Are you wondering how your flock will hold out through the chilly winter days and frosty nights?
The good news is, chickens are pretty cold-hardy and will likely do just fine even in frigid weather, as long as you take some basic steps to winterize your chicken coop.
A winter-prepped coop will also need less added heat, which is critical in an emergency situation when you lose access to power.
5 Steps to Winterizing a Chicken Coop and Caring for Your Chickens in Cold Weather
The main challenge in winterizing your coop is finding the right balance between insulation and ventilation.
Your chickens need a warm and well-insulated space, but also proper airflow. Air exchange is critical to keep your birds dry and whisk away toxic ammonia fumes.
The following checklist will help you make sure your coop is winter-ready.
1. Clean and Repair Your Chicken Coop
Fall is the perfect time to give your coop a deep clean and a thorough inspection.
Start by removing all the old bedding. Sweep the coop and run, scrape off any hardened debris, and get into all those usually-overlooked corners.
Clean out the nesting boxes and replace the straw or wood shavings inside them if your hens are still laying. Scrub the feeders and waterers.
Pay attention to any cracks or holes in the floor, walls, and roof of your chicken coop. These won’t just let the cold in, but may also make your flocks more vulnerable to predators.
Foxes, raccoons, and many other predators will try harder than ever to get into your coop in winter when food is scarce. Repair any holes or compromised spots before the cold season.
Your chickens will enjoy some fresh air and exercise even when it’s snowing outside. If you have a fenced chicken run, give it a once-over as well.
Reinforce the fence to keep predators out and consider adding plywood, tarps, or clear plastic to block the wind.
2. Insulate the Coop
Give your chickens a nice thick layer of straw bedding. You can use the deep litter method and gradually add to this layer throughout the winter season.
The added droppings and constant digging by your flock will essentially turn the bedding into a compost pile that produces warmth and keeps the coop cozy. Rake the straw regularly and remove any dense, wet mats.
If you can get hemp bedding, it might be an even better option for the winter. Hemp fibers are great at trapping air, which is exactly what you need for quality insulation. Hemp is also highly absorbent and can help with moisture control.
Add insulation. Depending on your coop structure and available materials, you may use fiberglass, rigid foam boards, hardware cloth, or tarps to seal any cracks and holes. Fit boards or plexiglass over wire sections to reduce drafts.
Many backyard flock owners ask, “Do I need to heat my chicken coop in winter?” The answer is almost always “no,” provided you choose cold-tolerant chicken breeds.
Adult chickens typically do just fine at 40-45 degrees, and can easily survive subzero temperatures if they have a decent shelter. Chickens will huddle together and keep warm naturally.
3. Prep Your Flock
Prolonged cold may make your chickens more vulnerable to sickness and parasites. That’s why you want to ensure your flock reaches the winter in optimum health.
Check and, if necessary, treat your flock for mites, lice, and worms before the cold season. Common signs of worms in chickens include weight loss, pale combs, diarrhea, and a sharp drop in egg production.
Inspect your chickens’ feet for bumblefoot, especially if you keep heavyweight breeds.
If you add chicks to your flock, make sure to do this early enough in the season so all your birds are fully feathered before cold weather hits. If you live in an area with early frosts, you may need to bring young chicks indoors at night.
Give your chickens plenty of high-energy treats, like sunflower seeds and cracked corn, to help them generate warmth. You can also supplement with cod liver oil and add apple cider vinegar to their water for an extra health boost.
4. Ventilate
Constant ventilation is absolutely critical for good air quality in your coop. Ventilation prevents excess moisture, which could be extremely dangerous in winter since your chickens need to stay dry to keep warm. A well-ventilated coop is also less likely to develop mold.
To make sure your coop is properly ventilated but still snug and warm, leave small air holes at the top of the coop. This way, air will circulate, but freezing winds won’t chill your birds.
Place vents on opposite walls to promote airflow. The air vents should be at least a foot, and ideally two feet higher than the roost.
Speaking of roosts, your birds will stay warmer with a flat, wide wooden perch that allows them to keep their feet close to their body when they settle for the night.
Consider installing sliding panels or another type of adjustable cover for the air vents. This way, you can almost (but never completely) close the vents during extremely harsh weather. Make sure the vents are clear of snow and ice.
5. Switch to Winter Waterers
Many poultry keeping guides recommend using heater bases and other heating elements to keep your chickens’ water from freezing in the winter. However, this could be a problem if you’re off grid and have no regular power source.
Here’s the harsh truth: if you live in an extremely cold climate, you may have to change your chickens’ water several times a day to make sure they have drinking water at all times.
One hack that could slow down freezing is using large rubber pans as waterers. Rubber is a great insulator, so it will keep water from freezing much longer than plastic.
Pro tip: a black pan in a sunny location will absorb warmth, which will delay freezing even longer. If the surface of the water does freeze, simply flip the pan over and remove the frozen layer.
