Our Winter Coop

We have lots of chicks here at Happy Chickens now, and we are hopefully adding more!

Right now, we have LF Black English Orpingtons, bantam Orpingtons in blue, black, chocolate, and mauve, Langshan eggs in the incubator, and are hopefully adding Lavender Orpingtons and possibly others to the incubator in October.

As if the idea of keeping chickens snug through winter wasn’t just a little scary already, right??  But they can’t be kept in the house forever.  A shame though.  I’d love a few feathered friends to sit on the couch and watch T.V. with!  A hen at the dinner table! A rooster on the bedside table at about 6 a.m.  😉

It’s only the beginning of Fall, but now really is the time to start prepping the coop for winter.

I see questions posted a lot in the Fall from newer folks, worried and wondering if chickens are winter hardy and if there is anything they need to do or if they should plan on giving their flock supplemental heat.

Well, let me start by saying that some breeds are more cold hardy than others, but generally chickens are very well capable of handling the cold, and given proper care and a good coop, adults do not need supplemental heat.  People keep chickens in Alaska just fine, some only offering heat in minus degree temperatures.   In fact, you may actually do more harm than good giving your flock supplemental heat.

Adjusting from the warm, comfy confines of a heated coop to the frigid winter temperatures when a chicken ventures out is very stressful and can weaken their immune systems.  Furthermore, a bird accustomed to a warm coop may not survive if the worst happens and the electric goes out…..

So, rather than eating up your utilities budget by running electrical cords across the yard and risking the fire hazard of running heat lamps or space heaters all winter for adults perfectly capable of thriving right on through the long, cold winter your best bet is to just have a properly winterized coop that is sized correctly for the number of birds you are keeping.

In our case, we’re raising chicks, so offering heat when they go outside is a necessity.  They’ll be leaving a warm house and will have to be placed in the coop in November and January.  Outside of the supplemental heat, everything I’m doing right now to prepare the coop for winter is the same as I would do if I were preparing the coop for an adult flock.

First of all, though it may come as a surprise to people newer to chicken keeping, we are actually discussing ways to open up the coop for more ventilation.  We want plenty of air exchange in there to avoid a build up of ammonia that can seriously damage the respiratory system of our flock.  What we don’t want is a draft or air that blows directly on our birds.  Before we put our chickens in the coop we will seek out any possible drafts and seal them up.  However, we will keep our sources of ventilation wide open.

We have a very large coop.  I always want my birds to have more than enough space, but in winter, there can be such a thing as too much space particularly with bantams or chicks.  We never overcrowd, but we are sectioning off our coop to a size that is more winter friendly and will help chicks retain heat.  Next winter, when they are grown and supplemental heat is not needed, we will create a temporary dropped ceiling over the roost so that body heat doesn’t just rise and dissipate, but rather, is put to use where the birds are roosting.

We will also use wide roosts so that our chickens’ feathers will completely settle over their feet when they roost to protect those funny little chicken toes from frostbite.

Winter doesn’t mean the end of parasites and pests.  Lice and mites can seriously weaken a flock’s immune system– not something you want on top of their facing frigid temperatures.  The less they have to deal with, the better off they are. Fall is a good time to change out  bedding and treat the coop for bugs and mites in preparation for winter.

We have removed all the bedding and scraped it to earth and sprinkled Sevin Dust to kill bugs capable of carrying disease, sprayed the coop from the ceiling down to the ground, and so far, we’ve painted the walls where the chicks will spend the winter.

It’s a good idea to paint or use a sealant on any wood surfaces in the coop to help seal off the little nooks and crannies that tiny pests might hide in since not all parasites stay on a chicken all the time.

After speaking to a couple of very capable and experienced flock keepers, I’ve decided to combine the advice given to me before my chicks go into the coop to prevent parasites.  I’ll spray the walls with Permethrin spray and then place a good layer of DE on the coop floor before putting down a nice, thick layer of bedding for the chicks to snuggle down into.

As to the chickens themselves, a little cracked corn every day will help them put on weight and help keep them warm along with treats such as warm oatmeal, cream of wheat, or rice.   It’s also very important to make sure they always have access to water– the ultimate winter challenge.

Last winter I schlepped hot water several times a day.  This winter, I believe I’ll make a heated tin to keep the water from freezing.

We’re almost ready for winter!

Almost prepared section of the coop where our chicks will spend the winter