How to keep chickens warm this winter?

[gogohorses25]

I recently got 2 barred rock hens for egg laying. They are still to young to lay, so we're expecting eggs next spring. They are a few months old, but are grown to full size and are extremely healthy and beautiful. The winters are pretty harsh where I live, so I was wondering if anyone has any tips as to how i could keep them warm this winter? I mean, the very coldest it ever gets here is usually in December or January in the middle of the night, it sometimes gets 10 degrees below zero (Fahrenheit). will these chickens be okay in that weather? also, they live in a small coop that is half uncovored and half covored. they have a little nesting box in one corner. it snows a lot in the winters, but since they have one half of the coop covered i assumed they will be fine. we have had chickens in the past, and a few times the adults have froze to death. so I just want to keep my sweet chickens safe this winter. if anyone has any tips to keep them warm and happy, please let me know!

 

[wamtazlady]

The keys to keeping chickens healthy in cold weather are providing a draft free space and keeping it dry. Chickens make moisture when they breathe and poop so ventilation is needed to get that moisture out. The ventilation should be high in the coop so that no breeze blows on the birds.

In the coop section there are some great articles on preparing for winter.

 

[Blooie]

This is the state I live in. My chickens are in an un-insulated, unheated coop with vents open all the way around the top where the rafters meet the walls, one at floor level on the West side, a pop door left open all year long, day in and day out, and windows that are opened or closed, depending on which way the storms or winds are moving in. Granted, this was unusual and it reflects the wind chills, but the temps were pretty cotton pickin' cold for the wind chills to be this cold as well. As long as their coop is ventilated, the chickens are dry and they don't have direct drafts on them ruffling their feathers they do extremely well. Choosing winter hardy breeds is essential if your temps get cold.

I even brood my chicks outside in a pen in the run without a heat lamp, just using a frame and towel draped over a heating pad with straw tucked in all around, on top of, and underneath. Temps when I did this this year? Temperatures were in the teens and twenties. Ventilation, dry and out of the wind are key. Good luck with them this winter. I think you'll find that chickens suffer much more from heat than from cold.

 

[TalkALittle]

Is their only shelter the roof and their nesting box? While chickens don't need anything too elaborate, they do need some protection from the elements. Given that you've had chickens freeze to death before, I think some additional shelter might be needed. Could you post a picture or two of your coop and run so we can get a better idea of your setup?

 

[gogohorses25]

its actually just a large wooden frame with chicken wire going around it and as the roof. then they have a large metal panel covering one half of the coop, and on the other side they have a nesting box. we do have an old wooden dog house with a metal roof that would work fine so i think this winter if it gets below zero, i could put them in there. then they'd have more shelter and keep in heat. i also could put in a heat lamp if it got too cold. does anyone know how cold temp a chicken can survive in? like, would they die at anything below zero? and also, we have ducks that are just free range so im not sure what were going to do with them to keep them warm. do ducks do well in cold weather?

 

[Blooie]

its actually just a large wooden frame with chicken wire going around it and as the roof. then they have a large metal panel covering one half of the coop, and on the other side they have a nesting box. we do have an old wooden dog house with a metal roof that would work fine so i think this winter if it gets below zero, i could put them in there. then they'd have more shelter and keep in heat. i also could put in a heat lamp if it got too cold. does anyone know how cold temp a chicken can survive in? like, would they die at anything below zero? and also, we have ducks that are just free range so im not sure what were going to do with them to keep them warm. do ducks do well in cold weather?

See my post above, gogohorses25......that should give you a pretty good idea of temperatures my chickens handled with no problems. The key is adequate protection from wind, rain and snow, and good ventilation to allow warmer, moist air out.

 

[gogohorses25]

ahhhh yes that makes sense. thank you very much