Chickens are some of the most resilient animals to exist. They don’t require a whole lot of maintenance, and they can be free rangers and scavengers for their required food intake.
The Winter months can be a challenge in Iowa because of the snow cover, and the frigid temperatures that winter brings. Here at Flourish Farms, we have a few tips that have proven to work well for us in maintaining the health of our Chickens over the winter months.
Shelter
- Shelter is key. Chickens have a heart that beats around 3-400 BPM, this allows them to keep a healthy core temperature even in below 0 temps. It is important to make sure that your coop has no major drafting and allows an area for your chickens to get out of the elements and huddle together. Chickens prune their own feathers and tend to become puffier during the winter months with more pin feathers to allow for more warmth. If they do not have proper shelter, this could hinder their ability to maintain the proper self-care.
- Choosing the correct bedding for the winter months can also be crucial for maintaining healthy chickens. At Flourish Farms we like to use a mix bedding of sawdust for compaction, and chip bedding for volume. We do not have a heat source in our coop, so we utilize turning the bedding over every other week to generate its own decomposition heat. In the warm months bedding needs to be changed and discarded to compost outside of the coop, during the Winter months this decomposition can actually help heat the coop without causing a major mess.
Food/Water
- Daily water is key to the health of your flock. Flourish Farms is planning to bring electricity onto our property this spring, but the last couple of years that we have had chickens on our property one of the major chores has been daily water in the freezing months. You need to make sure that your chickens have water that is not frozen every day, because of the extra energy going into keeping themselves warm, and also not free ranging at all they will require just as much water as summer months.
- Having a hearty food source for the winter months is also key to maintaining good flock health. We use a mixture from our local tractor supply store that has proven to work well for our chickens over the last few years.
Activity
- Lastly, make sure to allow your chickens to get out and stretch their wings on nice days in the winter months. We have come to notice that our chickens have way more of a personality than people may guess. Anytime that the temperatures allow, it is a great idea to get your chickens out and running around, this will ensure they stay active and healthy.
My wife Lyndsey and Fern, one of our laying hens.
