Caring for Chickens in Cold Weather
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Tips for Chicken Care During the Winter Months
Keeping a small backyard flock of chickens is a fun and rewarding hobby, and produces a ready supply of fresh eggs. Caring for chickens is easy, but caring for chickens in cold weather requires planning and special considerations to keep them happy and healthy throughout a blustery New England winter.
Chickens are very hardy, and protection from their thick coat of feathers helps them to withstand winter's cold temperatures.
However, chickens are susceptible to chilling winds and icy rain, and they require suitable protection from the elements. Caring for chickens during the long, cold winter months requires proper housing and additional attention to maintain a healthy flock.
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Chickens are very hardy, and protection from their thick coat of feathers helps them to withstand winter's cold temperatures.
However, chickens are susceptible to chilling winds and icy rain, and they require suitable protection from the elements. Caring for chickens during the long, cold winter months requires proper housing and additional attention to maintain a healthy flock.
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Prevent Drafts
With their feathered insulation, chickens are well suited for cold temperatures. Our chicken coop includes a small hen house with a fully protected run that allows them to wander outside wherever they want. Except for very windiest of days or during storms, the chickens spend most of their time scratching around in the outdoor run. They often roost at night on one of the outdoor perches, positioned high in the run and in an area that is usually blocked from the wind. It is quite comical to see them lined up, wing-to-wing and snuggled in for the night, even on a cold winter night in New England.Chickens are very tolerant of cold temperatures, but they are very susceptible to drafts. Position the chicken coop out of the prevailing winds, and insulate the interior of the chicken coop to reduce chilling drafts. Our coop is insulated to help block drafts, but it is not heated. When the chickens do decide to come inside and use the coop to roost, their body heat is trapped by the insulation and helps to raise the temperature within the hen house.
Adding a thick layer of pine shavings or straw to the floor of the chicken coop will protect the chickens further from the cold. We purchase bales of shavings from the local feed & grain store for less than $8.00 per bale, and spread a thick layer of shavings over the floor and into the nesting boxes. Then, the chickens rearrange the shavings to their liking. The shavings are easy to clean, and it takes only a few minutes to shovel out the hen house and replace with a fresh layer shavings. And the old shavings go right into the compost heap.
Put a Roof Over the Run
The run is a fenced and secure outdoor enclosure attached to the chicken coop, and provides the chickens with access to the outdoors while protecting them from predators such as hawks, foxes and dogs. Our runs are fully enclosed on all sides by two layers of plastic-coated wire, including over the top and buried under the bottom of the run.Even during the coldest weather, chickens enjoy being outdoors to scratch in the dirt.
Protect the flock from snow and rain by covering the top outdoor run with corrugated plastic sheathing, which is inexpensive, transparent and available at home centers. If the run is very large, cover a section near the entrance to the hen house.
Provide a Wind Block
Use a tarp or plastic sheeting to cover the sides of the run, providing the chickens with additional protection from the wind and wind-driven snow and rain. During the coldest months of our New England winter, we wrap the northeast corner of the run with a large canvas tarp.Be sure to fasten the tarp securely. If the tarp flaps in the wind, the flapping motion seems to spook the chickens. The tarp we use has metal grommets inserted along the edges, and this makes it easy to hang the tarp from a few well-positioned screws. We then use plastic zip ties to firmly secure the tarp and prevent it from flapping in the wind.
Do not fully enclose the run, which reduces ventilation. Instead, use the tarp or plastic sheeting on one or two sides of the run to help block the prevailing winds. Attach a couple of perches, as high as possible in the run, for chickens to roost and see the world around them. Your chickens may even use the perches to roost at night during all but the coldest weather.
Fill Up the Feed Bin
Chickens burn extra calories in the winter as they warm themselves against the cold weather, and they tend to eat more prepared feed to fuel their bodies and produce internal heat. This is especially true for chickens who free range in the backyard, and burn extra calories as they move about in search of anything edible.During warm weather, they feed on seeds and bugs as they pick through the grasses and garden mulch.
In winter, the chickens need rely on the feed bin so keep it full. Scatter grain or a cracked corn treat around the run to give the chicken a little extra scratching and pecking activity.
Don't Let the Water Freeze
Chickens need fresh water daily, and small water bowls will freeze quickly when temperature drops.Specially designed water heaters for poultry and livestock are inexpensive and work well, but requires electricity and maintenance.
Our low tech approach uses rubber feed bowls, which are flexible and make it easy to remove ice whenever the drinking water freezes. After a cold night, the water bowl may be covered in ice or even frozen solid. A strong tap against a tree or rock dislodges the ice easily, and the rubber feed bowl is ready for a refill of clean water.
In very cold weather, it may be necessary to check the water bowls twice each day, first in the morning and then again in the early afternoon.
Collect the Eggs Every Day
Fresh eggs are one of the key benefits to keeping a small backyard flock of chickens. But when the temperature drops, eggs left in the chicken coop will freeze quickly, cracking the shells and spoiling the eggs.Each time the water dish is checked and cleared of ice, check the nest box for fresh eggs.
Egg production usually decreases as the temperature drops and the days get shorter, but the number of eggs will pick up again as Spring approaches and the days begin to get longer again.
Some backyard chicken farmers install lights in their coops to increase the hours of light for the chickens, hoping to increase egg production during winter's shorter days. Our coop and hen house is not lit and though egg production drops off in the winter, our hens still supply us with enough eggs for our use. And we often have extras to give away!
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“The rumor is true!”
Chicks Grow Up to become Chickens!
Since moving to "the country", we always wanted to have a small flock of backyard chickens. One of our friendly neighbors has a small flock, and she showed her chicken coop and run. We then purchased several chicken care books (highly recommended) and researched more information online.
We started our little flock with six little fluffy chicks as a surprise for our kids on Easter morning. Snuggled together in the corner of their indoor pen, it was hard to picture that these cute, adorable littles guys (well, actually gals) would quickly grow up to become awkward teenage polts before blooming into beautifully plumaged and full grown hens. But we enjoyed every stage of their growth, and we add more chicks each year to our growing flock of backyard chickens.
As the flock continues to grow, we had to expand the chicken coop and increase the size of the protected run!
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Guides for Raising Chickens
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Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens, 3rd Edition
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The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow
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Recycled Metal Garden Art Sculpture
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5 Piece Rusted Metal Hen Family
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Was this article helpful? Your comments are appreciated!
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Ladymermaid
May 1, 2012 @ 9:00 am | delete
- Loved the pictures of your chickens busily pecking in both summer and winter. You sure create some great wood projects, your coops are gorgeous, and that really does take some skill.
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siobhanryan
Mar 29, 2012 @ 7:57 pm | delete
- Nice lens and helpful. Love (Rumour is true).
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ProfessionalSolarPower
Feb 28, 2012 @ 6:16 am | delete
- This article was very helpful. I have a friend that has recently got a small flock of chickens, so I will share this great information with him! I love chickens.
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Tipi
Feb 25, 2012 @ 6:20 pm | delete
- Your chickens sound like they are the happiest ones to be found with all the care you take for their special needs for cold weather comfort.
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YellowHammer
Feb 22, 2012 @ 8:42 pm | delete
- I've always wondered how people get the eggs without being flogged by the chickens. That's one big reason why I haven't took the leap and got some (bad flogging experience as a kid).
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Chickens are hardy and do not require a lot of care, but they do need proper housing with daily feeding and clean drinking water. Before picking out your new chicks, take a good look at your backyard and your lifestyle.
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