What should I do for my chickens in winter?
Persistent twilight, driving rain, wet snowdrifts and a biting wind straight from the steppes of Siberia don't exactly offer the most tempting prospect of staying in the garden longer than absolutely necessary.
However, it is precisely because of such circ*mstances that we must provide our feathered friends with extra care to see them through the cold, dark winter months and ensure that they emerge like a phoenix in the spring, excited and ready to go to England.
Here are some useful tips for happy chickens in the coldest season.
Muddy warfare
Mud; great for a hippo, but for chickens it's a no-no. Your little Jungle Fowl offspring may enjoy foraging among the delicious leaf litter, but let their area turn into a Glastonbury mud bath and they'll call in sick faster than you can say 'galocher'.
In a diabolical two-pronged attack, not only can mud contain a dangerous build-up of parasites and bacteria that are harmful to your little bird friends, but the constant moisture and cold can also lead to a type of 'foot rot'. like the deadly coccidiosis that you really want to avoid. AGround disinfection powderor a specially formulated poultry disinfectant will help.
While a concrete surface for a run can make it easy to keep clean, concrete itself can be a terribly cold, hard, and unforgiving surface. That is why we believe it is the best solutionHardwood wood chips(not Bark) and lots of it.
Hardhout Rauwchips is the perfect winter floor covering. It allows mud, rain and debris to pass through, keeping your coop or pen clean and dry. Sprinkle with Ground Sanitizing Powder or disinfect monthly. We have been using it ourselves for many years with great success.
This old house
Your girls will be spending more time at home over the coming winter months than any other time of year, so it's worth making surePoultry shedis fit for purpose before winter arrives.
First check that everything is in order and that no rain or wind can penetrate.
Chickens really don't like wet weather and mud (the lack of webbed feet is a real giveaway!), so if your home is damp, now is the time to think about repair or replacement.
Drafts are another problem, especially at this time of year. While adequate ventilation is essential for health, an immediate draft will quickly turn your household of happy chickens into very poor poultry.
If you would like more advice on chicken coops, visit our site atChoosing the best chicken coop.
Bedie Byes
When it comes to hosting a cozy winter getaway, preparation is everything. Fall is the time to thoroughly clean the chicken coop with a specially formulated disinfectant such asPoultry shield fluidor Smith. These cleaners remove organic material, any dormant red mites and bacteria.
During the summer months, only a few inches of ground cover is needed on the garden floor and a few inches in the nest boxes, as the birds do not spend long hours in the garden. But in winter, when they rest for twelve hours or more, we should think about adding more ground cover to provide natural insulation from the cold.
A deep layer of chopped hemp bedding for your huddles is very important in bad weather. So it's worth spending some time choosing wisely.
We recommend using it dust-freeHempBed-E Poultry LitterEspecially due to the high absorption capacity, the good insulation properties and the eucalyptus additives, it gives your girls the best chance of a warm, comfortable and disease-free winter.
Aubiose chopped hemp beddingis also super absorbent and a good insulator. Whatever you choose, make sure you put a thick layer on the floor of the chicken coop and in the nesting boxes during the winter. Remove clutter regularly to discourage rat and bacteria buildup.
There are different types of bedding that we offer on our website.Easyis a dust-free, bacteria-free, recycled wood fiber.Dengue Free bed, a chopped cloth straw infused with pine oil, a natural antibacterial anti-mite agent. Or Easibed, which is a good choice for deep bedding. Wood shavings (vacuum only) are also commonly used, as we did for years until we discovered that it was simply not as absorbent as hemp.
For peace of mind, you can also sprinkle a powdered disinfectant such asStalosan F powder,ofBio-Dri Hygiene powderon the floor. These powders absorb a large part of the moisture and kill any opportunistic bacteria.
A quick note here about hay and straw.Although it is seen by some as 'traditional' bedding, remember that we also 'traditionally' emptied our chamber pots into the street - with much the same results!
Straw and hay rot when wet and have very low absorption capacity. It smells. It leaves your ladies to the moisture and their own feces, which incidentally provides perfect conditions for the development of potentially deadly fungal spores. Just like the plague, some things are better relegated to the history books!
Crazy as a fox
All predators are hungriest during the winter months and will go out of their way to eat a tasty chicken dinner.
Foxes and badgerswill view traditional chicken wire as only a minor inconvenience and more of an opportunity to build an appetite than anything else.
It is not without reason that all our cages and runs are protected with heavy-duty galvanized Weldmesh. So if you rely on the old-fashioned chicken wire, the sooner it is replaced, the better.
Rats, stoats and minks are also deadly and can squeeze into the smallest spaces in search of a sneaky snack. So check whether your wood is free of rot and weak spots.
Finally, remember that foxes, badgers and rats are all skilled diggers, miniature JCBs if you like. So if you want to prevent them from making a 'great escape' with your pack, regularly check the ground for disturbed ground and any spaces between the ground. Run the base and the ground.
AAnti-Fox No-Dig Mesh-rockprovides extra protection and will frustrate the most determined predators.
Kale Tonic
Prevention, as they say, is always better than cure, and the phrase couldn't be more appropriate when describing the control of worms and internal parasites.
Worms in chickens are a nuisance for most poultry farmers and are very common. For detailed information about worms and how to treat them, please refer to our pagePoultry worms - Treat and prevent.
Like the rest of us, chickens are particularly susceptible to bouts of illness during the cold winter months, so if you want to boost their immune system, consider adding some chickens.Oreganico tonic for poultryto their water. This is a herbal tonic based on oregano, very popular among poultry farmers. We think it's perfect for keeping the girls in top shape and strengthening their immune systems during the winter.
