Having spent countless freezing cold mornings collecting eggs and just as many nights asking myself what temperature is too cold for chickens at night? I’ve come to trust a few of Mother Nature’s hacks for keeping chickens from freezing to death.
This article delves into the art of keeping chickens warm without electricity, offering a blend of time-honored practices and innovative solutions that prioritize comfort and sustainability. I’ve come to embrace techniques that have stood the test of time and adapted them to our farm, and I’m excited to share them with you.
What is Cold Stress in Chickens?
Cold stress is when a chicken loses more heat than it can produce. They’re better equipped at handling low temperatures than we are–they have feathers, but that doesn’t mean they’re cold-proof.
When it gets cold, a chicken’s metabolism speeds up. This takes more energy, so they need more food to keep it up. If they’ve built up some reserves, they’ll be able to tolerate the cold for longer. But over time, those reserves will run out, and they’ll have less energy for essential bodily functions and egg laying. Even if they don’t stop laying eggs, you could see a decline in the quality of the eggs. They may have softer shells and lighter-colored yolks.
We like fresh eggs all year round, so keeping our hens laying throughout the winter is a high priority around here. However, for a chicken, producing an egg comes in second to survival–go figure, right? Therefore, if it comes down to maintaining their body temperature or popping out an egg, they will stop producing.
Frostbite is a thing in chickens! For real! It will primarily affect combs, wattles, and feet. In severe cases, which we haven’t had to deal with, but it’s important to be aware of, frostbite can cause tissue damage and infection.
In addition to frostbite, cold stress can weaken a chicken’s immune system. Remember all those times your mom told you not to go outside without a coat on because you’d catch a cold? It turns out that’s an old wives tale–cold doesn’t make you sick. But cold does affect your immune system, which can allow illness to sneak by. The same thing happens in chickens.
Perhaps you don’t worry about eggs in the winter; however, keeping your hens healthy enough to produce eggs is a good barometer for how they’re doing. Keep in mind that those hens who experience a stressful winter will take longer to recover in the spring and start laying again.
Creating a Cozy Shelter
The coop is your number one, best tool for helping your chickens survive the winter. Consider it their fortress, their cabin in the woods, their safety zone when Old Man Winter comes a-knockin’.
Building a Chicken Coop
When building your coop, don’t just sap a bunch of boards together; make it solid so it can shield chickens from harsh winds and storms.
You’re going to want to plan for winter and summer. Adding vents and windows is how to keep chickens cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Proper ventilation all year round is important to their overall health.
Insulating Your Chicken Coop
In the late fall, you’ll want to add some insulation. I’m not talking about the stuff you buy at the home improvement store. You don’t want that pink/yellow fluffy stuff hanging around the coop. Instead, go for the all-natural straw and hay bales (straw will be less expensive.)
If you’re using straw to insulate, stack the bales around the outside of the coop. You’ll want to cover them with a tarp to keep the moisture out and ensure they don’t rot before winter. Around here, we have a January thaw. It’s the weirdest thing. We get all muddy and yucky, and then Mother Nature decides to drop another round of winter storms on our doorstep. If we didn’t cover the straw, it would become moldy and start to decompose–which stinks both literally and expressively.
Plug the Gaps
Every building ever built will have holes or gaps that wind can get through. Your home had them–before someone came through with a caulking gun and filled them in.
You should do the same thing for your coop. Use expanding foam if you have large gaps that caulk won’t fill. Both are simple to use and easy to rip out and redo if you don’t like it. Just let the caulk dry and then pull it out. The foam will take a little more work. Use a scraping tool and a little elbow grease, and you’ll be good. Don’t leave the garbage behind. You don’t want your chickens eating it out of curiosity.
Places to look for gaps are corners where boards come together and around doors and windows.
Managing Moisture
Moisture in a coop in the winter can be devastating for your hens. Some days, it’s hard enough to get warm, but it can be almost impossible when you’re wet. Keeping moisture out of your coop can be done with a few preventative steps.
Ventilation
Proper ventilation is your moisture-fighting ally. Think of it as airing out your coop’s worries. Ventilation allows moist air to escape while ushering in fresh, dry air.
