Sophie Bennett
As the temperature drops, it's important to take extra care of your feathered friends, especially during the harsh winter months. Chickens are resilient creatures and can regulate their body temperatures quite well, but they still need some help to stay happy and healthy when it's cold outside. Here are some essential tips on how to care for your chickens during the winter, from providing shelter and insulation to keeping them warm and healthy. It's also important to consider their food and water intake, as well as protecting them from predators and ensuring their coop is comfortable and dry. With the right care, your chickens will thrive even in the coldest of weather.
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What You'll Learn
Provide shelter and insulation
Providing shelter and insulation is key to keeping your chickens healthy and happy during the winter. A coop is essential to protect chickens from the elements and predators. There are several steps you can take to make your coop winter-ready.
Firstly, ensure your coop is well-insulated. You can use old carpets, blankets, bubble wrap, flattened cardboard, or an extra layer of bedding to insulate your coop. Cover any draughts with straw or paper, being careful not to block ventilation holes. Good airflow is critical to controlling moisture and preventing respiratory issues and frostbite. Ensure your coop has adequate ventilation while maintaining a dry environment.
Secondly, provide an elevated space, such as roosts, for chickens to rest overnight. Roosts should offer enough space for chickens to fluff their feathers and huddle together for warmth without overcrowding. If you have a larger coop, a cardboard box on its side can provide a smaller, cosier space for chickens to conserve body heat.
Additionally, consider the location of your coop. Ensure it is placed somewhere that offers protection from precipitation, wind, and predators. Inspect your coop daily for any signs of moisture or mould, especially around the pop hole, and address these issues promptly. Regularly check run boundaries to ensure they are secure against predators, as fence posts may become loose in wet weather.
Finally, monitor your chickens' behaviour and adapt your shelter accordingly. Observe if any chickens are exhibiting signs of cold stress, such as huddling together, holding a foot up to their breast, or puffing their feathers. Separate your flock by size or dominance if necessary, as heavier or more dominant breeds may prevent others from accessing resources.
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Protect against frostbite
Frostbite is a serious condition that can affect chickens in winter. It occurs when bodily tissues are damaged due to exposure to extreme cold, causing the fluid in cells to freeze and resulting in blood clots that deprive cells of oxygen. Frostbite can lead to pain, disfigurement, loss of mobility, and even the loss of limbs in chickens.
To protect your chickens against frostbite, it is important to provide a well-designed and maintained coop that offers adequate shelter from the cold. Ensure the coop is insulated to retain heat and prevent cold drafts. Avoid using materials that retain the cold, such as metal or plastic, for roosts, and instead opt for wooden boards. Seal any holes or cracks to keep out drafts and rodents.
It is crucial to manage moisture and ventilation in the coop. Proper ventilation will prevent moisture buildup, which can increase the risk of frostbite and negatively impact the chickens' health. Keep the bedding dry by topping it up throughout the winter, and avoid using moisturising skincare products on the chickens' combs and wattles.
Provide your chickens with a protected outdoor space to avoid confinement in the coop. Cover run walls with tarps or sheeting to create a warmer and draft-free space. Ensure there are objects within the run, such as stumps, buckets, or boxes, for the chickens to get off the frozen ground and prevent their feet from freezing.
Apply a thick salve, such as Vaseline or Bag Balm, to the chickens' exposed combs and wattles for extra protection. If the temperatures are extremely low, you may need to provide supplemental heat, but be cautious when using heat lamps due to the risk of fire.
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Ensure sufficient food and water
Ensuring your chickens have enough food and water is essential to their survival during the winter. In extreme cold, chickens will require more food to generate body heat, so it's important to provide them with a balanced diet that includes extra calories. You can also give them warm food, such as Allen & Page Layers Crumble mixed with hot water, to help them stay warm. Just make sure they finish it within 30 minutes.
To prevent their water from freezing, you can use heated waterers or heated dog bowls. If you don't have access to heated options, you can wrap cheap foam around the water container or pour hot water over frozen bowls in the morning. It's important to keep water containers undercover at night to prevent your chickens from stopping their water and food intake.
If you have a mixed flock with heavier and lighter breeds, you should consider separating them. This will ensure that the lighter or less dominant breeds have equal access to feed and water, which is crucial for maintaining their body weight, health, and warmth.
Before winter arrives, inspect your flock for any birds that may struggle during the colder months. Birds that are older, have low body weight, or are in poor health may face prolonged stress and even death due to the cold. While it's a difficult decision, culling these birds before winter may be the most humane option.
