How to Winterize your Chicken Coop

winterize the chicken coop

Buff Orphington, wyandotte, and silkies are winter hardy

insulated roosting area

black night heat bulb

nesting area with heat lamp

Dimmer switch for the heat lamp

plastic on the chicken run

window for ventilation

straw bedding

heated water bowl

remote thermometer

Winterizing your backyard chicken coop is important if you have a small flock and live in cold climates.  The old timers say they never heated the coop, even in sub zero weather, but there are several factors to consider.  How many chickens do you have?  50 chickens generate lots more body heat than four or five.  Are the chickens living in a barn with large farm animals like horses, cows, or pigs?  Even a cat or dog can help raise the temperature if they bed down with your chickens in a small-enclosed space.  This article will address winterizing a backyard coop for a small flock of pet chickens.

Start with a hardy breed.  Many breeds are beautiful, but if you winter in freezing temperatures you will need to plan carefully to protect your birds.  Cold hardy chickens are of medium to larger weights (6 pounds or up) and have rose or pea combs.  Wattles on roosters may need special care, such as covering with Vaseline to prevent frostbite.

Insulate the coop.  The featured coop has a roosting box 2-by-3 feet.  Two-inch extruded polystyrene foam board was added to the walls of the roosting box during construction and all seams were caulked to prevent drafts.

Place your brooder heat lamp in the roosting area for bitter cold nights.   A 75-watt reptile nighttime-black incandescent heat bulb throws enough heat to significantly raise the temperature in a small space and still be safe.  Beware of the extreme heat from ceramic heaters and keep the birds and bedding a safe distance away.  If you choose ceramic heaters you must have special sockets and ventilation.  Read all safety precautions to prevent fire.

The incandescent heat lamp was routed through a dimmer switch to allow for easy adjustment.  We are not trying to heat the coop as much as provide a warming spot that takes the edge off the cold.  The routine in this backyard coop is to turn the heat light on when the temperature dips to 15 degrees Fahrenheit (-9 Celsius)  This will allow the chickens to adapt to their winter environment while preventing stress from extreme temperature fluctuations.  Keep in mind if a winter storm knocks out the electricity, your chickens could succumb to temperature shock if they have not adapted to the cold and are acclimated to an overly warm environment.

Windproof your chicken run.  Plexiglas or standard glass windows are top of the line, but a tarp or 3-ml plastic is more economical and easily removed and replaced each year.  Chickens tolerate the cold, but must be protected from wet and wind.

Do not allow condensation to build up inside the coop and run. Ventilation is a must. This coop has a simple slider window installed allowing air to pass through the coop as needed.

Update:  We have not covered the front of the coop that faces east for two years and have not had any condensation. Almost all of our winter weather comes from the west and north thus the snow hasn't been an issue.

Purchase a substrate that works in your climate.  Straw is the preferred bedding material in frozen winter climates and is best removed before the spring rains to prevent mold.  Notice the round nests the chickens made in the straw, as it has great insulating properties.  If you live in a wetter winter climate, wood shavings are preferred.  Study the deep bedding method where you keep adding more on top to keep it fluffy and muck the works out in the spring.

Use a heated pet dish to prevent water from freezing in cold climates.  Elevate the bowl to keep it clean and tack the extension cord out of the way of your curious pecking chickens. Use an extension cord rated for outdoor use and keep the plug elevated out of the snow.

Change the water by bringing out two buckets.  Fill one with enough fresh water to fill the dish and one to collect the old water.  Carry your feed, a paper towel, and any other supplies as you go.

After pouring the old water into the empty bucket, wipe out the dish with the paper towel.  A clean environment goes a long way to keeping your pet chickens healthy.

Update:  We have learned that simply placing an ice cream pail in the heated bowl works fine for us here in Minnesota. We have two and trade them out each day. 


Add a remote thermometer to monitor your coop from a distance. We have learned thermometers rated for 100 feet will not read through windows and walls.  Check on the Internet for inexpensive choices rated for 300 feet or more.  Note the temperature is reading 26 degrees F. in the picture.  The actual outdoor temperature was 17 degrees F. with a wind-chill of 3! Even a tiny flock can heat up a small space with their body heat. 

Monitor your chicken’s behavior.  If they are moving about and acting normally, they are fine.  They will naturally fluff out their feathers on a regular basis to keep warm.  A 2X4 with the 4-inch side up in their roosting area will allow them to fluff their feathers around their feet as they roost.

Tips:

If you have a larger space like a shed or hobby barn, stack some straw bales and drape a space blanket over the top to make a warming cave.  Birds will self regulate their own temperature.

Remember that birds are not like mammals.  They adapt and tolerate much colder temps than us humans as long as they are dry and out of the draft. Do not overheat your chickens based on how you feel.

Night-black incandescent bulbs are easily found at chain pet stores or on the Internet for less than $10.00.

For a couple of extra dollars you can purchase an extension cord with a lighted socket.  You will know the power is working when the light is on.

Chickens encouraged to produce eggs in winter with artificial lighting in the winter may need a different environment.  This article is intended for winterizing backyard chickens on a natural light cycle.

Learn more about backyard chicken care, training your chickens, Bumblefoot or read our daily egg diary to learn how many eggs chickens lay.

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All content and images original works of kittycooks. Copyright 2009