Winter is Coming! Checklists, tips, advice for a newbie

[LadyCluck77]

Greetings fellow bird lovers!

I live in inland Maine and woke up to a slight frost this morning. (It was a very light one, but a good reminder of what is to come). My birds seemed fine, marched down the ramp as normal, and began scratching the ground.
I've been searching the forums for do's and don'ts, and it seems that some people do certain winter preparations and others do not, ie, some place heaters or red brooder lamps in the coop and some don't.
Some people use a heated water system (whether an aquarium heater or heated dog bowl, or an intended avian heated waterer) and some do not- opting to bring out fresh water twice a day. I'm guessing that is mostly linked to whether the timing works for you and your work schedule.
Some people use hay around the coop and run to block the wind out. Some people use clear plastic or tarps to block the wind. Some people have insulated coops and some do not.
Some people use Vaseline on the larger-combed birds, like leghorns, to prevent frostbite, others swear that it won't help much.

My coop has two small vents at the very top, with plexiglass anchored to leave about a one inch gap for airflow. My husband built this assuming it would block winds but still allow moisture to escape.

I don't want to go nuts, as I don't have a huge budget to work with, but from what I have read about frostbite, I do not want to loose any combs or toes if I can help it. I certainly don't want any casualties. This got me creating a mental checklist for "things I need to do before winter arrives".


What do you typically do to prepare for winter?
How do you feel about heaters or red lamps in the coop on cold nights?
Do you use a tarp or cover in your run area?
What advice would you offer to someone starting out?



Thanks to anyone willing to pass on some wisdom! And if I forgot to ask related questions, feel free to jump in!

 

[thomasboyle]

My winter prep starts with wrapping the outdoor run in clear vinyl shower curtains I by for $5 each at a local discount store. This keeps the wind and snow out of the run, so I don't have to shovel the run after each snowstorm. This also keeps the run area quite a bit warmer - my waterers stopped freezing during the days. I stock up on hay so I can make the bedding deeper - I have ducks in with my chickens, and they enjoy a nice thick bed of soft dry hay. This year I am adding DIY heated bases for my top fill waterers. I am taking 10 gallon galvanized tubs, and putting them upside down in the run. The waterer goes on top, and a utility work light goes underneath, inside the tub. I'll have to play with the wattage of the bulb in the lamp, but I think 40 watts should do it. The lamp has a hook on the top of the bulb protection cage, and I will add an eye bolt on the inside of the tub to hook the lamp too, keeping it up off the ground, close to the top of the tub.

I'll be doing most of this in November, usually at 10pm right before the first snow storm is coming!

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have been around the sun 63 times.

It is not my first "Rodeo!"

Nobody "I know" heats a chicken coop.

Healthy "cold hearty" chickens die from heat not cold.

I live in Canada last year was subject to -40º (C or F take your pick) no light or heat in coop NO PROBLEMS.

Chickens have been raised on this continent for over a hundred years without heat.

If you feel you must supply heat to your chickens I suggest keeping your chickens in the house that way you can huddle with your birds when the hydro goes out.

Chickens will die from cold if not given the chance to acclimatize. Hydro is more apt to go out in an ice storm or blizzard when subject to below 0º temperatures in my opinion.

How would you supply heat then to your un-acclimatized birds ???








Check out my Link:

Chickens Arctic Conditions

Prolonged Periods


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738994/chickens-arctic-conditions-prolonged-period

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Oh you are going to get so many varying opinions on to insulate or not insulate; to heat or not to heat. It's all a great debate here on BYC!

What I do advise is do what you gotta do, dependent on the type of chicken keeper you are. Do know that I highly recommend keeping your birds acclimated to cold if you want them to have "outside time". It's pretty well documented that there is more problems with illness/disease for birds that go from warm to cold, then warm again.

Last year I picked probably one of worst winters in recent memory to keep chickens. LOL. When spring temps were suppose to be arriving we had -22 F on St. Patricks Day. Blech... But it is what it is...