Finally, it's important to remember that chickens are resilient and can withstand colder temperatures. They will naturally adapt to the winter temperatures and grow fresh, warmer feathers.
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Separate chickens by size or dominance
If you have a mix of chicken breeds in your flock, it's a good idea to separate them by size or dominance during the winter. Larger, more dominant breeds may bully others and keep them away from food, water, or roosting spaces. As a result, smaller or less dominant chickens may not get the resources they need to maintain body weight, health, and warmth.
Before the cold weather sets in, spend some time observing the behaviour of your flock. By doing so, you can decide if separation is necessary. If you notice any bullying or aggressive behaviour, it's best to separate the chickens by size or dominance. This will ensure that all chickens have equal access to resources and can maintain their health and warmth during the winter.
When separating your flock, consider the size and dominance of each chicken. Provide separate areas for larger and smaller chickens, as well as dominant and submissive individuals. Ensure that each group has access to their own resources, including food, water, and roosting spaces.
Additionally, keep an eye out for any chickens that may be vulnerable to the cold due to old age, low body weight, or poor health. These individuals may struggle to adapt to cold weather and may require extra care or culling to prevent prolonged stress and potential death.
By separating your flock according to size and dominance, you can ensure that all your chickens have the best chance to stay warm, healthy, and happy during the winter months.
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Worming and parasite control
Identifying Parasite Infections:
Firstly, it's important to be able to recognise the signs of a parasite infection. Chickens can be very good at hiding illness, but some common indicators that a bird may be unwell include listlessness, isolation, difficulty standing, and a general disinterest in their surroundings. Visible worms in the eyes, nose, throat, cloaca, on eggs, or in droppings are a sure sign of a severe worm infestation. Other clinical signs associated with high worm burdens include diarrhoea, depression, reduced weight gain or weight loss, anaemia, worms in eggs, and decreased egg production.
Prevention:
Prevention is always better than cure. To prevent parasite infestations, consider a rotational grazing system, where chickens are moved onto clean ground several times a year. This breaks the parasite's life cycle and reduces the chances of re-infection.
Treatment:
If your chickens do become infected with worms, there are some treatment options available. Fenbendazole is currently the only product approved for the treatment and control of roundworms and cecal worms in chickens in the United States. It is available as a medicated feed (Safe-Guard) or as a water-soluble formulation (Safe-Guard AquaSol). Always follow the label directions, and consult a veterinarian if you have any doubts or if the problem persists.
Natural Remedies:
Some chicken keepers also advocate for natural remedies such as feeding pumpkin and squash seeds and flesh, or using diatomaceous earth. However, it is important to note that the effectiveness of these methods has not been scientifically proven, and they should not be solely relied upon in severe cases of infestation.
Veterinary Care:
It is always best to consult a veterinarian, especially if you are dealing with persistent illness or losses within your flock. They can provide expert advice on diagnosis, treatment, and control of intestinal worms and parasites.
Remember, regular observation of your chickens is key. Taking just 15 to 30 minutes a day to watch your birds can give you a better understanding of their normal behaviour, making it easier to spot when something is wrong.
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Frequently asked questions
Seal any holes or cracks in the coop to prevent cold drafts and rodents from entering. You can use wooden boards, cardboard, or straw to block them. Insulate the interior to retain heat, but make sure the insulation is closed off to prevent chickens from pecking at it. Cover the coop with tarps, old carpets, or blankets for extra insulation.
Chickens may huddle together, hold a foot up to their breast, or puff their feathers when they are cold. Smaller breeds with less feathering may need extra care to stay warm. Newly rehomed hens or those with fewer feathers due to moulting or bullying may need extra protection from the cold.
If temperatures drop significantly, you can use a heat lamp or oil-filled radiators to provide extra warmth, especially for feather-bare birds. Place the heat source at the height of the nest boxes or the lower rung of the roost. Ensure you do not make the environment too warm, just lessen the chill.
Keep their bedding dry and clean to prevent mould and moisture buildup, which can lead to frostbite. Regularly check for external parasites such as lice and maintain a worming routine. Ensure food and water are stored safely away from rodents, especially at night. Check the security of their run boundaries to protect against predators.
Chickens use more energy to keep warm in cold weather, so expect their food consumption to increase. Provide them with extra protein if they are laying eggs or moulting. However, if they are not laying eggs during winter, you can reduce their protein intake slightly while still ensuring they have enough energy to stay warm.
