How do chickens do with snow?

[daniii213]

Were i currently live, its snowing. Im worried about my chickens. Even though i have red light for then i want to know if i need anything else to keep them warm.

 

[Yorkshire Coop]

Hi there
There are some lovely articles in this section of the learning centre on keeping your chickens through the winter ~https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/housing-and-feeding-your-chickens
Keeping your coop clean, dry, draft free but well ventilated should keep them snug. Chickens are remarkably hardy when it comes to the winter. Also plenty of clean fresh water amd food available and they should be good.

Hope you find the articles helpful

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They don't need anything to keep them warm. Unless you have silkies, seramas or other cold intolerant breed you can lose the heat lamp.
The snow is a different animal. You'll need to spread straw over it to provide a little insulation for their feet.

Also, make sure the roosts are wide enough for them to cover their toes at night. If you can see their toes when they sleep, the roosts aren't wide enough.
Keep the water thawed and keep the ventilation open.
Biggest mistake people make in winter is to 'coop up' the chickens.
They need fresh air and the ventilation removes the humidity which is the main cause of frostbite.

 

[Blooie]

Many of mine love the snow - don't mind it a bit, like this Cuckoo Marans. A few of the other ones look out the open door and say, "No thanks!" to the deeper snow, but as soon as there's a little less snow out there they'll head out with the others. As Yorkshire Coop and Chicken Canoe have stated so well, ventilation, draft free and dry are far more important than the actual temperature and "keeping them warm". Those feathers do a much better job of that than we can. That's their job and they do it well. I had to go out when the temperature was 2 below zero and lift one off the roost late last night to check on a limp I thought I had detected earlier in the day. (Once they go to sleep you can darn near set off a firecracker next to them and they don't fuss!) I picked Mathilda up, checked her foot and leg, and then stood out there in the coop with my bare fingers buried deep into her breast feathers - it was so warm under there!! Put her back on the roost and she went right back to sleep. My coop isn't heated or insulated, and they have a large covered run so that they aren't totally confined to the coop these short winter days and long nights.

 

[N F C]

It doesn't snow where I live so I'll have to let others answer your question about that (which they have very well). But I do want to say hello and glad you joined us!

 

[Pork Pie]

It doesn't snow where I live so I'll have to let others answer your question about that (which they have very well). But I do want to say hello and glad you joined us!

Ditto on the welcome and the lack of snow where I live also. Maybe there should be another thread "how do humans do with snow?"


Ct

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Hi there

There are some lovely articles in this section of the learning centre on keeping your chickens through the winter ~https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/housing-and-feeding-your-chickens
Keeping your coop clean, dry, draft free but well ventilated should keep them snug. Chickens are remarkably hardy when it comes to the winter. Also plenty of clean fresh water amd food available and they should be good.

Hope you find the articles helpful

I agree.

 

[drumstick diva]

some birds will prefer it if you shovel a path in their run, others will just bounce through snow and eat it as well.