Posts Tagged ‘cold’
12
Jan
Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care. Tagged: chickens, cold, freezing, hens, temperature, weather. 3 comments
We’re due for some VERY cold temps here in Chicago (in the negative degrees F, and windchills even lower), and a number of questions have come up about chickens and cold temps.
Here’s a list of ideas I’ve compiled. If you have suggestions, feel free to post.
Bedding
- Keep bedding loose and dry. Deep bedding helps trap heat.
- Clear snow from bedding.
Coop
- Cover the coop and wire-covered areas (such as the run) on three sides with a plastic tarp, heavy plastic, or plywood.
- Fill in cracks and crevices in the coop with newspaper or cardboard.
- The coop should not be completely airtight; allow some air circulation to prevent frostbite.
Roosts
- Make sure roosts are in the least drafty place in the coop.
- Use wide roosts for toe coverage (2-4 inches in width)
Supplemental heat
- If you have cold-hardy birds, they should be ok if the temperatures drop slowly.
- Any source of heat is a fire hazard.
- If ceiling is higher than 2 feet above the chickens, you may want to install a heat lamp above the roost that will turn on when the temp is in the single digits.
- Be sure that the lamp cannot be damaged by a flying bird.
- If you choose to heat, I’d suggest doing so only if the temperatures are in the single digits or below zero for several days raising the temperature by no more than 10 degrees higher than the outside temperature.
- If you bring the birds indoors, make a gradual transition to warmer temps – e.g., from 0 degrees to 20 degrees to 45 degrees, NOT from 0 degrees directly to 45 degrees.
- Note that providing too much can lead to obese birds. It also can be difficult for them to adjust to drastic changes in temperature.
Frostbite
- Watch toes and combs/wattles for signs of frostbite. A little petroleum jelly on combs and wattles can prevent frostbite *however* be careful not to overapply – petroleum products can coat the feathers, reducing their insulating properties.
- Do not allow them to be out in the snow for extended periods of time to avoid freezing their toes.
- Clear snow out of sections of the run so they don’t have to walk in it.
- If chickens do get frostbite, treat with aloe vera, can use aspirin solution for pain (three 325 mg tabs per 1 gal water), don’t massage, don’t heat up rapidly. Allow tissue to die/fall off naturally.
Food and Water
- Check water several times a day to be sure it’s not frozen.
- Feed mash mixed with warm milk or water.
- Provide a few handfuls of scratch grains in the evening before the hens go to roost. Can also feed a handful or two of scratch in the AM.
Laying
- Extreme temperatures can stress the birds and cause hens to go out of lay.
- Collect eggs so they do not freeze and lead to egg eating.
12
Jan
Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care. Tagged: care, chickens, cold, freeze, hens, winter. 5 comments
If you got chicks this spring, you probably asked the question, “How do I take care of the hens over the winter?” Bringing them into the house is not a great idea, and unlike dogs, chickens generally aren’t given to wearing sweaters and booties. Nor are they given to fluid replacement.
Here are some tips for helping your chickens ride out the winter.
Coop Environment
- Move your coop to an area out of the wind.
- Cover the run with tarps or heavy-duty plastic to prevent drafts.
- Ensure that the coop is well ventilated but not drafty. Moisture buildup leads to frostbite.
- Clean poop from the coop often. Chicken feces add to the moisture content of the air in the coop.
- Stack strawbales around the run to hold in the heat and prevent snow from blowing in.
- Minimize moisture in the coop. Moisture leads to frostbite. It’s more important to have a dry coop than a warm coop.
- Provide lots of bedding or straw. Bedding should be dry and fluffy so that it traps the heat.
- A heat lamp is optional. Beware of fire hazards, especially with the dry bedding, and use a red, rather than white, bulb. A reptile heat emitter can also help.
- If you want your hens to continue laying during the winter, supplement white light in the morning (not evening) so that the hens get 14 hours of light. You can also let their bodies rest and give them the winter off from laying.
- Provide wide roosts that allow the down feathers on their bellies to cover their feet.
Food and Water
- Provide fresh, unfrozen water and be sure they have continuous access to food – their bodies need it to stay warm. You can keep two waterers – one in the house and one outside – and swap them out as the outside one freezes.
- Provide extra protein for the birds during the winter months. A handful of dry cat (not dog) food will give an extra protein boost.
- You can provide a handful of scratch grain in the evening, before they head to the roost for the night. This will help keep their metabolism going during the night.
- Provide a head of cabbage, hung from a string or chain to keep them engaged and prevent pecking.
- Use a bird suet basket as a treat box.
Frostbite
- Use Vaseline on combs and wattles to keep them from freezing.
- Watch feet, combs, and wattles signs of frostbite – they will look swollen and puffy at first. They will eventually turn black and fall off. Infection is a possible risk of a bad case of frostbite.
Contact Home to Roost if you’d like an in-home winterizing consultation.
9
Oct
Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care, Events. Tagged: chicken, cold, freezing, frostbite, snow, winter. Leave a comment
I’m running my chicken winter care class tomorrow at the Garfield Park Conservatory from 10-12. Join the class to learn how to care for your birds during the winter. This class addresses the coop, the run, freezing water, feed, and the birds themselves. (Chicken-keeping class is a prerequisite.)
3
May
Posted by chickenwoman in poultry welfare, Weird chicken stuff. Tagged: battery cage, chicken sweaters, cold, feathers, hen, rescue. Leave a comment
Apparently the Brits are serious about their chicken rescue operations. Women in England are knitting little sweaters for feathered working girls rescued from battery cage operations. Check out the coverage here: Chicken sweaters.
2
Dec
Posted by chickenwoman in Chicken care. Tagged: care, chickens, cold, freeze, hens, winter. 2 comments
If you got chicks this spring, you probably asked the question, “How do I take care of the hens over the winter?” Bringing them into the house is not a great idea, and unlike dogs, chickens generally aren’t given to wearing sweaters and booties. Nor are they given to fluid replacement.
Here are some tips for helping your chickens ride out the winter!
- Move your coop to an area out of the wind.
- Provide lots of bedding or straw. Bedding should be dry and fluffy so that it traps the heat.
- A heat lamp is optional. Beware of fire hazards, especially with the dry bedding, and use a red, rather than white, bulb. White light can throw off the laying cycle.
- Make sure they have fresh, unfrozen water and give them more food – their bodies need it to stay warm.
- Use Vaseline on combs and wattles to keep them from freezing.
- Provide wide roosts that allow the down feathers on their bellies to cover their feet.
- If your hens run in the snow, watch feet for signs of frostbite – they will look swollen and puffy. They might become infected, and the chicken could lose toes or the whole foot.
- Provide extra protein for the birds during the winter months. A handful of dry cat (not dog) food will give an extra protein boost.
Contact Home to Roost if you’d like an in-home winterizing consultation!
Home to Roost 