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One of themostA common question I am asked by novice chicken keepers is "how cold is too cold for chickens in Canada?" And I can tell you that I feel like I can give some pretty solid advice, since I live in the middle of the prairies, where winter temperatures sometimes drop to -40ºC. And our chickens have survived several cold winters just fine!
Therefore, here is an overviewhow cold chickens can beand what you can do to keep your home at the ideal temperature all winter long.
This message concerns:
- How cold is too cold for chickens in Canada
- What is an ideal chicken coop temperature?
- Should chicken farms in Canada be insulated?
- This is how you keep your chicken coop warm without a heat lamp
- How do you know if your chickens are cold?
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How cold is too cold for chickens in Canada
Ah, the golden question! Any novice chicken keeper (including myself when I started) will have the answer to this question when he or she first starts keeping backyard chickens.
Well, let me tell you -my chickens have experienced and survived temperatures as low as -30ºC (-22ºF) outside.And while this doesn't mean they have to be exposed to such cold temperatures, they can certainly tolerate it.
This is of course if you give them a safe, wind-protected structure to live in and choose a breed of chicken that is hardy.
Before you read any further, if you're new to keeping chickens, read my full guide firstKeeping Chickens in Cold Climates: Everything You Need to Know.There I share a list of cold-tolerant chicken breeds that do well in Canadian winters, as well as my tips for building a cold-weather chicken coop.
So back to the question: how cold is too cold for chickens in Canada?
The answer is that if the temperature in your coop consistently drops below -25ºC (-13ºF), it is probably too cold for your chickens.
Your chickens won't necessarily die if they are exposed to such cold temperatures, but it will quickly lead to other health problems, such as frostbite and bronchitis.
If you notice that your chickens are this cold for a few days, you may want to consider adding more bedding to your home by usingthe deep soil method(my preferred method for keeping chickens in Canadian winters!) and/or in extreme cases, add a heat lamp for a few hours at a time to warm up the coop.
The most important thing you need to know about keeping chickens in Canadian winters is thatIt is not necessarily the cold that is bad for your chickens, but rather the draft and windin your chicken coop.
What is an ideal chicken coop temperature?
During the winter, try to stabilize the temperature of your chicken coopnot colder than -15ºC (5ºF) to -20ºC (-4ºF)consistent.
Of course, anything warmer than this in winter is great and your chickens will be fine! Make sure you have adequate ventilation in your chicken coop. So as winter temperatures warm, there will be good airflow in the garden, which will release the ammonia that can build up in chicken droppings.
During the night you are likely to see temperatures drop below -15ºC (5ºF) to -20ºC (-4ºF) as the sun sets.
Here are a few tricks I learned to keep your chicken coop warm all night:
- Avoid opening the door or windows of the farm after 5 p.m. This helps to let the warm air in.
- Add a new layer of bedding to the coop for extra insulation when cold temperatures are forecast.
- Place a tarp or weatherstripping around corners that may not be completely sealed, such as around the sliding door or windows.
Should chicken farms in Canada be insulated?
Not necessary! If you keep chickens in the Canadian winter, your coop may not necessarily need to be insulated, depending on the size and location of your coop.
Take our chicken coop for example.
The whole space is maybe 75-90 square feet for our 10 chickens. It is not very big, so you can easily keep it warm with the body heat of our chickensdeep soil methodall winter.
We built this house ourselves and insulated the walls and floor. We haven't insulated the attic yet and originally planned to...but like most projects, time ran out and we never really got around to insulating the attic. I'm sure you can relate!
But I actually think keeping the roof open works to our advantage as it provides some ventilation and allows warm air to escape from above.
Another reasonOur chicken coop does not need to be completely insulated because we have placed a south-facing windowin the. This allows a lot of light to enter and can heat the house considerably even on the coldest days. It makes a huge difference!
I highly recommend installing a window in your chicken coop if you experience cold winters. The sun provides a natural (and FREE!) source of heat.
So no, chicken coops do NOT need to be insulated in Canadian winters.
