Keeping your Chickens Warm

That cold vortex is coming back around again!!! That means the temps are going to drop back down to really super cold lows. We have a heated chicken house, which people tend to look on in different ways. Some say its good, some say its not. If not done properly depending on the heater, it could be a fire hazard. There are many ups and downs to that, but I'll get into that hear in a minute.

I have done a little bit of looking and have come up with a small list of ways to keep your back yard flock warm in these cold Temps.

First thing first, their shelter needs to be solid and capable of staying dry and draft free. But there does need to be some air flow allowing the stale chicken air to get out and fresh air to get in, so that the ammonia doesn't build up, and to keep them from breathing in the unstoppable dust that's part of a chicken house. Chickens do have frail respiratory systems, so you will want to look at your own coop/house design to make sure they can stay warm, but have an air flow as well.

Make sure that they have a continuous supply of unfrozen water. Hen's need plenty of water to keep them laying.

Do a good Deep littler method. Make sure to turn the litter regularly to help keep it dry, and change it out regularly as well. That's some good compost for the garden.

Have a roost far enough off of the ground that they don't get the chill of the ground. Also make sure that the roost is made of wood, not plastic or metal. The wood doesn't get cold like the plastic or metal, and will help their feet maintain warmth.

About an hour before bedtime give them a good amount of corn. The corn will give their bodies energy to keep warm.

If you have a heater, you don't want it to be hot in their, just warm enough to keep the water from freezing.  Be careful of the kind of heat you use in there as well, because with all of that liter in there, it can be a fire hazard. So do your research well. A clamp lamp with a heat bulb can be used to heat a chicken house.  We use a radiant heater in ours, it bounces off of the floors, and coops, and heats the air nicely.

Most backyard chickens can handle temps down into the 30s. Just keep an eye out for frostbitten combs, and make sure they have fresh water, and keep them out of drafts, and follow some of the basic things in my list, and you should be fine and dandy!!!