Winter is coming, and if you’re like me, you’re probably starting to worry about your feathered friends. Will they survive the frigid temperatures? How do we keep them safe and warm? After years of raising chickens in some pretty brutal winter conditions, I’ve learned that our clucky companions are tougher than they look – but they still need our help!
The good news? Winterizing your chicken coop doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. With a few simple steps you can create a comfortable winter home for your flock without breaking the bank or spending hours in the cold.
Do Chickens Really Need Heat in Winter?
One of the biggest misconceptions I had when I first started raising chickens was thinking they’d need a heat lamp or some fancy heating system to survive winter. Turns out that’s not only unnecessary but potentially dangerous!
Chickens are naturally equipped to handle cold weather – their feathers provide excellent insulation. In fact, most chicken breeds can tolerate temperatures down to about 20°F (-6°C) without any problems. When temperatures drop below that, they might need some extra help, but rarely actual supplemental heat.
Heat lamps in particular are fire hazards in coops especially if you’re using flammable bedding like straw. A single fallen lamp can spell disaster for your entire flock and coop.
7 Essential Steps to Winterize Your Chicken Coop
Let’s dive into the practical stuff – here’s my comprehensive guide to getting your coop winter-ready:
1. Eliminate Drafts (But Keep Ventilation!)
This is perhaps THE most critical step in winterizing your coop. Drafts can make life miserable for your chickens, creating constant cold air flow directly on them while they roost. But here’s the tricky part – you still need ventilation!
Finding and fixing drafts:
- Run your hand along walls, around windows, and door edges
- Pay special attention to areas near roosting bars
- Use weather stripping, heavy blankets, or plastic sheeting to seal gaps
- Cover windows with breathable cloth that still allows some light
Maintaining proper ventilation:
- Create ventilation openings HIGH in the coop (well above roosting areas)
- Make sure vents are near the ceiling or
How to Prepare Your Chicken Coop for Winter:
- Ventilate Your Coop (Without Drafts!) Good ventilation is essential. It helps remove moisture and ammonia, which keeps frostbite at bay. Use Coop Recuperate to help control moisture and odor, but make sure there’s still plenty of air circulation. Also, block any drafts by sealing gaps, especially around doors and windows. Insulation can help, but only if you maintain proper ventilation year-round.
- Try the Deep Litter Method The deep litter method adds warmth by allowing bedding to build up in layers, which helps insulate the coop naturally.
- Prevent Water from Freezing Frozen water is a constant battle in winter. Heated waterers from your farm supply store can save you time and keep your flock hydrated without constant thawing.
- Offer Scratch Corn or Corn Treats During winter, give your chickens some hearty scratch corn or cracked corn treats like in Golden Graze to help keep them warm. Their bodies need more energy to digest the carbohydrates in corn, so a little before bedtime can provide extra warmth as they sleep!
- Add Flock Fixer for Stress Relief Winter weather can stress out chickens. Adding Flock Fixer to their water provides the extra vitamins and nutrients they need to stay healthy during temperature swings.
- Provide Indoor Dust Baths Chickens need to dust bathe even in winter! Add Preen Queen to your winter dust bath to keep your hens clean and entertained when they’re cooped up.
- Be Prepared for Frostbite CareEven with the best winter prep, frostbite can occasionally happen. Bye-Bye, Boo-Boos is a soothing wound spray that can be applied to frostbitten areas, helping to heal any affected spots and reduce discomfort. Apply it gently to combs, wattles or toes to promote healing and keep your chickens comfortable during recovery.
What to Avoid During the Winter:
- Heat I think one of the first things people ask is what kind of heat should they add to their coop? My answer? None. Unless I have younger birds who need the heat supplement, I steer clear of heat sources. Heat lamps are the number one cause of coop fires. People have lost their entire setup and flock due to one little heat lamp. That’s not worth it to me. I do have a heat panel in case the littles would need extra heat, but outside of that, our full grown birds do better without it. Also, temperature extremes are not good for chickens, so adding heat and then taking it away is not healthy for them.
- Drafts As I stated above, good ventilation is imperative, but drafts are a problem. Do your best to secure your coop to prevent drafts but allow for ventilation. Many people will wrap plastic around their coop or runs. This is a great idea as long as they plan for ventilation.
- Frozen Water Chickens drink a LOT of water. Whether you check their water multiple times or set up a heated water bowl, chickens need to have access to fresh, clean water at all times.
Chicken Coop Winter Prep
FAQ
What is the best way to winterize a chicken coop?
The five key steps to winterizing your chicken coop are, creating a wind block around the enclosure, making sure your coop is well ventilated, using …Nov 1, 2021
What should I cover my chicken coop with in the winter?
Consider Wrapping with Plastic or Tarps Many chicken keepers wrap their coops or runs with plastic sheeting during winter. This adds insulation but remember to leave space for ventilation. Only wrap around lower areas to keep drafts out while allowing fresh air to flow in through high vents.
Do you need to insulate a chicken coop for winter?
The walls of the chicken coop need to have good insulation installed. This will help keep the chickens warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
How cold is too cold for chickens in a coop?