"What to feed your chickens so they survive winter."

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

Now that I'm getting more experienced with chickens, it's becoming quite apparent how clickbaity some of these homesteading Youtubers are. They will tell you about the "two things you NEED to do for your chickens to get them through the cold of winter", but then they live in... Florida. So... basically she's just regurgitating info she has found online but doesn't really have experience with. Yes, Florida has winter, but it's nothing like the winter in somewhere like the upper Midwest.

These Youtubers have to put out quantity instead of quality in order to make their living and I get that, but it's unfortunate that she (and others) doesn't always seem to give the best advice and can steer people the wrong way. I only watched about 3 minutes of this video and she suggested plugging up every hole and crack in the coop with caulking. In the winter, from what I know, they really need ventilation. If she plugged up every crack in that coop she had, there would be zero ventilation and chickens could get sick. And I'm no expert by any means. I think there are better resources on Youtube, but man is it getting hard to sort out who is a good source and who isn't!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Oh wow I HAD to respond on here when I saw you have a Becky video. Okay first off, I don't disklike her, in fact I'd way rather watch her than a Kardashian, but that's just me. THAT SAID, I watched a bunch of her video's many years ago and I followed her advice/recipe on replacing commercial feed by making your own. In this video she is recommending the same ingredients yet she's calling it a "winter diet." I think oats is the only ingredient that isn't also a part of her all-inclusive "better than commercial feed" recipe. And possibly you've even already seen me post about that DISASTER.... Fast forward to now, I actually DO give some of the protein TREATS that she shows no matter what time of year but my point is, be very careful. Keeping commercial feed as my chickens MAIN source of nutrition has produced the very best results. Treat's in moderation probably make you feel better than them but it doesn't hurt. Following her advice to completely change it all up = an epic fail.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

She's got a LOT of really bad info. I once watched a video of her trimming her own equine's feet and it was so bad it was a miracle they could walk at all. Do not listen to this lady.
In winter I bed my birds with plenty of dry pine and I supply a bit of scratch in the evening so they can digest the corn throughout the night. Digestion is a big part of how they stay warm. Otherwise leave. them. alone. They are fine!

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

She's got a LOT of really bad info. I once watched a video of her trimming her own equine's feet and it was so bad it was a miracle they could walk at all. Do not listen to this lady.
In winter I bed my birds with plenty of dry pine and I supply a bit of scratch in the evening so they can digest the corn throughout the night. Digestion is a big part of how they stay warm. Otherwise leave. them. alone. They are fine!

I didnt give them scratch at night, what does your scratch consist of? It might help me better this year.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

And definetly dont listen to that video. I once watched a video of her making chicken feed and she put tons of black oil sunflower seeds and other things that they didnt need.

 

[K0k0shka]

Wow there's so much BS in that video. It's sad/scary to think that people might be getting their information from sources like this. And that just about anybody can proclaim themselves an "expert" out there and post videos like it's some sort of reliable information, like they are in a position to teach others. Don't listen to her! All else aside, the very fact that she lives in Florida and is lecturing people on how to prepare for winter should be the biggest red flag that sends you running in the opposite direction. Just... no.

 

[kcan2]

They have feathers to keep them warm, just keep them dry and out of the wind.

It doesn't get any easier than that!

I'm very grateful I found BYC BEFORE I found YouTube chicken-keeping videos, I shudder to think of all of the misinformation I may have otherwise absorbed!

 

[Tami2]

Now that I'm getting more experienced with chickens, it's becoming quite apparent how clickbaity some of these homesteading Youtubers are. They will tell you about the "two things you NEED to do for your chickens to get them through the cold of winter", but then they live in... Florida. So... basically she's just regurgitating info she has found online but doesn't really have experience with. Yes, Florida has winter, but it's nothing like the winter in somewhere like the upper Midwest.

These Youtubers have to put out quantity instead of quality in order to make their living and I get that, but it's unfortunate that she (and others) doesn't always seem to give the best advice and can steer people the wrong way. I only watched about 3 minutes of this video and she suggested plugging up every hole and crack in the coop with caulking. In the winter, from what I know, they really need ventilation. If she plugged up every crack in that coop she had, there would be zero ventilation and chickens could get sick. And I'm no expert by any means. I think there are better resources on Youtube, but man is it getting hard to sort out who is a good source and who isn't!

I couldn't agree more. My sister lives in Florida as well. Most of time I was watching, I was rolling my eyes. I've only seen one other video from her & I was NOT impressed.
I just wanted you opinions. Thank You all for your valuable information. I'm a tad nervous about our first winter.

 

[KentuckyRooster]

I didnt give them scratch at night, what does your scratch consist of? It might help me better this year.

I buy commercial scratch. So cracked corn, I think barley, millet? I'm not 100% sure lol but it's just a mix of grains. You have to be careful it's quite addictive and will make them very fat if you give too much, but I give just a little scattered on the ground an hour or so before they usually roost up and they eat it. Be strict and don't let them talk you into it when it's not scratch time because as I said- they will eat themselves to obesity and death on it lol. Not very nutritious but lots of fat and calories!

 

[LMDi60]

One of the most important things you can do for our birds is make sure they have warm unfrozen water at all times. Dehydration causes a tremendous stress on their bodies. Coops should have good dry bedding and ventilation. Avian veterinary experts don't recommend giving them anything other then balanced chicken chow, however there is no harm in giving some veggie scraps from the approved list , oatmeal, millet or mix bird seed for enrichment. I love the idea of hanging a cabbage head to keep them busy. Be careful about giving cracked corn. Very small amounts are ok, but too much it can cause harm to their livers.