How To Winterize A Chicken Coop

Soon the cold winter weather will be here, so now is the time to prepare. Here is how you should winterize your chicken coop to keep your hens safe.

I love the winter season and I am extra happy if that means loads of snow! I live in growing zone 5 which means we get pretty harsh winters.

Sometimes our real temperatures will reach -20^oF and colder. Even though our winters are frigid my chickens are safe and happy.

I don't recommend heating a chicken coop because it can be a huge fire hazard and it is actually harmful to the chickens, but there are other ways you should winterize your coop.

If you feel bad about your chickens in the snow remember that they have a fluffy coat of feathers that are probably warmer than any coat you could buy.

Even though chickens are great at staying warm here are a few ways you can help them out.

Block The Wind

Those cold winter winds will strip any heat away from a chicken's body causing them to get very cold. Wind is a chicken keepers worst enemy.

If you can, block off any north facing entrances to your chicken coop. During the winter, the cold winds will mainly come out of the north.

My chicken coop door faces west so that keeps most of the wind and snow out of the coop. I do have a very large door on my coop, so I shrink it for winter.

I build a tunnel for my chickens out of four straw bales. This blocks the wind and keeps the coop warmer during the winter.

If you have a small coop door it is probably find just make sure your coop is free of drafts. You can also block the north wind in your run by hanging a large plastic sheet on the chicken wire.

Get A Water Heater

While I don't use electricity for heating my coop I do use it for keeping my chicken's water from freezing. When it comes to heating water I have tried it all.

I first tried a water fount with a heated base, but that didn't heat the water well enough and the whole fount was frozen. The cord was flimsy and also broke.

I then tried a heated dog bowl because many chicken keepers swear by them. This worked okay, but the cord came out of the base of the bowl and froze to the ground.

With the cord frozen to the ground I couldn't dump out the dirty water and ice. On top of that, the cord also broke off when I tried to get it out of the frozen ground.

I finally tried a heated "puck" that I placed in a plastic water bowl. This has worked great for me!

I can lift the heater out of the water and dump out the dirty water, and if there is any ice I can twist the bowl to get it out.

You can find this thermostat regulated water heater that I use right here.

You can also find a bowl similar to the one I am currently using right here.

You should also keep your water outside during the winter. If you keep it inside the coop it will add too much humidity and increase the chances of frostbite.

Start The Deep Litter Method

The deep litter method (DLM) uses the combination of chicken manure and bedding to naturally start the composting process. This composting bedding is kept in the coop and creates heat.

While DLM doesn't create a ton of heat it, is enough to help the chickens stay a little bit warmer.

During the fall months I clean out my chicken coop and refill the bedding (I use straw). The chickens then soil the first layer of straw.

Once they soil a layer I add on another layer of straw. The process continues while I occasionally throw scratch grains on the bedding which encourages scratching.

The chickens will naturally scratch at the bedding stirring it and composting it. This process gives the chickens something to do, heats the coop, and gives you compost.

You can read more on the deep litter method here.

Get Some Scratch Grains

You may have heard that you crave carbohydrates in the winter because they heat you up. In a way this is also true for chickens.

When you feed scratch grains to chickens they have to expend energy to digest the grains. This causes their body to heat up naturally.

I feed them scratch grains every day in the winter months. On the really cold nights I also give them scratch right before bed so they digest it during the night. This keeps them warm through the night.

You can find some great brands of scratch grains here.

Think About Artificial Light

Your hens will stop laying as the daylight hours wain, but there is a way to keep them laying. Adding artificial light in your chicken coop will trick the chickens into laying more eggs.

Some chicken keepers like this method and others say it doesn't let the chickens have a break from laying eggs.

I do believe the chickens need a break, but I also want eggs. I let my chickens naturally stop laying during the fall and allow them to molt.

Around February I put a light in the chicken coop which causes them to start laying again. This method lets them have a break for a few months, but I start them laying again right before spring starts.

Stock Up On Straw

My favorite bedding is straw for multiple reasons, but one reason I love it is because of its insulating properties.

Because straw has hollow shafts it holds onto heat really well. I cover my coop floor in lots of straw during the winter. This keeps the coop floor warmer.

You can also add straw bales around the perimeter of your coop for added insulation. I also use the straw to make paths in the snow so my chickens can still get outside.

So this year don't be caught off guard by the winter weather prepare for it by winterizing your coop.

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