How do you keep your chickens warm in the cold?

[ilovemybabychickies]

Hi guys! I just wanted to ask a question that I have: how do you keep your chickens warm when it's cold outside? My chickens free range and they get super cold but don't return back to their coop to warm up. Is there a way to keep them warm while they are free ranging? Just wanted to ask! Have a great day!

 

[Noraaaaa]

I just keep my door open to the coop, and they go inside when they want! I also make sure I have extra shavings inside, the windows closed, and something to block the wind from the chicken door! There's not really a way to keep them very warm when they're free-ranging, so you have to trust them to make the decision to go inside when they get cold! I sometimes close their door when I notice that they are very cold or if it's a very cold day!

 

[ilovemybabychickies]

I just keep my door open to the coop, and they go inside when they want! I also make sure I have extra shavings inside, the windows closed, and something to block the wind from the chicken door! There's not really a way to keep them very warm when they're free-ranging, so you have to trust them to make the decision to go inside when they get cold! I sometimes close their door when I notice that they are very cold or if it's a very cold day!

Thank you! We put about 5 large bags of pine shavings in their coop and we use blockers to block out the wind too! Great ideas!

 

[Rick589]

Other than keeping them out of a draft, inside the coop, temperature is really not an issue. I think you’ll find the vast majority of people on here don’t do any form of supplemental heating.

 

[saysfaa]

Why do you think they are cold?

 

[saysfaa]

I kept mine warm by making sure they were always well fed and well hydrated. Then they could manage their feed intake for nutrition and the warmth from digestion. And they had plenty of water to help with digestion and to have a good blood volume to help keep their featherless parts warm. And places to get out of the wind if they wanted to - especially the places they wanted to roost.

Otherwise...

They have down coats protected from wind and some precipitation by stiffer feathers. They can adjust how much warmth they conserve by things like changing the angles of their feathers.

Also, the ability to adapt how much heat their muscles generate (if they have been exposed to cool temps - that part takes some time to develop.)

Also, by things like exercise, huddling, finding microclimates, and facing into the wind.

 

[fowltemptress]

My chickens do stay in their coop when they think it's too cold; they just don't think it's too cold until I feel like I'm living in the Arctic. Their cold tolerance is higher than mine, so I leave it up to them to decide when enough is enough.
Things to check for, though: that the coop size is large enough and has enough clutter obstructing their view that all your chickens are able to be in the coop at once without being bullied out by the others. Some of my younger birds and less dominant cocks would be denied coop access if I didn't have a bunch of junk in there for them to hide behind.

 

[ilovemybabychickies]

I kept mine warm by making sure they were always well fed and well hydrated. Then they could manage their feed intake for nutrition and the warmth from digestion. And they had plenty of water to help with digestion and to have a good blood volume to help keep their featherless parts warm. And places to get out of the wind if they wanted to - especially the places they wanted to roost.

Otherwise...

They have down coats protected from wind and some precipitation by stiffer feathers. They can adjust how much warmth they conserve by things like changing the angles of their feathers.

Also, the ability to adapt how much heat their muscles generate (if they have been exposed to cool temps - that part takes some time to develop.)

Also, by things like exercise, huddling, finding microclimates, and facing into the wind.

Thank you! They have all of those things except a lot of them are bald from molting. lol

 

[ilovemybabychickies]

My chickens do stay in their coop when they think it's too cold; they just don't think it's too cold until I feel like I'm living in the Arctic. Their cold tolerance is higher than mine, so I leave it up to them to decide when enough is enough.
Things to check for, though: that the coop size is large enough and has enough clutter obstructing their view that all your chickens are able to be in the coop at once without being bullied out by the others. Some of my younger birds and less dominant cocks would be denied coop access if I didn't have a bunch of junk in there for them to hide behind.

Great! Thanks! We have 2 large coops for my bullied rooster so they can pick and choose what one they want to go in.