You will obviously need to consider the size of your farm, whether it gets direct sunlight and how many chickens are in your room. If you were keeping chickens in a large coop or shed, I would definitely recommend decking your entire coop.
But again, it all depends on your exact home and how cold your winters get.
This is how you keep your chicken coop warm without a heat lamp
I've already mentioned a few ideas in this post on how to keep your chicken coop warm without a heat lamp, but here are a few more!
At first you would think“Why shouldn't I use a heat lamp to heat my chicken coop?”And that's a good question!
The main reason whyI rarely use a heat lamp in my chicken coop because of the fire hazard.With all the bedding in our coop in the winter, it's way too risky to leave a heat lamp on full time, especially since I don't keep an eye on the coop 24/7.
If we have a real cold snap in Manitoba, I would add a heat lamp for up to 3-4 hours per day in the early morning. This helps warm the room a bit before the sun rises. I let the case warm up to 5-7ºC (41-44ºF) and then remove it. But I really try to avoid it if possible.
The second reasonyou shouldn't have a heat lamp in your coop, even in Canadian winters, because the temperature fluctuations can really reveal how your chickens self-regulate their body heat.It is much better for your chicken's health to keep the temperature consistent, even when it is cold, rather than warming the chicken up and then lowering it overnight.
Here are five ways to keep your chicken coop warm in Canadian winters without a heat lamp:
1. Practice the Deep Waste Method:I truly believe this is the best approach to keeping your home warm in the winter without having to use a heat lamp. I have a detailed blog that covers ithow to do the deep soil method in your chicken coop.
2. Pile snow around the outside of your home for extra insulation:This works especially well in winter with lots of snow. In Manitoba this is often the case for us! So what we do is snow blow snow from the entire yard to the bottom of our coop. It acts as an insulated barrier against wind and cold. It works really well and costs you nothing.
3. Give your chickens a place to sleep:In winter, our chickens spend most of the day and all night in the coop. They are nice and close together for extra warmth. With a chicken coop, your chickens can also protect their feet from frost, because they sit on top of it.
4. Add windows to your home for natural warmth from the sun:As I mentioned, installing 1-2 windows in your home provides a free source of heat. It really makes a big difference on the cold days when the sun is still strong.
5. Give your chickens lots of extra food and treats:Our chickens eat twice as much during the winter months to stay warm. I often top up their food twice a day, which I like to do because I know it keeps them warm. Treats such as cracked corn and mealworms contain a lot of protein and fat, which keeps them warm longer. You can also supplement their food with crab and fermented grains.
How do you know if your chickens are cold?
A telltale signyour chickens will be cold if they have ruffled and puffed feathers.It will be pretty obvious just by looking at your girl that she is cold.
You can alsoYou can tell if your chickens are cold by the color of their crests and combs.A healthy, happy chicken has a colored comb/wattle. If your chickens are cold or unwell, you will notice that the color will be paler than normal.
Another indicator of a cold girl is if you see her holding her feet up or tucking them away. This is not a major problem and can usually be solved by providing your birds with a perch and covering their feet. However, it is good to keep an eye on and may indicate that you need to increase the cage temperature.
Signs of happy chickens include:
- To eat
- Drinks
- Moves around the cage
- Make merrychucklesounds
- flaps its wings
- Clean yourself
And my final piece of winter chicken keeping advice….
Place a wireless weather meter in your chicken coop so that you can always easily keep an eye on the temperature.
We useAcuRite wireless weather station.The digital screen sits on my windowsill in the kitchen, and the small wireless Bluetooth screen hangs on the inside wall of our chicken coop. The digital screen measures the temperature and humidity in the coop. It is so incredibly helpful and saves me time by not always having to go out and check on my chickens.
And there you have it!
Now you know how cold is too cold for chickens in Canadian winters.
If you liked this post, I'd love for you to leave a comment! You can alsofollow me on Instagram @fromsoiltosoulfor more advice on keeping backyard chickens.
