Worried about your chickens in the cold?
Are you worried they won’t be able to keep warm without a heat lamp or other heat source?
Well, worry not. Your chickens can keep themselves pretty warm in the colder temperatures. Of course, there are some areas where they need to have supplemental heat. A fully feathered chicken’s body temperature is about 106 degrees Fahrenheit they are pretty capable of keeping their temperature stable. If you have chicks or sick chickens you will need to ensure they are kept warm and dry through the rough winter temperatures.
Here in Tennessee they are predicting negative temperatures and I am taking extra precautions for my flock. I have chickens, turkeys, and ducks.
Food
Keeping the chicken feeder filled with a good layer pellet mixed with an unmedicated chick starter 1:1 is a good way to boost their energy. I also supplement with corn or scratch grains to give extra energy. I have having feeders because I feel that it keeps things cleaner. I do plan on getting the poultry feeder ports to add to some 5-gallon buckets https://amzn.to/3G9YEhi.
Water
You can use a warmer in your coop if you have power to keep water from freezing. This will save you from chipping ice and freshening daily https://amzn.to/3FJdZnN. You can also use a rubber bowl if you have no power. These make it super easy to break the ice and refill like this https://amzn.to/3v4LPP0.
Shelter
Something for you to consider is to use tarps or plastic to make sure windows and eves are not allowing too much air to cause drafts in the coop. However, you want to make sure that there is still adequate ventilation to keep the flock healthy.
Use a thick bed of shavings even if your coop has a floor. You want plenty of area for them to get up off the ground, roosts and nest boxes will help with this as well.
Monitor the coop. Chickens may be spending more time indoors, especially if you are getting single-digit temperatures or snow. You may need to do more cleaning or adding of the bedding if that’s your method.
Grown, healthy chickens usually don’t need supplemental heat. However, lamps can be dangerous in your coop. A heating plate can help https://amzn.to/3v9JrGZ.
Although your grown full-feathered friends are well equipped to deal with cold and even freezing temperatures, keep your eye on them for any signs of stress and change your husbandry practices accordingly. You might want to protect those combs with some Vaseline as well.