Also remember that shedding is a particularly stressful (and cold!) process, and is especially common in the colder months. To help our girls regain full health during this winter wardrobe change, we recommend a tonic such as Oreganico or a protein-rich food to supplement the lack of worms and insects. High-protein food or treats provide the extra protein they need to grow their feathers back quickly (feathers are pure protein).
Speaking of feathers, don't forget that at this time of year many less welcome and less visible creatures will also be looking for a cozy home and a regular blood meal. However, help is available to combat these potential vampires in the form ofDiatoméjordpulverto sprinkle liberally around the chicken coop andLusepulverfor your girls' feathers and also for their bedding.
When the wind blows
I don't like seeing our girls huddled against the howling wind and lashing rain as they go outside to stretch their legs and enjoy some light foraging.
Persistent bad weather will negatively impact the health of any chicken, so here are a few tips to help mitigate the worst effects.
First, make sure the hole for your chicken coop faces out of the wind.
However, be aware that although the prevailing wind is south-westerly (in Britain), it can be particularly cold if it turns east or north-east and you may need to re-rotate the coop.
A sheltered enclosure is also a good idea, especially if your girls are confined to a run and can't seek the protection of a nearby hedge - even a simple fence panel will do.
You can also consider creating a shelter in the garden. It doesn't have to be grand (or beautiful), but it should be solidly built. The last thing you want is for it to blow over and bounce your herd prematurely!
Ducks and geese, water birds, are somewhat hardy and take good care of themselves. But even if they were to shelter under a hedge as they would in the wild, it would require providing shelter or shelter for them.
And don't forget to make sure their pond has ice-free areas and that they have unfrozen drinking water. In addition, you should supplement their natural diet (geese mainly eat grass, so they cannot eat when there is snow) by feeding them mixed corn feed.
With that in mind we offer our own customizationChicken field shelterwhich was specifically designed with chooks and ducks in mind!
Shackletons pieces
Equipped for a tropical climate, your 'Gallus Gallus' offspring may need extra protection in freezing weather.
Frostbite can be a real problem for exposed earlobes, with unsightly black spots being the least serious result.
However, prevention is simple and only requires its use, or simple Vaseline, for the fleshy parts. This creates a protective barrier against the elements and the process of rubbing it in also helps stimulate blood flow back to their cold parts!
Drinking House Flowers
Normal poultry houses do not require heating, provided there are enough feathered residents inside to create their own 'central heating' system.
All our lofts have a recommendation for optimal occupancy, but even if your girls aren't lucky enough to live in a Flyte so Fancy loft, give us a call and we will do our best to advise you.
Please don't be tempted to put heaters of any kind in your chicken coop, as you could kill your girls with kindness - overheat them while cooped up inside (remember dogs in hot cars?) or even accidentally house in a flaming grill.
However, if it's really cold, you can help your ladies out by making sure they have a thick insulating layer of good dry bedding (see 'Beddy Byes' above) and a treat.Super mixed corn from small farmersbefore you go to bed.
The carbohydrate energy from the mixed corn warms their clams and helps them produce their own heat at night.
When it's really cold I'm sure we'd all fancy a nice hot breakfast - out comes a bowl of porridge, very comforting - which we can now offerPorridge for chickensAlso. A great carbohydrate booster on cold days.
Essential controls
As we all know, a human can survive for weeks without a good meal, but only a few days without water.
Your chook's water supply should be checked at least once a day (ideally twice) to ensure it is sufficient, has not fallen over and is not frozen.
If freezing temperatures are forecast, we recommend keeping the drinker indoors overnight or bringing a second drinker with you every morning.
Their food can also freeze under extreme conditions, but never be tempted to put food or water in the stable itself. Not only will chickens lose interest in eating before bedtime, but the water will also increase the humidity in the house and any spills will wet the bedding and bedding.
Since wet litter/litter is one of the leading causes of coccidia infections, and spilled food attracts rats from miles away, I really can't stress this enough.
Of course there are exceptions to all the rules (like when you cage birds and have no choice), but in all other cases...don't do it...thanks...
Winterblues
For a tempting winter treat, give your girls a boostGarvo Alfamix for chickens, which they will absolutely love, but be careful not to give them too much!
Because feathers are made up mostly of protein, these protein-rich foods are especially good to give after molting, when their bodies are trying to grow new feathers.
Long hours of seasonal confinement can lead to bullying and feather pecking, habits that, once established, can be difficult to break.
Try hanging to relieve winter boredomBoredom Buster co*cks Ringwhich will keep the troops entertained for days.
Ah...choo!
Dark days spent close together in the Coop ensure that any outbreak of winter cold can spread very quickly. Coughs and sneezing should therefore be treated as quickly as possible.
An all-round product that is almost as good as antibioticsOreganico tonic for poultrywhich we use on our girls and it is a really brilliant natural medicine to keep the birds free from wheezing.
All products highlighted above are available from this website in our, and a selection of them are included in our own versionWinter care package for chickens.
Of course, we are always interested in new products that customers have found and that we think other chicken keepers would be interested in. Let us know.
For more advice and help...
I hope this information helps you consider the health and housing of your poultry during the winter months. If you have any questions, pleaseE-mail bes.
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Winter Care for Chickens is ©Flyte so Fancy 2012. Updated 2022. Author: Anne Weymouth (Co-founder and co-director, Flyte so Fancy). Reproduction of part or all of the text is only possible with the express permission of Flyte so Fancy Ltd.
