted air to get out and fresh air to get in.

Frostbite and chickens, what you need to know. 

We hear about frostbite and immediately panic. Natural human reaction, and one that I won't discourage you from having.

Frostbite is caused when cold combines with moisture.

If your coop is just cold then frostbite will not form.  But, moisture builds within the coop from chickens breathing, pooping or just water spills, if you allow water in your coop.  Moisture is inevitable.  But, if your coop is airtight, this moisture has no place to escape to and combine this moisture with a sudden onset of cold...here you have a perfect environment for FROSTBITE.

Chickens who have large combs are most likely to get frostbite than all others. 

To prevent frostbite in large comb birds, you can apply a thick layer of petroleum jelly on the comb to protect this from the cold. 

And because you all know that I am an avid reader and book promoter, I wanted to share some great reading that has helped me in my chicken research and is sure to help you on your own journey!

(click on the book to be directed to the link!)

HAPPY CHICKEN-ING YA'LL!

Surviving Winter with CHICKENS...

This will be our first winter with chickens and although it is kind of scary to think about. 

There are really only two things that are pretty critical to keeping our ladies alive and well during the cold, Ohio winter that is up and coming and that is: 

1. making sure they have access to water (and not a frozen block of ice) 
2. and a dry coop. 

We have been planning ahead to ensure that our six chicks survive and maybe even keep laying! 

Water is a very important factor with chickens, as it is an essential nutrient and a requirement to regulate a chickens body temperature, help with digestion, growth and yes, even producing those eggs. Lack of water access, even for a few hours can result in a major egg production drop for weeks. 

It is also important to note that chickens EAT MORE in the winter to help regulate their temperature and due to this they require more water to digest- if the water is frozen- your chickens will stop eating and will not be able to keep themselves warm. 


3 frozen water Solutions:

1. Use a cookie tin heater.  For less than $10 and only 10 minutes of your time, a water heater can be made out of common, household stuff, which will keep water in plastic and even metal waterers liquid in those sub-zero, snowy temps. The thing is...electricity is REQUIRED.
2. Use poultry nipple waterers. There are all kinds of nipple water systems that can be installed to ensure a water supply. You can even use a homemade system with a 5 gallon bucket, an aquarium heater to an already assembled unit with its own heating system, such as the Chicken Fountain.  Electricity if Required for this method as well. 
3. You can HAUL it to your coop.  If you don't have access to electricity, traditional waters can be used but will need to be changed frequently to prevent freezing.  You should empty or remove at dusk and return fresh, unfrozen water first thing in the morning. I want to note that this is not the most efficient system, but with no other options, you will end up saving your brood. 

Now let's talk about MOISTURE.  

MOISTURE is the enemy, the boogie man, the *something in your closet. While, most chickens will tolerate  cold weather well, the freezing temperatures inside the coop in addition to the added moisture will cause FROSTBITE.  Chickens generate a great deal of moisture from breathing as well as from pooping, since droppings consist of 85 % water. 



Ventilation is key inside your coop. If you have windows in your coop, make sure you are checking for condensation build up. 

Frostbite usually occurs overnight in a cold, poorly ventilated coop. 

Frostbite affects combs, wattles, and toes and can interfere with egg production. 

Breeds with single combs are at the greatest risk for frostbite. Recommendations are to apply petroleum jelly to combs and wattles at night to prevent any moisture from clinging to them. It is unknown if this really prevents frostbite.

To control moisture in your coop, you can use a hygrometer with a relative target humidity of 50-70%. 

You can also use Dropping Boards, which are a shelf designated to collect chicken poop deposited overnight. The boards are scraped down every morning, and dropping removed from the coop.  The less droppings in the coop, the less moisture in the coop. 

Droppings can also generate ammonia, which can be a respiratory hazard to the flock, particularly in a closed coop. Dropping boards eliminated a major source of the humidity and ammonia. 

Not as if I need to say it, but DO NOT KEEP WATER INSIDE THE COOP. Controlling moisture from droppings is manageable with excellent ventilation, it is impossible to control moisture if the waterer spills in the bedding. There is no need for water in the coop. 




Use SAND for bedding
Sand used as a litter inside the chicken coop is a great choice in the winter because it evaporates moisture faster than any other litter and it stays dryer as a result. Sand also retains warmth longer and will keep coop temperatures more stable. Try some Sweet PDZ sprinkled in the sand to help control moisture and ammonia. 




Deep Litter is a method of chicken waste management that calls for droppings and bedding materials to compost inside the coop.  This method required careful management, which includes stirring, monitoring and moisture content.  The deep litter method, if implemented improperly, can cause serious health hazards to the flock. 





To properly manage: 

• Don't change the litter every few weeks. 
• Don't begin the process mid-winter.
• Don't keep less than 4 inches of litter on the coop floor.
• Don't use diatomaceous earth (DE) in the litter.
• Don't relay on the chickens to do all the turning.

Insulating is intended to retain radiant heat and reduce heat loss, making it more feasible to ventilate coop, but insulating a coop does NOT mean making it air-tight. If there are gaps that are not being used for ventilation, seal to prevent drafts.  

Insulation also must be hidden from your chickens, or..you guessed it...they will EAT it! 

A great tips is to use feed bags for covering the insulation.

If you have heavy winds, it is important to insulate the roof and use a heavyweight plastic to cover the wind side. 

And just a note- do not use straw or bales of hay inside the coop as insulation. Mold and fungus and even mites grow inside hay, which triggers that respiratory issue within the coop. Far better to have a cold coop than sick chickens. 

@KelleyAmstutz

/kel.amstutz

KAMSTUTZ09