Here's what I did and what I learned:

Insulation: I was advised to not --so my birds could get used to the cold. however knowing our Northern Midwest Winters, I split the difference and insulated the roof to keep the birds' produced body heat down in the coop. I did deepen my pine shavings a couple more inches for the floor and bunked the outside of the coop with hay bales. As the snow deepened I threw up snow around the coop...turning it into an igloo. LOL.




Ventilation: to me this can be tricky as I think Cold is Cold. living in a coastal state I'm thinking that your cold is a moist cold and ventilation will be even more important. (We are generally a 'dry' cold here in the winter) When it's 10-30 below I'm battening down the hatches a bit. No windows cracked, etc. My boards on the coop have spaces and my corners weren't mitered on the half log...so breezes ventilate there well enough. you'll need to just watch your birds and make those adjustments accordingly. If the windows of the coop have frost stuck on the inside windows you need to ventilate more. That maybe a good rule of thumb. You may have trouble with your large single comb variety of birds: you might see black tips on your leghorns.
Water: I made the cookie tin base heater. Kept it on a piece of old discarded cement with my usual plastic waterer on top. it worked really well. it froze only on the 15-30 below days and one day when the 40 watt light bulb ran out on me.
Roosts: Wide enough for the birds to lie down and cover legs and feet with their feathers. 2 x 4's with the flat side up. Also roosts in the Run. Keep your roosts lowered as well. 18 inches off the ground is highly recommended here on BYC. Broken toes, have compromised circulation, freeze and eventually fall off.
Food: BOSS, scratch grains with a heavy corn component--not hard to find these days. LOL. Those grains supplementing their regular food. I am not a fan of moistened/warmed food treats in the winter. All I found that it really did was steam and cling and create superficial frostbites on wattles. I am, however, a fan of treating greens throughout the winter. They really crave them when they cant graze on grass. Kale, spinach, kitchen fruits and veggie scraps. Home-made flock-blocks when we're all at home snowed in.


The Run: Covered roof to keep snow out. Wrapped in construction plastic on the north and west sides (Prevailing wind sides). I used lath and nails to keep it battened down. Fluffed out in straw and hay. Supplemented every so often as it would get down to dirt.





I found the best hay this winter from a dairy farmer who had Kentucky blue Grass baled. It was really fine and really fluffed up nicely for the birds. They loved it. Pretty cushy.



Also I kept Roosts in the Run for warming feet back up. I also had that galvanized tub full of sand/ashes for dusting. They used it all the time.

GRIT: I forgot about Grit myself until my dad mentioned it to me late January. And I started noticing too, their droppings did not look well processed: whole oats, stringy hay poops. They really need that grit to get their nutrition.

Heat: There came a time or two that I felt I needed heat in the coop. We had extended periods of subzero weather and I had a Rooster (large single comb variety--supposed to be a girl but kept him because he was so good--you get the picture) with frost bite issues. I dabbled with a 75 watt black light (so as not to force laying for those on egg break) and then finally on some of the -30 nights I got out the red brooder lamp and fastened it in 3 places and wrapped the bulb cage area with chicken wire for extra safety. The hens had no issues...maybe a little uneasy a few mornings shifting nervously on the roost on those hard nights. But with the roo I just felt I had to. IDK. It was my choice on that one and I think I would do the same thing over again...as it was with that bulb on those cold cold nights the coop was still at -10 or -15. I don't think they lost any winter hardiness at those temperatures.

First aid for Frostbite: well prevention is always the best scenario of course. You can try Vaseline but it worked worthlessly for me. One BYCer did recommend Bag Balm in the green square tin. By the time I got that recommendation our winter and the damage was about already done. I'm going to use it on the cold nights this winter and see if it helps. Although it may be a moot point as my Rooster is already naturally dubbed now. But if it happens just keep the areas clean and apply antibiotic ointment like Neosporin.

Thermometer: I recommend keeping one in the coop just so you can keep a thumb on their conditions and maybe a hygrometer for humidity conditions. This may help you decide if your ventilation is adequate. I also was addicted to my Weather.com app last winter. Watching the temps to see when it was above 0 and then let the chooks out of the coop and into the run.

I wish you all well Wintering your chickens.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Hokum, do you get eggs from your chickens in winter? If you don't artificial lights in the coop, won't they stop laying?

