what do I do for winter?

[Kelso roosters]

I got a coop from Big R it was a good summer coop but I didn't think they could survive in it so I bilt a new one there's no insulation but its strong and big so I wanted to know what I could do to keep them warm I live in Billings Montana and sometimes the winters get cold and I am new to backyard chickens so I don't know what to do I don't want to use a heat light because I don't want them to burn alive in a fire. There's no vents so the wind can't get in any advice would help! I don't know what to do and I don't want them to get frost bite thanks

 

[JackE]

To give any advice at all, info would be needed. How many chickens? How big is you coop? You say you don't have any vents? You will have to do something about that. Because even in the coldest winters, chickens require plenty of ventilation. You DO NOT want to seal them up in a unventilated, sealed up box, in some misguided effort to "Keep them warm" You got the right idea about heatlamps. The birds do not need any added heat. They are built to handle the cold. Just make sure they have a well ventilated, dry coop and they'll do fine. Check out the link below. It's a good old book about the need for fresh air for chickens.

http://archive.org/stream/openairpoultryho00wood#page/n7/mode/2up

 

[Kelso roosters]

I have 5 chickens and my coop is 4 foot tall 4 foot wide and 8 foot long and I will put a some vents on the coop if that's what you need

 

[Trefoil]

Put the vents up high where the air coming in from them won't be on the chickens. And if you have a secure run,allowing the chickens to access it will make them happier than being confined all the time. They should be fine, just keep watch and be prepared in case one of them gets chilled, they shouldn't but extreme cold is stressful and will magnify a small problem.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I have been around the sun 63 times.

It is not my first "Rodeo!"

Nobody "I know" heats a chicken coop.

Healthy "cold hearty" chickens die from heat not cold.

I live in Canada last year was subject to -40º (C or F take your pick) no light or heat in coop NO PROBLEMS.

Chickens have been raised on this continent for over a hundred years without heat.

If you feel you must supply heat to your chickens I suggest keeping your chickens in the house that way you can huddle with your birds when the hydro goes out.

Chickens will die from cold if not given the chance to acclimatize. Hydro is more apt to go out in an ice storm or blizzard when subject to below 0º temperatures in my opinion.

How would you supply heat then to your un-acclimatized birds ???








Check out my Link:

Chickens Arctic Conditions

Prolonged Periods


https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/738994/chickens-arctic-conditions-prolonged-period

 

[Kelso roosters]

I will put the vent up what should I put in for bedding I just been using soft wood shavings and should I clean the coop in the winter time because I don't want them to get sick. could I just throw some clean shavings over it?

 

[chicken pickin]

Shavings are fine for the coop, that is what most people use. And yes you can just keep throwing new shaving over the old shavings. Its called Deep Litter Method. The old shaving and poop will compost under the new shavings giving off a tiny bit of heat through the winter. With the deep litter method you only need to do 2 good cleaning a year, one in the Fall and one in the spring. And then as needed of course. I do deep litter and things have been going fine. Though in one of my coops I do have poop boxes under my roosting poles to catch droppings at night time and I change that often.

 

[Kelso roosters]

(Chicken pickin) I have a question I have only had chickens for a little bit and I am worried about my hens getting egg bound and I wanted to know if it happen what would you do the only reason I'm asking you because it seems like you know a lot about chickens when I get a egg bound hen I just soak her in warm water for 30 mins then I put olive oil in her vent is there anything else you can do? I just love my chickens a lot and I want to know what to do when it happens again I just worry about my chickens and there health

 

[chicken pickin]

(Chicken pickin) I have a question I have only had chickens for a little bit and I am worried about my hens getting egg bound and I wanted to know if it happen what would you do the only reason I'm asking you because it seems like you know a lot about chickens when I get a egg bound hen I just soak her in warm water for 30 mins then I put olive oil in her vent is there anything else you can do? I just love my chickens a lot and I want to know what to do when it happens again I just worry about my chickens and there health

Hi Kelso, I know a bit about chickens but definitely still learning everyday. I honestly have not encountered a egg bound chicken yet so I have not read up much on that subject, Im sorry I cant help you more. It seems as though you handled it well. If you type egg bound in the BYC search bar lots of threads should pop up that you can read through. That is something I should read about also just incase because chickens like to keep us on our toes. I have a hen that has bumblefoot right now and I have been reading up on it so I can do the surgery.

 

[Kelso roosters]

That's really messed up I hope everything goes good poor girl.I got another question can chickens run around in the snow its starting to melt but its 29 outside right now