Blue Hollow's Homestead Holidays- Winter Chicken Care

In light of the newly fallen snow, we thought a great way to kick off our Blue Hollow's Homestead Holidays series was with a post on winter chicken care. When you first get chickens it is easy to overlook all of the changes in care a new season brings. We compiled a list that will help you prepare for even the harshest winter with your flock. Keep them safe, healthy, and warm!

1. Frostbite Prevention

You can prevent frostbite on chickens to an extent. It is much easier to deal with prevention than trying to manage a chicken with frostbite. There are two simple steps to frostbite prevention- 2x4 roosts and Vaseline/coconut oil on big combs. The Vaseline on combs serves as a protective layer from the harsh elements and makes the comb less prone to frostbite. With chickens who have small combs this is not necessary. 2x4 roosts make it so that when the chickens sleep they can lay on their feet, keeping them warm with their feathers and preventing frostbite on their toes.

2. Winterizing the Coop

All you need to do to winter proof a coop is make sure it is draft free but has plenty of ventilation. We wrapped plastic around the run to make sure there was no wind chill but left ventilation in the top. It is especially important that they are out of any drafts when they roost.

A covered run is a HUGE plus. Our first year we had an uncovered run and it would fill with snow which subsequently turned to mud. The girls would refuse to step foot in it and lived the whole winter inside of their coop. They were not pleased. I was not pleased. This year we will try out putting down straw/pine shavings on the snow so the girls are more likely to wander out.

I can not stress this enough- NO HEAT LAMPS. My first winter with chickens I felt so bad for them- surely they must need heat so that they don't feel the cold? I put up a heat lamp with little thought. After a lot more research I learned that not only are heat lamps a HUGE fire hazard (even secured- chickens kick up dust which lands on the bulb), they keep the girls from being able to naturally regulate their temperatures. If there were to be a power outage or the light burned out the girls would promptly freeze to death in temperatures that their body would normally be fine in.

3. Water

Heated waterers are a must, in my opinion. Chickens ALWAYS need access to fresh, unfrozen water. If you are not available to go change out their water every couple of hours (which most people aren't) a heated waterer will be a lifesaver. There are plenty of DIY methods online or you can just run to your local feed store and pick up a premade one. If you procrastinated like me until the water was actually freezing every night to come up with a solution, probably option two would be best.

Moisture in the coop is a really big problem in the winter months. To prevent the water spilling, we put it up on two cinder blocks. This also keeps pine shavings out of the water. We put laminate flooring on the grounds of all of our coops to make ease of clean up in case of water spills as well.

Putting a splash of raw apple cider vinegar with the mother in a gallon of water a couple of times a week can prevent many health problems. It boosts your girl's immune, digestive, and respiratory systems. It also keeps bacteria from growing in the waterer. It is an easy go to for keeping the flock healthy over winter months.

For our first winter we lugged the waterers inside every day, twice a day. This system didn't work. We have found that lugging warm water jugs outside is a MUCH more effective way of transporting larger amounts of water without hurting your back or spilling it everywhere.

4. Entertainment

This is an often overlooked aspect of winter chicken care. If chickens are cooped up (literally) all winter, they will get bored. Bored chickens equal trouble. This can result in bullying or egg eating, both of which are highly undesirable. 

In the winter we are sure to provide plenty of treats, especially mealworms (which you can grow yourself!) which when thrown in the snow encourage the girls to get out and get some exercise digging around. There are plenty of fun treat options that get the girls moving- such as hanging a cabbage in the coop or throwing around scraps. 

Another thing we do is put a mirror in the coop and provide plenty of roosting space. It's funny how much entertainment such little things can bring!

5. Winter Gear for you

Please don't skimp on winter gear for yourself! I was outside every day wearing crocks (my summer chicken shoes) in feet of snow because I didn't want to splurge on a pair of winter chicken shoes. I also wore a lightweight knit hat, no gloves, and a hoodie or two. Lets just say in 10 degree weather and lower I was freezing my butt off and every day outside chores were daunting. If nothing else, invest in a good pair of winter work gloves, a hat built to withstand harsh winds and cold temperatures, and a great pair of insulated barn boots. 

We hope you and your flock have a healthy, happy, and warm holiday season!