@ thomasboyle:

If you click on my link in my previous post you will see a diary of my chicken keeping through Arctic Conditions for about a week or more.

I was receiving any where from 2 to 4 eggs a day from my six hens last winter without the aid of any light.

I will admit egg production was down but I still had ample eggs for my breakfast table.

 

[thomasboyle]

I have been around the sun 63 times.

It is not my first "Rodeo!"

Nobody "I know" heats a chicken coop.

Healthy "cold hearty" chickens die from heat not cold.

I live in Canada last year was subject to -40º (C or F take your pick) no light or heat in coop NO PROBLEMS.

Chickens have been raised on this continent for over a hundred years without heat.

If you feel you must supply heat to your chickens I suggest keeping your chickens in the house that way you can huddle with your birds when the hydro goes out.

Chickens will die from cold if not given the chance to acclimatize. Hydro is more apt to go out in an ice storm or blizzard when subject to below 0º temperatures in my opinion.

How would you supply heat then to your un-acclimatized birds ???


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Hokum, do you get eggs from your chickens in winter? If you don't artifical lights in the coop, won't they stop laying?

 

[Hokum Coco]

I am not fimiliar with Silver Cuckoo Marans, and Easter Egger.

The other two breeds can stand cold temperature I know.

I have sex link hens as well.

When I was getting -40º moisture was not a problem in my coop. I was concerned with frost bite on the birds combs but that was no issue either. I have a Delaware rooster that I was watching over but no problems.

I did keep my vents closed through those periods I remember. I only open the vents in my doors when the temperature was above freezing. I have since installed a ¼ hardware cloth screen door behind the left hand door of my coop. I intend to open that up during the winter for even more ventilation on above zero days.

I have my 4x8 metal shed insulated with 2 inch Styrofoam it is insulated against the heat.

If it had been a wooden structure I would not have bothered.

I have 3 levels in my coop and I have housed as many as 15 birds over the winter with no issues with pecking or the like.

My birds stayed inside the coop during the winter and did not venture out in the snow until the green grass started poking through. I did give them stale bread and table scraps but nothing was bought special for the hens. My egg production was down but I am not against buying a dozen eggs when need be. I figure it all balances out over the life of the bird.


My converted baby barn has only ¼ plywood between birds and the elements and my pigeons thrive in there. I had one pair of pigeons raise squabs that hatched December 26th, 2012.

I did house my squabs in a Styrofoam cooler when they were too large for the parents to incubate.

Styrofoam and chickens do not mix just for the record.

 

[jetdog]

Must of learned about the Styrofoam on the First trip around the sun and just forgot.

 

[JackE]

To prepare for winter, I will shut a couple windows, get out and dust off the cookietin water fount warmer, aaannnnnd that's it. Will not get out and use heatlamps, won't wrap anything in plastic, no haybales, no carpet or heattape for the roosts, no styrofoam sheets, no added light to extend the day, no special diet plans, no vaseline for combs, no heated rocks, no lava lamps, nuclear fision jetpacks, or LCD TVs. The birds themselves are preparing right now, by growing in their winter feathers. I don't really need to do anything.

 

[lcwmt]

We are building our newest coop in preparation for Winter. It has been most helpful to read through this (entire!) thread. Thank you all for your sharing of experiences and knowledge. [once the new coop is done, I will post a record of the process, our decision making etc. It won't be perfect but it will work for the girls, we hope!]

In December of 2015 there were three fires in the county seat town and at least one in the county. It's the latter that is most important. Our neighbors, fifth generation ranchers and 2 miles South, were awakened by their dog at 3 a.m.
The house was burning.
They got out with the dog and the 4 house cats and nothing else.
By 4:30 a.m. everything was gone including the chicken coop where the fire started. The heat lamp had been dislodged.
The fire trucks got to the site in rapid time but water froze in the hoses; the house could not be saved.
40 below will do that.
Two weeks later the Fire Marshall published an article in the county paper: "Chickens are resourceful. Straw and heat lamps are not a good combination."

My take-away: avoid flammable situations, trust the critters and make it easy for them to survive without amenities.