I belong to a number of backyard chicken groups on social media and one of the questions I’ve seen the most is how to prepare your coop and chickens for winter. Living in Minnesota, winters are long, but it's nothing to get stressed about.
Understanding How Chickens Stay Warm Naturally
Let’s start with the physiology of chickens. Chickens have a built-in down winter coat. Meaning, their feathers provide great insulation. In fact, chickens don’t have sweat glands, so they actually prefer cooler temps over warm ones. Here in Minnesota, though, temperatures drop drastically and go below zero quickly for multiple days in a row.
I remember the first year we had chickens in the winter. I was so stressed about coming out to the coop and finding them frozen solid. Thank goodness that never happened! So, while temperature extremes of any kind can add stress to your chickens, there are a few things you can do to prepare them for winter and a couple of things to avoid.
How to Prepare Your Chicken Coop for Winter:
Ventilate Your Coop (Without Drafts!) Good ventilation is essential. It helps remove moisture and ammonia, which keeps frostbite at bay. Use Coop Recuperate to help control moisture and odor, but make sure there’s still plenty of air circulation. Also, block any drafts by sealing gaps, especially around doors and windows. Insulation can help, but only if you maintain proper ventilation year-round.
Try the Deep Litter Method The deep litter method adds warmth by allowing bedding to build up in layers, which helps insulate the coop naturally.
Prevent Water from Freezing Frozen water is a constant battle in winter. Heated waterers from your farm supply store can save you time and keep your flock hydrated without constant thawing.
Offer Scratch Corn or Corn Treats During winter, give your chickens some hearty scratch corn or cracked corn treats like in Golden Graze to help keep them warm. Their bodies need more energy to digest the carbohydrates in corn, so a little before bedtime can provide extra warmth as they sleep!
Add Flock Fixer for Stress Relief Winter weather can stress out chickens. Adding Flock Fixer to their water provides the extra vitamins and nutrients they need to stay healthy during temperature swings.
Provide Indoor Dust Baths Chickens need to dust bathe even in winter! Add Preen Queen to your winter dust bath to keep your hens clean and entertained when they’re cooped up.
Be Prepared for Frostbite Care
Even with the best winter prep, frostbite can occasionally happen. Bye-Bye, Boo-Boos is a soothing wound spray that can be applied to frostbitten areas, helping to heal any affected spots and reduce discomfort. Apply it gently to combs, wattles or toes to promote healing and keep your chickens comfortable during recovery.
What to Avoid During the Winter:
Heat I think one of the first things people ask is what kind of heat should they add to their coop? My answer? None. Unless I have younger birds who need the heat supplement, I steer clear of heat sources. Heat lamps are the number one cause of coop fires. People have lost their entire setup and flock due to one little heat lamp. That’s not worth it to me. I do have a heat panel in case the littles would need extra heat, but outside of that, our full grown birds do better without it. Also, temperature extremes are not good for chickens, so adding heat and then taking it away is not healthy for them.
Drafts As I stated above, good ventilation is imperative, but drafts are a problem. Do your best to secure your coop to prevent drafts but allow for ventilation. Many people will wrap plastic around their coop or runs. This is a great idea as long as they plan for ventilation.
Frozen Water Chickens drink a LOT of water. Whether you check their water multiple times or set up a heated water bowl, chickens need to have access to fresh, clean water at all times.
How to Ventilate Your Coop Correctly Without Drafts
Ventilation is so important for keeping your coop dry and healthy, especially in winter, but you want to avoid cold drafts that can chill your chickens. Here’s how to achieve the right balance:
Position Ventilation Openings High Place ventilation openings higher up on the coop walls, above the chickens’ roosting area. This allows warm, moist air to escape without cold air blowing directly on your flock.
Seal Lower Gaps Block any gaps or cracks around doors, windows and the base of the coop to prevent chilly drafts from reaching your chickens. Use weatherproofing or caulk to seal these areas.
Consider Wrapping with Plastic or Tarps Many chicken keepers wrap their coops or runs with plastic sheeting during winter. This adds insulation but remember to leave space for ventilation. Only wrap around lower areas to keep drafts out while allowing fresh air to flow in through high vents.
Add Vent Covers Use covers over ventilation openings to block direct wind. These can redirect airflow so that fresh air enters without creating a draft on your chickens.
By placing vents high and keeping low areas sealed, you can allow fresh air in while avoiding chilly drafts that could impact your flock’s comfort and health
First Winter with Chickens? No Need to Worry!
If this is your first winter in a cold climate with chickens, have no fear! Considering the things listed above, they will come through the winter just fine. If you’re wondering about egg production in the winter, it usually slows down. This has more to do with light exposure than it does with cooler temperatures. You can read a bit more about why they may be slowing down on egg production in this blog.
Winter can be a long time for all of us. It doesn’t have to be a stressful time for chicken keepers though. A little preparation goes a long way. And, in my humble opinion, starting to prepare now is not a bad idea! We have begun the winterizing process here at the Wing residence. I am far from being ready for the snow to fly, but when it does, the girls and I will be ready!
Until next time,
-The Wing Lady
Flock Fixer - Hydrate & Restore Health During Times of Challenge
You can’t always see it, but your flock will experience a weakened immune system during times of challenge. Flock Fixer is a vitamin-rich additive that helps hydrate, restore vital nutrients and balance digestive health.
Coop Recuperate - Freshen Up Your Chicken Coop Coop Recuperate is a safe and natural way to care for your coop. This coop refresher contains organic eucalyptus and lemongrass essential oil, along with diatomaceous earth to reduce odor and moisture and help improve the quality of your compost.
Bye-Bye Boo-Boos - Wound Care for Chickens
Bye-Bye, Boo-Boos is a safe and natural way to soothe and mend wounds, cuts, scrapes and abrasions for your flock. It contains organic lavender, tea tree essential oils and vitamin E to aid healing and protection from infection.
Golden Graze - Treats to Keep Chickens Warm Golden Graze is a daily chicken snack that promotes quality eggs with golden yolks and Omega-3 fatty acids. It contains oregano essential oils, multi-grains, cracked corn, oyster shells, marigold petals and flaxseed. Treat your hens to this healthy snack and enjoy eggsellent eggs.
Preen Queen - Dust Bath Additive for Chickens Preen Queen is a dust bath additive containing zeolite, diatomaceous earth, peppermint and citronella essential oils to help remove excess oil from your chickens’ body. Simply add Preen Queen to your dust bath to keep their feathers clean and pristine.