Bedding
Bedding plays a vital role in moisture control. Keep it clean and dry, and change it regularly to prevent dampness from seeping in. The deep litter method we explored earlier can also help regulate moisture through decomposition.
Maintenance
Regular coop maintenance is your secret weapon. Keep an eye on leaky roofs, dripping waterers, and any potential water sources that could lead to dampness. A clean and tidy coop isn’t just for aesthetics – it’s a fortress against moisture.
Humidity Awareness
A simple hygrometer can be your moisture detective. It measures humidity levels in your coop, giving you a heads-up when things are getting a bit too damp. Aim for a 40-60% humidity range to keep your chickens comfortable and moisture-free.
Natural Heat Sources for Chicken Coops
A south-facing coop will best be able to capture the power of the sun during the winter. If you can position your coop to the south, then do so. If you don’t have a choice, then put windows on the side of the coop that faces south.
Color Matters
If you’re looking to heat up your coop, you’ll want to paint your coop a dark color. Darker colors absorb heat and hold it in.
The trick for us is that we have cold winters and hot summers. We have to worry about how to keep chickens cool in the coop as much as we worry about keeping them warm. Our solution? A dark tarp in the winter and a reflective light one in the summer. We simply change out the tarp, taking it off in the spring and fall, and the coop gets all the benefits of the sun.
Deep Litter Method
You can use the deep litter method all year round. It’s a great way to produce compost for your garden and to care for your chickens. It will require a day’s work to clean your coop every season, but for some backyard chicken farmers, that’s a better schedule than daily cleaning.
How to Use the Deep Litter Method
Start by spreading a 2-4-inch layer of wood chips over the bottom of your coop. Pine, cedar, and fir are great. Cedar acts as a natural pest repellent.
If you need to, put your feeder and waterer up on blocks to keep them out of the wood chips. Your chickens will scratch at the chips and turn them regularly. Over time, the chips will be compressed and start to decompose. When this happens, add another layer on top. You don’t have to go as thick this time.
As the materials break down, they release heat. This heat will help keep your chickens warm in the winter. How warm do chickens need to be?Between 60 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
If your chickens aren’t turning the bedding fast enough, feel free to give them a hand. Once a month, get in there with a pitchfork and turn it bottom-to-top to keep things moving along, and you’ll have a fantastic compost for your garden.
Winter Feeding
As stated above, chickens need more food to maintain their body temperature when it’s cold outside. While you can’t make them a cup of cocoa, you can provide the equivalent in chicken comfort food.
High-Energy Foods
When it’s chilly outside, chickens’ metabolism revs up to keep them warm. They need some high-energy foods to maintain that process. Grains and cracked corn are great. They can’t replace an all-around chicken feed for nutrients, though. Think of it like this: A bodybuilder will drink protein powder to build muscle, but they don’t stop eating a balanced diet. Use grains and corn to supplement their regular feed to help your chickens maintain their fabulous physique when it’s cold outside.
Hydration
Okay, so there’s no hot chocolate in your chicken’s future, but warm water can do them a world of good. Think of how great it feels to sip something warm when coming in from outside. Your chickens’ insides feel the same type of hug when they get warm water to drink. So go ahead and put on the kettle; they’ll thank you for it. Just be careful to make sure it’s not too hot. If it feels warm to the touch but not hot, you’re in the sweet spot.
Adding Electricity to the Mix
If you’ve done all of the above and your chickens are still shivering, you may want to consider a heat lamp or other electrical means like:
- Heat Lamps
- Heated Waterers
- Heated Roosts
- Infrared Heaters
- Coop Heaters
- Heating Pads or Blankets
- Timer-Operated Heaters
- Insulated Heating Panels
- Warm Lights
- Electrically Heated Coop Flooring
It’s unlikely that you would need all of these options. For us, a simple heat lamp for the chickens on top of natural methods for heating the coop is enough to keep our ladies laying eggs throughout the year. They mostly need the light in their coop at night because it provides the heat they need when temperatures drop and the light their bodies need to produce eggs.
A Warm Finale
Remember, it’s not about your chickens surviving the winter; it’s about them thriving through the chill. By understanding their needs, harnessing natural elements, and providing them with comfort, you ensure that your coop is a place of warmth, safety, and contentment.
Here’s to a merry winter chicken and a happy holiday season.