Winter Advice

[lazy gardener]

Each bird can and will keep themselves warm. Think of being at the football game, it is your coat that keeps you warm, not the person next to you unless, they are blocking the wind. Birds need to be out of the draft, but not locked up tight, trapping heat in, moisture is what is really trapped in.

What one needs to worry about and address with winter is keeping birds dry. Dry chickens are warm chickens. Too small of coops, not enough ventilation, moisture condenses and rains back down on the birds. Wet damp chickens are cold chickens.

Good ventilation, dry bedding and enough space are the most important aspects to chickens in the winter.

 

[Natanya]

Feather footed birds, like your silkie, need to be kept extra dry. If their foot feathers get wet and the temperature falls below-freezing that's a perfect recipe for frostbitten toes.

I'm sure a heated perch/roost that the chicken could go to when it's feet are cold would prevent wet feathered feet from freezing, though I don't know how reliably the birds would use it when they need it. I've never used heated perches and I don't know if they'll know to go to it when their feet are in danger.

 

[ChattyChickens4Life]

Feather footed birds, like your silkie, need to be kept extra dry. If their foot feathers get wet and the temperature falls below-freezing that's a perfect recipe for frostbitten toes.

I'm sure a heated perch/roost that the chicken could go to when it's feet are cold would prevent wet feathered feet from freezing, though I don't know how reliably the birds would use it when they need it. I've never used heated perches and I don't know if they'll know to go to it when their feet are in danger.

That's a great idea! Thanks!

 

[Gavin.F]

Hello their...
Firstly prevent drafts - this is what makes them cold.
Secondly try using the deep liter method. This is a way of allowing bedding material and chicken poop to build up in the coop over the spring, summer, and fall so that by winter you have roughly a foot of composting material on the floor of the coop. This composting poop and bedding will give off its own heat, warming the coop naturally.

With this you won't need a heat lamp...
good luck...

 

[Gavin.F]

Just another thing i found out to keep them warm at night... try this if you can...

Try giving your chickens a nice feeding of cracked corn before bed gives them something to digest during the night, keeping them warmer. And they love it, and who doesn't deserve a little extra niceness during a long, cold winter?

Good luck...

 

[MollySunshine]

I have several Silkies and my experience has been they don't begin to roost until well after a year. The set that I received before my current set of littles are still huddling. There is one that at times will roost but for the most part, she huddles. I always make sure there is plenty of pine shavings where they huddle so it protects them from the cold floor. Last year I heated the coops but this year I don't plan to. The temperatures really dropped last week (20F wind chill 10F) and the littles seemed fine.