WHAT SAYS BYC: WINTER IS COMING!! How do I keep my chickens warm?

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

Okay, winter is coming and I'm not ready, and I don't think my chickens are either......
Last winter they wouldn't come out of the coop at all.... They were shivering and looked like they were going to freeze to death! Of course, I am not able to keep chickens inside my house, because that's too much to handle, plus cleaning up all the poo. This is the question: WHAT SAYS BYC? How do I keep my flock warm in winter? I just don't want them to be freezing cold in winter! Our chicken's legs are already shivering, I can't imagine how bad it will be in winter! So, does anyone here know tips or tricks to keep chickens warm in winter? I know there are a whole bunch of chicken experts out there who can answer this question in a snap... Any replies help! Thank you all!

 

[BantyChooks]

Where are you located?

I keep birds (all breeds and sizes down to a pound) in weather as extreme as -40*C. Bantams occasionally require some extra heat, but LF deal fine. I am rather inclined to to think anthropomorphism is the root cause of your birds seeming "freezing cold", lol.

Below -20*F and then you can think about heat.

 

[BYCforlife]

For my chickens, All I use for winter is a heated waterer, and every big snow I spread straw in their run so they will walk on it. If you're really worried, you could use a heated poultry mat. It could cause 2 things:

1, they huddle on the mat all day.
2, they warm up on it and go outside and forage in the straw.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

For my chickens, I use a heated waterer, and every big snow I spread straw in their run so they will walk on it. If you're really worried, you could use a heated poultry mat. It could cause 2 things:

1, they huddle on the mat all day.
2, they warm up on it and go outside and forage in the straw.

Sounds like a good idea!

 

[Pyxis]

Short answer is you don't Chickens can handle cold just fine, and providing them supplemental heat will do more harm than good.

The long answer is that you want to make sure your coop has plenty of ventilation, because the buildup of moisture is your worst enemy in winter - it causes frostbite. At the same time, make sure there are no drafts on the birds when they roost.

Otherwise, you do nothing. Adding a heat lamp is a good way to burn your coop down, and it happens every year to people. Plus, if you lose power, which is easy to do in winter storms, then your birds will be suddenly plunged into cold temperatures, and that will shock their systems, and can actually kill them. So it's not a good idea to add heat.

As long as they have access to a draft free coop, have roosts wide enough that their toes lay flat on them and they can cover them with their feathers when they roost at night, and have access to good feed and water, they'll be fine.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

Where are you located?

I keep birds (all breeds and sizes down to a pound) in weather as extreme as -40*C. Bantams occasionally require some extra heat, but LF deal fine. I am rather inclined to to think anthropomorphism is the root cause of your birds seeming "freezing cold", lol.

Below -20*F and then you can think about heat.

In my place, it can get down to 10 degrees around December 20th or so... I don't want to give out exactly where I am located to anybody in the world.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

Short answer is you don't Chickens can handle cold just fine, and providing them supplemental heat will do more harm than good.

The long answer is that you want to make sure your coop has plenty of ventilation, because the buildup of moisture is your worst enemy in winter - it causes frostbite. At the same time, make sure there are no drafts on the birds when they roost.

Otherwise, you do nothing. Adding a heat lamp is a good way to burn your coop down, and it happens every year to people. Plus, if you lose power, which is easy to do in winter storms, then your birds will be suddenly plunged into cold temperatures, and that will shock their systems, and can actually kill them. So it's not a good idea to add heat.

As long as they have access to a draft free coop, have roosts wide enough that their toes lay flat on them and they can cover them with their feathers when they roost at night, and have access to good feed and water, they'll be fine.

Thanks!

 

[Pyxis]

Hmmm.... Are you sure? Thanks though!

Since I've kept poultry in VT winters for over ten years with no heat, and we get a lot colder than ten degrees, yes, I'm sure. And my coops have fronts that are entirely open, too.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I keep large and small birds.
Brahma to bantam Cochin's make it just fine here with no added heat. I do use a bucket heater for their water.
We get weeks where we do not get above zero for the high. Mine choose to stay in when it gets like that so I end up cleaning the coop more.

Listing what state is not exactly telling where you are but gives folks an idea of what your weather is like.

 

[Mary's Backyard Chickens]

Since I've kept poultry in VT winters for over ten years with no heat, and we get a lot colder than ten degrees, yes, I'm sure.

Thanks! I'll try that... But if their legs start shivering again and they seem unhappy... I'll take another reply's advice.