Sponsored Post Win an Ecoglow 20 Chick Brooder from Brinsea with your best tip for winter!

[sixty4tlc]

We plan on starting our first try with chickens in the Spring! This is great to see all the winter ideas!

 

[tarutgers]

We just keep adding more cozy animal pens to the barn and adding more animals! Body heat keeps kitty cats, bunnies, and chickens warm enough. All have heated water dishes and healthy energy producing treats. Plan to add ducks and maybe a potbelly pig next year!

 

[Sara Sue]

This will be my first winter with chickens, and our winters here aren't harsh, but I have a plan in mind... I use deep leaf litter in the coop, which should help keep it warm at night. Also, I plan on giving them a scratch snack before bedtime and using heated waterers to keep their water from freezing.

 

[cyberturtle2]

I cover the inside of my coop in reflective foil from top to bottom(even the roosts) it looks like a Christmas tree in there but increases temp by about 10 degrees all winter long! it has worked so well I don't even need an electric heater in my water anymore....even in the cold north temps...

 

[Widget]

I cover the sides of the run with tarps to provide a wind break and also to help prevent the snow from blowing in.

 

[lillydaisy]

I put towels on all the windows to stop the cold wind getting to my chooks

 

[applegal]

I planted a variety of cold hardy greens in the garden that I will cover with hoops and row cover fabric and green house plastic as it gets colder to ensure fresh greens to harvest for the girls (and me).

 

[duckguy1]

Just insulated the chicken coop, closed up all the drafted, put electricity in the coop for a heat lamp. Just built new laying boxes too. Hope my chickens love it!

 

[rainslick]

Winter is coming and your chooks are getting cold? The first thing I do to "winterize" the coop is eliminate drafts. Ventilation is good you don't want built up moisture. But you certainly don't want cold drafts. Cold drafts and moisture gives you a super recipe for frost-bite. So go ahead and wrap the bottom 1/2 of your coop in a large plastic painters drop cloth leave the top unwrapped so that your vents are not blocked. Remember: you do NOT want a buildup of moisture. Each chicken produces heat equivalent to a ten watt light bulb they will stay warm as long as you keep the drafts at bay and the vents open. Avoid the desire to wrap the entire coop. You really DO need to keep ventilation open or you WILL end up with moist air. And I will say it again:

Moisture + Cold Drafts = Frost Bite

Eliminate drafts while providing proper ventilation and your chooks will be thanking you with eggs come spring.

 

[AndreaC99]

If you have a raised coop, put straw bales under it to block cold wind. It really helps keep the chickies warmer.