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

[JenniO11]

Winter is coming...

How do your chickens deal with the cold? With winter on its way, we want to hear all about your plans to winter-proof your coop or

help your chickens adjust to the cold. Share with us ONE tip about how you winter-proof your backyard set-up in 200 words or less for a chance to win an EcoGlow 20 Chick Brooder from Brinsea, valued at $74.99!!!

To enter:
1. Leave a reply to this thread with ONE tip, trick or comment about how you winter-proof your coop or get your chickens ready for winter. The reply should be HELPFUL and CREATIVE!
2. Your reply must be less than 250 words to qualify!

Enter before October 22, 2013 for a chance to win!

Please read our terms and conditions here, and GOOD LUCK!

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A note from Brinsea:

Brinsea

was established nearly forty years ago by an engineer with an interest in breeding birds. The interest became a passion, and the engineering knowledge channeled his enthusiasm to produce the most innovative incubators and brooders available.
The intervening years have seen the successful application of more patents than the rest of the small incubator industry combined, culminating in 2003 with the introduction of the world’s first Contact Incubator. Although Brinsea

is the world leading incubator manufacturer, it is still very much a family business devoted to the production of bird breeding products of the finest quality and value for money, and to the best possible service to customers.

To learn more about their full range of incubators, brooders and breeding accessories visit http://www.Brinsea.com and don’t forget to check out their web special offers.

 

[countrygoddess]

My chickens don't like to go out on the snow, but on a nice day the fresh air is good for them! I throw down a few handfuls of straw onto the snow to make it more inviting to them and then they come right outside and hang around on it.

 

[foxystag]

Well, winter here is bearable and we don't get snow, but I plan on putting in some kind of heat lamp and some straw in the coop for the pullets. I know the babies I have hatching in a week will be in my home for some time before I put them outside though.

 

[ailurophile23]

I am making sure my hens have a nice draft-free but well-ventilated space for the winter - both in their coop by using hinged plexiglass to adjust the airflow through the ventilation spaces and by placing hay bales around three sides of the space under the coop. This allows for lots of healthy fresh air but reduces the risk of frost-bite.

 

[mrdazed85]

we have a huge barn where we move the chickens to during winter and lay sod down and run heaters.so to them its pretty much summer all year.we also hang out in there,its our little peice of heaven

 

[popsicle]

My chicken coop is half of a shed. There is a chain-link wall and door that excludes the chickens from the storage half of the shed. All I do for winter is plug in a heated dog bowl that sits next to the door in the non-chicken-half of the shed. The chickens can reach through the chain-link to access water all winter. I don't provide any supplemental heat, and the chickens do just fine at over 5,000 ft in Montana.

 

[GhislaineDel]

I block the ventilation on the northern side of my coop with the hard pink insulation board cut to size. The ventilation on the south side is left open to ensure no ammonia gasses build up. I live in northern Vermont and have successfully over wintered guineas with this setup.

 

[eggorthechicken]

I have heated water bowl that I plug in during the cold days. I refresh all of their bedding, throw some scratch out in the evening before they head to the coop and on extra cold days they get warm oatmeal in the morning. other than that, no extra heat and they do just fine.

 

[lindz8504]

This is going to be my first winter with chickens! I am not planning to heat our coop, but do plan to keep it well ventilated. I am also considering using the deep litter method to provide some additional heat and keep from having to clean the coop out completely over the winter. I am still trying to figure out how to keep the water from freezing, but have considered a heated dog bowl, or maybe just going out and replacing their water more often. I would love to win the Ecoglow brooder, as I plan to hatch or order some new chicks in the spring!

 

[CraziChic]

To prep for a chilly winter, we use durable foam strips to insulate the coop, we carefully ensure that the cracks and nooks in the coop are generously covered with the foam. Although the weather here is mighty fair in winter, we make sure are chickens are comfortably housed. Knowing that you're chickens are comfy sure gives you a relief.