Winter and Chickens

[BigPeep]

The local breeder I got my Australorps from says that she does not provide any water in winter and lets them eat the snow which she says is better for them than unfrozen water at that time of year.

I can see why the "Chilla from Wasilla" uses heat but it supposedly should not be necessary in the lower 48 unless you have breeds that are senstitive or ones which refuse for some reason to go inside their coops. (Try taking them to Sarah's house). My breeder said that her Dominiques wouldn't go inside with the Barred Rocks and froze to death so she no longer breeds the Doms.

 

[RhodeRunner]

On those really cold days I rub oil (Bag Balm) on the birds wattles/comb.

I also check more often to make sure that their water is a liquid. At night I take in all my water buckets, so they don't freeze and crack. On some really cold days I will have my birds eat snow, so that the water doesn't freeze on their wattles and cause frostbite.

I shovel out any snow, and make walking paths through the yard to places I know they like to spend their time in.

I give more food as they can't it from the ground. More corn, as it helps them gain weight and stay warmer.

It is also a good idea to make sure they don't spend to much time on the ground on really cold days. If I see a chicken just laying on the ground I will pick her up and carry her to the coop, which is nicely bedded with sawdust.

Good luck, hope your winters are a little nicer on those feathered buggers. If you are real worried, stick with breeds that have more feathers. A Buff Orphington is going to handle winter a lot better then a Leghorn.

 

[tplummer]

Our temps, even at night, usually do not get much lower than the mid 20s, and those are not often. Once and a while, we get the mid teens, again, that is rare. Our days are usually no lower than somewhere in the 30s, more typically high 30s or low 40s. I think the light was more for my comfort.

We have our chickens in about 7 tractors. Any suggestions for heating water in that many tractors? They are spread out over our property. We could move them close together in the winter, which I probably will.

 

[Hillbilly Rooster]

For keeping water from freezing I put my water on a cinderblock with a low wattage bulb in the center hole and put the water on top.

 

[ChikeeMomma]

I did not use a heat source last winter. This winter I am -- at least in February. It can get bitterly cold then! They were all just fine last winter, but I was so frigid going out there! I am thinking just a heat lamp. Then if they don't want to be by it they don't have to.

 

[GoldenSilverLaced]

Out coop was built with 3/4" insulation and paneling, to help keep the warmth in. I also have winter hardy breeds, a SLW (extremely cold hardy according to the hatchery catalog) and a GB/cinnamon queen. When we had some freak weather and it was -30 F with the wind chill (-10 to -15 without), I brought them in the house with us for 3 days. I used their travel cage and kept it in the kitchen like I did when they were chicks. I wish we could have heat in the coop, but we can't.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Again knowing exactly how your winters typically are, I don't think you are going to have much of a problem.
Our waterer froze twice this past winter. It was only a thin sheet on top of the water and the chickens pecked right through it.
Also, though I frequently enjoy bringing a hen or two in the house for a visit, my DH really discouraged me from doing it during the winter. If they're acclimated to the cold they do fine. No sense getting them used to warmth when they don't have it in their coop.