Chickens in a Florida winter...what to do?

xheatherrr3

In the Brooder
9 Years
Aug 7, 2010
10
0
22
I've read up some on what to do for my chickens during the winter months. However, I live in Florida where as we all know, it doesn't get very cold. I was wondering if anyone had some suggestions as to what to do for my girls during the colder months. I've heard scratch is a good idea, but I'm not sure where to get it. Any advice will help!
Thanks!
 
you get scratch from the feed store, I hear we're going to have a very dry dry season, I really don't think we have to do all that much different then what we do in the summer a little shelter its not like they are going to get frost bite everyone I've seen with chickens seem to have fairly open coops, if you see my 1st coop it would do a winter in n.y. but it was only designed for 2 chickens in mind, its big enough for my 3 bantam and bo hen but the run wasn't really, the hen was the wrench in the works so we went bigger and the girls love it they don't need to wait for me to let them out because the coop is in the run, and the bo seems to know she is safe there, just remember where down coats come from and then you realize nothing to worry about.
 
Make your own scratch. Get cracked corn, whole oats, sunflower seeds, wild bird seed, mix it all up, and you'll have the best scratch money can buy.
 
I don't think you need to do anything differently for a FL winter than you do in the summer, except that maybe you don't need to worry about keeping them cool as much as you do in the summer. Scratch is helpful in very cold weather as an energy/ internal heat source for the chickens when they are in a very cold climate (like way below freezing). I would not give them much scratch in your climate during any season as it is fattening. It's really like candy for chickens. An handful or so per day per chicken as a special treat is the max I give mine as I'm also in a mild climate.
 
You can probably buy chicken scratch at the same store where you get your chicken feed. I have tiny bantams, so I just give them some of the mixed bird seed that I offer to our indoor doves and small parrots. The idea is to offer some tasty, high energy food to chickens before they go to roost so their crops will be full and they'll be able to generate enough body heat throughout the cold night.

In a Florida winter, I'd imagine that's not much of an issue. How cold do your winters get?
 
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I live on the border, on the coast. This past January we had 3 weeks straight of night time record cold temps. There was only one other time I saw it much colder back in the very early 80's...5 degrees here, about 8 degrees in Jacksonville. But it moderated quickly in a few days, not like this past January though. It was certainly uncommon for this area, that's for sure.
 
The last winter in Florida was BRUTAL. As far as winter in Fla goes. So cold for so long we had massive fish kills statewide that we hadn't seen since 77. I would recommend you having some sort of shelter. I have a coop that I can wrap visqueen(clear Plastic) around and put in a light for warmth. Yes scratch is good for warming them from the inside out too. Depends on where you are in Fla too. I'm in Central Fla and wouldn't think of just leaving birds out in case the temps drop down to 19 degrees for a couple weeks.

Walmart has scratch in most places too

Good luck to you
 
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I think we are in for another cold one..Make sure they are in a draft free area in the winter even in FL..
 

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