Winter time!!!
- Thread starter emagoo1
- Start date
Hello there and welcome to BYC!
So glad you could join our community! Have you stopped by our learning center yet? Lots of good articles on all the aspects of keeping poultry...https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
Take a look at this thread on tips for winterizing and ask any questions you may have...https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/822765/winter-is-coming-checklists-tips-advice-for-a-newbie
Here is a nice article on keeping chickens through the winter...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-chicken-keeping
Good ventilation is very important to keeping your chickens warm and dry throughout the winter. There is a lot of moisture being released through the pooping and the breathing and this moist air needs to go somewhere. Without good ventilation, it will rise up to the ceiling and fall back down on the birds as water or frost chilling the birds and giving them frost bite. So you want your birds roosting low to the floor in quiet air and 1 square foot of vent space per bird in your eaves or ceiling. All the moisture will then be sucked out the roof. You can close off some of these vents on a really windy night to slow down the movement of air, but never close them all. Bad air in the coop will also lead to respiratory ailments. Chicken also need to get outside or in the run every day. So the coop needs to be at or around the outside temp at all times so there is not a big temp difference.
Enjoy this new adventure you are on and welcome to our flock!
So glad you could join our community! Have you stopped by our learning center yet? Lots of good articles on all the aspects of keeping poultry...https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/1/Learning_Center
Take a look at this thread on tips for winterizing and ask any questions you may have...https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/822765/winter-is-coming-checklists-tips-advice-for-a-newbie
Here is a nice article on keeping chickens through the winter...https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/winter-chicken-keeping
Good ventilation is very important to keeping your chickens warm and dry throughout the winter. There is a lot of moisture being released through the pooping and the breathing and this moist air needs to go somewhere. Without good ventilation, it will rise up to the ceiling and fall back down on the birds as water or frost chilling the birds and giving them frost bite. So you want your birds roosting low to the floor in quiet air and 1 square foot of vent space per bird in your eaves or ceiling. All the moisture will then be sucked out the roof. You can close off some of these vents on a really windy night to slow down the movement of air, but never close them all. Bad air in the coop will also lead to respiratory ailments. Chicken also need to get outside or in the run every day. So the coop needs to be at or around the outside temp at all times so there is not a big temp difference.
Enjoy this new adventure you are on and welcome to our flock!
Welcome to BYC! Please make yourself at home and we are here to help.
Two Crows and Kelsie have given your expert advice.
Ventilation is probably one of the most important things to have in winter. Without proper ventilation your birds will get frostbite, respiratory illnesses and other problems.
Chickens can survive brutally cold temps as long as they are dry and out of all drafts. Sealing up all cracks in the coop and putting in about 1 square foot of vent space in the eaves per bird. Wind chills are merciless on chickens sleeping at night so make sure your coop is draft free.
Other things to do to help keep your chickens snug this winter include using straw as a bedding, using the 4" inch side of a 2x4 roosts. I also put a towel that has been in the dryer and put it on the roosts to warm their feet. Make sure that there is no water spillage or moisture collection on the bedding as this can also result in frostbite. On the very cold nights you should rub vaseline on the chickens' combs and wattles to help prevent freezing.
Here's a link on frostbite and ventilation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/frostbite
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-coop-ventilation-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop
You don't need a heat lamp if you have ventilation, proper bedding, proper roosts and proper feed. In the winter you should be feeding your normal layer, grower or chick feed along with scratch as this will keep the birds warm especially if you feed it in the evenings.
Bedding that is warm and absorbent is also necessary. Wet bedding mixed with the cold temps and wind chills equals bad frostbite. So either use straw, shavings or shredded paper. Straw is possibly the best bedding to use in winter. Line the nests with straw to help prevent eggs from freezing. Bales of straw help act as insulation and keep the coop even warmer.
Heated water bowls are also imperative. Chickens drink non-stop in winter and they can't do that if their water is frozen! So either buy a heated bowl or use a heated base on the bottom of their regular waterer. I've also heard of people who place a 40 watt bulb in between bricks and then put the water on top in a bowl. Make sure the waterer isn't plastic.
