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

[jmandawn]

Lots and lots of great tips here. We have moved to Alaska from Tennessee so we won't be getting more chicks until spring but with all of these tips we shouldn't have any trouble creating a frost-free, warm, and comfortable environment for them.

 

[abcr]

for winter I usually put extra sawdust, put plastic round the coop, a water heater and depending on the temperature I would but the heat lamp in there

 

[Alaskan]

Best ONE winter tip:

Make sure they will still have lots of square footage per bird, even if the wind is blowing like mad, and the snow piles up six feet deep.

This is important, since less crowded conditions means:
- lower humidity (just from their breathing) which also means lower risk of frostbite
- easier maintenance since the poop is over more area
- poultry less likely to eat eggs or each other
- poultry less stressed so more eggs


There are many different ways to make sure that your birds still have enough square footage:
- Put up tarps/walls/roof/plastic panels/windows to keep the wind and snow out of your run. (Don't block all ventilation)
- toss leaves/hay/grass/straw on top of the snow, so they are more tempted to come outside
- toss treats out on top of the snow to tempt them to come out and scratch through the snow
- shovel paths through the snow
- give them access to your greenhouse/garage/barn/shed
- make your coop multi storied, more square feet of floor space, or install a poop shelf/tray

 

[shmccarthy]

I make sure that my chickens can be in their run and out of the wind. My birds love the outdoors and will hardly go in the coop at all. They all sleep outside in the run so during the winter, I set up tarps and wooden walls to block the wind from coming in. I also put down straw so their feet are off the snow. This keeps the run considerably warmer and a lot more pleasant than without.

 

[EHarrison]

During the winter my clucks get to live in my basement with my dad corvette (he just loves the chickens free ranging near the car lol) and the have a nice wood burner they love to huddle up near and there roost is near the wood burner. They all pile on the side the wood burner is on (its really funny) and they have a bunch o nest boxes around the wood burner so they don't get chilled if the lay me an egg. So my winter prep is not much nor hard, my dad doesn't care for it much but he loves fresh eggs in the winter as long as they don't poo on the car

 

[Wisher1000]

My best tip is to take steps to prevent frostbite in your chickens. This is done in three easy steps. First, make sure the air inside the coop is as dry as possible. Plenty of ventilation, clean, dry bedding, and no leaks in the roof or drinking water containers will accomplish this. Second, provide roosts that allow the birds to protect themselves from the bitter cold. Chickens are perfectly capable of protecting their most vulnerable parts (comb, wattles, and feet) as long as they have the proper roosts. Roosts should be made of wood, not metal or plastic, and should be wide enough that the bird's feet are completely covered when it is sitting. A 2x4, positioned away from drafts, with the wide side horizontal, is excellent. The chicken will settle down over it's feet, then tuck it's head under it's wing to protect it's comb and wattles from getting too cold. Lastly, don't be tempted to provide artificial heat inside the coop. It is actually harmful for your birds. Warmth inside, and freezing temps outside are a recipe for increased moisture and can even cause condensation to form on interior surfaces. Chickens are better off in natural temperatures and naturally dry winter air than they are in the warm moist air that a heated coop will provide. So, for your birds sake, give them a dry home, proper roosts, and no artificial heat, and you will help keep frostbite from being an issue.

 

[amynrichie]

I plan to close off the summer ventilation on the North side, and leave open the smaller south side vents. On sunny days, the door is wide open, but on cold windy days the pop door is the only thing open. On super cold days, I may use a heat lamp to keep water nipples in the coop from freezing. Other than that, no heat.

 

[WaterfowlWierdo]

My bobwhite have a heated stainless steel pet bowl with a reptile heating pad in the hutch. As far as chickens I stuff the walls with straw for insulation and pile snow up against the coop to help keep the heat in as snow is very insulating. I also shovel out the run often for my ducks' sensitive feet. Straw and shavings are ideal to lay in the run or coop. I provide a red heat lamp for warmth and a clear light to encourage laying.

 

[Peep-Chicken]

For winter, we are putting up some clear plastic shower curtains around our run to keep the snow out and hopefully some warmth in. With this curtain, I won't have to shovel paths for the chickens. We are putting up the curtains this weekend hopefully

 

[blessedchick]

I love my heated dog bowls! I buy them when they go on sale in the spring - 2 for each coop/pen. One is always filled with clean, fresh water and the other is for their fermented feed/oatmeal that they get every morning. Who wants to eat frozen food?? I also add the spice Turmeric to their feed to ward off respiratory problems. This has worked just great for me!