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Do NOT Make These Mistakes When Keeping Chickens During The Winter!

Every chicken keeper makes mistakes from time to time, we don`t judge.

What we want to do is help our readers be aware of some of those mistakes and perhaps that will prevent them from making them.

For today`s article, we wanted to focus on mistakes that chicken keepers tend to make while keeping their chickens during the winter.

Chicken keepers can make these mistakes due to misinformation or as we all sometimes do forget about some of their daily chores concerning the well-being of our chickens during the winter.

Every Chicken Keeper Needs To Remember To Increase The Water Check-Ups.

Keeping Chickens During The Winter
via Flickr

If you forget to check up on the condition of the water your chickens drink during the winter it may lead to your chickens drinking icy water and that can damage them especially if their bodies are warmed up.

It is not a big deal to change the water your chickens drink in shorter time intervals to prevent the water from freezing.

Chicken keepers tend to forget this and that can lead to one of the things no chicken keeper wants for his or her chickens, especially during the winter – a cold running in the flock.

Chicken Keepers Tend To Rely On Electrical Devices As A Source Of Heat And That Can Cost Them More Than Their Flock And Coop.

Remember that there are heat sources even for the winter that do not require electricity in order to maintain the right temperature in your coop during the cold winter nights.

Using heat lamps and similar devices in the coop can be fire hazardous for your coop and your house even.

Also, lamps can make the difference in the temperature in and out of the coop bigger and that can cause some health issues for your chickens.

The best thing to do is upgrade your coop and add more hay or whatever you use for the bedding.

It Is Good To Close The Chicken Coop Windows In Order Maintain Heat During The Winter Right? NO!

Keeping Chickens During The Winter
via Flickr

Although it is very important that wind does not get in a lot in the coop in order to keep your chickens warm – VENTILATION IS MORE IMPORTANT.

The best thing to do is close only some of the windows in order for the air to circulate in the coop and in that way your chickens will keep warm and moisture won`t build up in the coop.

Giving More Food To Your Chickens During The Winter In Order To Make Them A Bit Fatter So That They Can Maintain Heat HAS NEVER BEEN A GOOD IDEA!

Keeping Chickens During The Winter
via Flickr

Giving food that contains a lot of fat during the winter in order to make your chickens fatter so they can stay warm is never a good idea for many reasons.

Obesity is a growing problem in chickens and overfed and fat chickens are very prone to illnesses and diseases.

Adding a small amount of scratch may be good but not anything more than that. Chickens do not get regular exercise during the winter for the obvious reasons and overfeeding them can only make their winters worse.

Keeping Chickens During The Winter
via Flickr

Did you make these mistakes in your winters with your chickens? Share your experiences with us in the comments below or via e-mail at support@typesofchicken.com

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5 thoughts on “Do NOT Make These Mistakes When Keeping Chickens During The Winter!”

  1. Glad you mentioned no need for heat in hen houses. I grew up pre-hydro at our farm. Deep litter and straw does a lot to keep hens warm and their water from not freezing. Obviously we had no lights to make them continue to lay, I still think they need a break. South Western Ontario is cold in the winter

    Reply
    • I live way up in northern Ontario and the winters get to be minus 40 Celsius so I do have heat lamps , I have two rooms in their coop , I took the corner of my garage and closed it in with a door i between , I put them in the one room at night with heat lamps and in the morning I open up the door so they have two rooms oabout 6×8 in size . Am I correct with using the heat lamps when temps dip to minus numbers ? Mine lay all winter because of the heat lamps , they give off light

      Reply
      • It sounds like you have created a space for your chickens to stay warm during the cold winter months in northern Ontario. It is generally a good idea to provide heat lamps when temperatures drop below freezing, as chickens are susceptible to frostbite and other cold-related illnesses.

        It’s great that your chickens continue to lay eggs throughout the winter months due to the heat lamps. The light from the lamps can help stimulate egg production, so it’s a good idea to continue providing them with that light.

        Just make sure to monitor the temperature in the coop and adjust the heat lamps accordingly. You want to make sure that the chickens are warm enough, but also not overheated. Additionally, make sure that the lamps are securely mounted and that there are no flammable materials nearby.

        Reply

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