Winterizing Chickens

[SeaChick]

CheepTrick-
Just wanted to say, love your screen anme, avatar pic, and quote.
We're facing the same questions (hopefully! First city council vote TOMORROW!) and planninf insulated coop, heated water, light for longer "daylight", access to outdoors every day regardless of Wx. We're planning to raise the henhouse 2 feet and enclose underneath with wire fencing, to be covered by "storm windows" on 3 sides (esp S & W) in winter to create a sheltered, sun-warmed outdoor zone in winter.
It's a plan based soley on theory...... not any real-lif experience yet!

 

[ella]

Hi! I'm in Minnesota not New England, but I have a couple of years experience with overwintering.

First, frostbite happens.

If they have a draft free shelter where they can get off the frozen ground you'll only see frostbite on the combs and wattles. Nearly all of mine have lost bits of comb due to frostbite, but I have not lost a single chicken to the cold. They just deal with it.

I'd prefer they stay in if it gets that cold, but they go out anyway.

I've watched them and they WILL come in if they get cold, then when they warm up they go right back out. So I've come to trust them when it comes to keeping themselves warm. If shelter is available they will use it when they need to.

I've also found that switching back to chick starter when they moult in the fall and when it's very cold or if they are struggling really helps.

Supplimentary lighting (like you would provide to keep them laying) increases fighting, in my experience anyway. although at 4 years old the girls don't fight nearly as much as they did when they were younger, hormones?

Treats also make for fighting.

A little cracked corn is much appreciated in the winter. It also helps keep the yolks bright when they don't have fresh grass to graze on.

That's about all I can think of, hope it helps!

 

[greginshasta]

I'm wondering about these heated dog water bowls. what sort of a mess do they make with those? Our nighbor has chickens which is partially what inspired us to get ours, and they make a heck of a mess with a regular chicken waterer. A bowl sounds like the equivalent of allowing a herd of cattle to play in the swimming pool. How often does it have to be cleaned and re-filled?

 

[NJfarmer]

I dont let my chickens out of the coop in the winter. From what I read chickens do not like any sort of cold drafts. I wrap my chicken coop with heavy duty landscaping plastic and tarps to block the wind and it also keeps the heat in. You could add a heat lamp and make sure they have bedding. Reinforce your coop roof so that the heavy snow will not cave in the roof. You may wanna shovel the snow off your coop roof so it does not turn into heavy ice

 

[Standard Hen]

greginshasta,

The bowls work great and they are reletively not expensive at all. I will raise them up on patio blocks this year as I just happen to have some. Last year I didn't but they stayed pretty clean and I only emptied and filled them maybe once a week depending on how many chickens you have also and how much they drink.
Also put the regular waterers up on cinder or patio blocks and the water will stay cleaner longer.
And I agree Ella about the lighting and I figure they need the sleep,,,,lol I still got eggs last winter even without it.
Chickens will adapt to the weather. Like I said, they need to be dry, draft free, add some cracked corn to their diet and of course plenty of fresh water. I don't know about everyone else but I have never had a chicken know not to come out of the bad weather into the safety of their coop.
I suppose I just believe in just letting them be natural like they are supposed to. I know I would not want to be stuck in a warm smelly chicken coop all winter. Fresh air is vital to health and well being.

 

[cheeptrick]

We just finished a coop addition! I'll post pictures when we are finished trimming. It is now 8'x10'! We put vent holes that look like butterflies! I put a hinge on them so we can open and close them in case of cold weather. Plus put a hinged door at the eaves so we can close up in inclement weather! I like the idea of enclosing under the coop...I can do that easy. The coop is about 2 feet off the ground so that is plenty room to run under during the winter.
I made a cupola that will be installed tomorrow...I'm definitely loving the addiction! Husband calls them 'his' chickens now...they follow him everywhere! He's the kids favorite and NOW the chickens too?? Guess I'll have to get a dog!

 

[Standard Hen]

LOL,,,,,,,I can't wait to see the pictures!

 

[cheeptrick]

I had a thought about winterizing and dust bathing?
Should I put and keep a small area in the coop sandy for them to dust bath in the dead of winter?
Just want to keep them happy!

 

[ozark hen]

Quote:
I plan to...put a wide container with high type sides full of ashes for them to roll around in. in "high" I mean about six to 8 inches to keep the ash inside the container. I had one in there for them when they were first put in the coop early spring. I had them locked up in there until they knew it was home.

 

[greginshasta]

Ashes? Like from the fireplace? And that's it?

Sounds like something my Golden Retriever would want to roll around in and become an absolute mess.