First winter mom here!!!

[Crunchymom38]

I got such a warm welcome back in the summer when I bought my chickens thank you! I have been pouring over threads and threads of information about how to take care of chickens in the winter. I have wrapped my entire coop (minus the vent systems) in thick clear plastic, put a deep deep layer of bedding on both floors, put an ungodly amount of straw in the run, and installed a heat lamp and secured it safely in the coop only to be used on below zero nights (probably just to make me feel better I know). Anyways my question is this......my girls are totally free range all day and come to the coop on their own in the evening. Everywhere says they will be fine in winter as long as they are kept dry. Well they don't care if they get wet. Actually their favorite days are the rainiest ones. So if it is a snowy day and they are out all day then they will be wet when they come in at night! Should I not let them out if they are calling for snow? Should I make sure to turn on the heat lamp on nights they come in from the snow wet? I just don't know about this one! Thanks so much...sorry long winded. I've been racking my brain on this.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. As long as your coop is dry and draft free when your girls come in for the evening, they will be fine. Even if they are damp from being outside, when they take to the roosts for the evening, they will dry very quickly, unless your coop has a moisture issue. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Cheers.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi

I agree with Michael that as long as your coop has good ventilation is dry and draft free your birds should be fine. Here is a lovely article on winter chicken keeping if you have not already checked it out ~https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-chicken-keeping

Wishing you the very best of luck with your girls over the winter

 

[N F C]

Sounds like your concerns have been covered so I'll just say, "Hello again!".

 

[trailrider330]

Welcome to the BYC flock! We are glad you joined us!

I live in an area that can get wind chills of 30 below zero and air temperatures of negative 10. My chickens free range all day too. In the winter I notice that mine rarely venture out of the coop if it is severely cold or there is a lot of snow on the ground, but I always try to give them the opportunity. When they do venture out, they can get a little damp, but not bad and they always dry quickly. I just make sure they have plenty of food, water, and a draft-free but well ventilated coop. No lights. No heaters. Chickens are actually quite cold tolerant, though some breeds to better with the cold than others. They will huddle together when cold, and have feathers that are well insulated, so they should be just fine.

Sounds like you are just trying to be a good chicken mama!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to BYC

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!