Winterizing the chicks

[MrsRobinson]

This will be our first winter we have had chickens. Farmer's almanac said it could a bad one. I need all the advice I can get about what I should start doing? Suggestions on keeping the water unfrozen, how many lights do you have, at what temperature do you start using lights, how long do you keep the lights on, can they free range in the snow...?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

They can free range. Lights are only necessary if you don't want a drop in egg production. It has nothing to do with temperature but daylength.
The only thing you have to do is keep liquid water with them.
I use rubber feed pans with bird bath heaters in them but others will have their own techniques.
Where are you located?
They do not need heat unless you have Seramas or another cold wimpy bird.
Ventilate.
Chickens die from bad air and excessive heat - NOT cold.

 

[rekkas peeps]

our first winter also!!
we are fortunate that the coop is located inside one of our barn stalls.
we picked up a small bird bath heater to place in our waterer
out light is on autmatic timer for 16 hours (just a normal watt) along with the windows in the stall.
we're not going to use a heat lamp unless it gets to be below 56 degrees in the stall (which i highly doubt it will get below 60)
as far as the free ranging, ive talk to alot of people in my area and they said as long as s walkway is shoveled out they should be find. we have 2 ducks that we were told would make great snow plows.
good luck!

 

[ChickenCanoe]

...
we're not going to use a heat lamp unless it gets to be below 56 degrees in the stall (which i highly doubt it will get below 60)...
good luck!

Do you have breeds that can't handle cold?
I've never used heat down to -10.
I now have big combed roos so I may isolate the roos and supplement heat below 15.

 

[rekkas peeps]

yeah all but 1 is cold hardy i believe