Two Crows and Kelsie have given your expert advice.
Ventilation is probably one of the most important things to have in winter. Without proper ventilation your birds will get frostbite, respiratory illnesses and other problems.
Chickens can survive brutally cold temps as long as they are dry and out of all drafts. Sealing up all cracks in the coop and putting in about 1 square foot of vent space in the eaves per bird. Wind chills are merciless on chickens sleeping at night so make sure your coop is draft free.
Other things to do to help keep your chickens snug this winter include using straw as a bedding, using the 4" inch side of a 2x4 roosts. I also put a towel that has been in the dryer and put it on the roosts to warm their feet. Make sure that there is no water spillage or moisture collection on the bedding as this can also result in frostbite. On the very cold nights you should rub vaseline on the chickens' combs and wattles to help prevent freezing.
Here's a link on frostbite and ventilation.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/frostbite
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/chicken-coop-ventilation-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop
You don't need a heat lamp if you have ventilation, proper bedding, proper roosts and proper feed. In the winter you should be feeding your normal layer, grower or chick feed along with scratch as this will keep the birds warm especially if you feed it in the evenings.
Bedding that is warm and absorbent is also necessary. Wet bedding mixed with the cold temps and wind chills equals bad frostbite. So either use straw, shavings or shredded paper. Straw is possibly the best bedding to use in winter. Line the nests with straw to help prevent eggs from freezing. Bales of straw help act as insulation and keep the coop even warmer.
Heated water bowls are also imperative. Chickens drink non-stop in winter and they can't do that if their water is frozen! So either buy a heated bowl or use a heated base on the bottom of their regular waterer. I've also heard of people who place a 40 watt bulb in between bricks and then put the water on top in a bowl. Make sure the waterer isn't plastic.
Hello 
and Welcome To BYC! Adult chickens with regular feathering usually don't have a problem with cold, and as long as they have a dry and draft free coop, they should not need supplemental heat (if you have birds with abnormal feathering like Silkies or Frizzles you do want to watch them in really cold weather). I'm in central Ohio, and we've never heated our coops ... Ventilation is very important, especially in winter, to avoid frostbite when they are in the coop a lot ... here is a nice article from the Learning Center on ventilation https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop
Here is a thread with a lot of Winterizing tips dealing with water etc that you might find useful.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/822765/winter-is-coming-checklists-tips-advice-for-a-newbie
and Welcome To BYC! Adult chickens with regular feathering usually don't have a problem with cold, and as long as they have a dry and draft free coop, they should not need supplemental heat (if you have birds with abnormal feathering like Silkies or Frizzles you do want to watch them in really cold weather). I'm in central Ohio, and we've never heated our coops ... Ventilation is very important, especially in winter, to avoid frostbite when they are in the coop a lot ... here is a nice article from the Learning Center on ventilation https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coopHere is a thread with a lot of Winterizing tips dealing with water etc that you might find useful.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/822765/winter-is-coming-checklists-tips-advice-for-a-newbie
- Thread starter
- #6
Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided to join our flock. The other members have given you some really good advice regarding winterizing your coop so there is little more that I can add. Feathers are excellent insulators. I raised chickens where winter temperatures reached 30 F below zero and they did fine. Just be sure the coop is well insulated, draft free with good ventilation, and dry. moisture is a greater threat than cold. Please feel free to ask any questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. What kind of hens do you have?
You might want to post in the Ohio state thread for the best chance of finding local birds https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/12049/ohio-come-on-buckeyes-let-me-know-your-out-there good luck in your search!
- Thread starter
- #9
We have 2 comets 1 bared rock 1 Brahma and 1 Cochin and 1 aracana. All of my walls are 1inch thick wood planks no insulation but everything is painted and caulked so should I add insulation or will I be okay I also have electric ran and they have a 60watt bulb for extra light for winter months
- Jul 24, 2013
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You've been given some good advice already. Good luck!
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