Preparing Your Flock & Coop for WINTER

[Ankhdad]

I read a few posts about people using straw on the snow to help the chicken's feet stay out of the snow. I'm doing this and it is working great. I also just open the door in the morning and if they want to they can go. Most days they are out even with the temp sitting at -20C the other day.

 

[RedRidge]

What can I feed a couple of lower end hens to fatten them A bit 4 winter

Animal protein

 

[ReillyJ]

LOL i let them out of the coop but they didn't want to go, the snow is something spooky! i laughed and laughed, they're finally wandering around. Weird little hens..

 

[Ila88]

SOOOO, in the PNW it's snowing now (HATE SNOW) and will have 20 ish degree over night temps, i imagine the snow will stick for awhile, wondering if i should keep my flock in their coop and run for the day tomorrow? 

They are very used to free ranging and have done so since July. Their problem is since i've encased the run in clear (but not see-through) plastic, and covered the cold bare concrete floor of the run with nice fluffy pine shavings, they act like it's the DEVIL and this has been at least 3 weeks ago!! 

I go out at 7 a.m. and roust them off their roost and make them go into their run to eat/drink and they'll wander around carefully and eat/drink a bit and i'll go back to bed and then at around 10 a.m. go down to let them out to free range and those darn hens will be back in the coop sitting on their roost. They never did this until i weather proofed the run and i'm not going to take it off and allow the cold and rain in!! Good grief! Maybe that's why at least one of them has stopped laying. Two of them are molting and one of them is still laying pretty darn regularly (have 4 hens), anyway.. just don't want them to get wet from the snow and then be cold overnight.

Ha ha. Same thing here. We woke up to 3 inches of snow and they came down to eat then went back into the coop. I chased them out to an area by the house which is nice and sunny. ,I'm wondering now if they'll venture back through the snow at bedtime.

 

[Kadjec]

6x6x9 greenhouse from Harbor Freight. I put their coop inside along with a banana tree and various potted flower. Planning on adding a tv and bed, wife says I may be living out there with them soon.

I would have never thought of using a greenhouse for the winter. Let's hope the chickens are willing to share with you.

 

[ReillyJ]

Ha ha. Same thing here. We woke up to 3 inches of snow and they came down to eat then went back into the coop. I chased them out to an area by the house which is nice and sunny. ,I'm wondering now if they'll venture back through the snow at bedtime.

Mine hung out on my porch until i picked them up and carried them back down to the coop! I think i won't let them out tomorrow or the next day as they don't like the snow, maybe this time spent in the coop will force them to reconcile with the DEVIL run--all covered with plastic and filled with nice pine shavings instead of cold concrete, you think they'd be in Heaven but NO! LOL

 

[Lori Marie]

I bought a big heated water bowl and have it in the run area so don't have to worry about it being spilled in the bedding.They always have plenty of water. We just started putting a heat lamp just outside the door of where they sleep to take the edge off on really freezing nights. here in North Idaho it's supposed to get very cold in the next few days. I am just worried about them being so cold.
We have sand in the run and other areas but wood shavings in their bed area and nest boxes. I have not seen alot of moisture in their bed area and clean it out everyday. On nice days I open everything up and air it all out. So far winter has been ok. But now with the single digit temps coming I am worried. Any tips are very welcome.

 

[Lori Marie]

Heated water bowls are really quick and easy also. I ordered 21 from Walmart for 14.00 and they are great. They only heat if needed and only enough to keep it from freezing. My chickens always have plenty of fresh water and it easy to dump and refill everyday.

 

[mtchickengal]

I live in central mt. It got down to -22 here not that long ago, & my girls were fine. My rooster got just a dab of frostbite...and a few of the hens. They all look good now. I have a light only in the run near the pop door, and they seem to like it. It is not in the sleeping/roosting area. We are going to get that same cold spell. I'm always worried about them, but they seem to do ok. They were out in the snow today. I do shovel them paths to go to the areas that they like in the yard.

 

[NTBugtraq]

We just started putting a heat lamp just outside the door of where they sleep to take the edge off on really freezing nights.

Lori,

I am not a pro at this stuff, but I have experience with IR heat lamps.

Some heat lamps generate heat, so they need to be a fair distance (3' - 5') from any flammable objects like bedding or wood. Such lamps also heat air. Incandescent, halogen, and some others work that way.

Other heat lamps are Infra Red (IR). These heat only the objects their light falls on, so can be closer to bedding (18") but do not heat air.

So check what kind of heat lamp you got. If you're thinking it will warm the air as it goes into the coop, it may not (if its IR). However, if you got IR, since you can put them closer to objects, you can concentrate their warming ability and create a warming column in front of a door/shoot, w/e. But if you have winds reaching the area your light is affecting, it will not work.

I have an IR (par 175) heat lamp over my automatic watering bowl. The lamp is 18" from the bowl, but 10" from plastic electrical tape, plastic pipe, and heat tape. None of those easily melted things show any effects from the heat lamp, and my water has stayed liquid down to OF (lowest I have had so far)...no sign of any freezing at all. In the coop I have a single IR heat lamp, 4' above the ground, and it heats an area of nearly 7'x7' just fine. Again, wind control is key, IMO.

If you're really concerned about your kids during the up-coming cold spell, have towels ready to cover over any spot which could allow wind in. Check them regularly, and if you see any signs of frostbite, cover all your wind openings with those towels. Plain old incandescent light bulbs can prevent freezing also, as long as there's no wind. A light socket, 100W bulb, and some wire can make a quick make shift heating source, just put it high enough away from the bedding (3'-5' above).

FWIW, CFL's provide no heat, nor heat agitation (which is how IRs work)

Cheers,
Russ