Keeping Chickens in Winter
(3 minute read)
Winter’s nearly here! We’re already experiencing the cold, wet, dark nights. Whilst we’re tucked up indoors with the heating on … Lets think how our birds will fair being outside in the cold? The simple answer is … just fine!
Cold - luckily in the UK, temperatures seldom get cold enough to cause frost bite, and bird feathers are very good at insulating against the cold. A drop in temperature isn’t usually a concern, just ensure your birds have shelter to get away from wind chill. On really cold days, ensure you check the drinking water regularly to make sure it hasn’t frozen over.
Wet - most birds do not enjoy driving rain, or wading around in mud (except perhaps ducks) Hopefully, your run will be compliant with the avian influenza housing order guidance, and already fitted with a waterproof, fully covered roof to prevent wild bird faeces from dropping in from above. This also protects against water run off (which can still carry the virus).
You could add a similar rain barrier to the most exposed sides of the run, which can reduce driving rain. Ensure any tarpaulin is tied in tight to avoid flapping, and prevent it from rolling down the road in a strong wind.
Wooden pallets (or similar) can be useful to make an island for your birds to get away from the worst of the mud and sludge. Please file any sharp edges, and remove loose nails that may cause damage to your birds feet.
Desiccant powders can also help with wet ground, but these won’t be enough to soak up a puddle!
Respiratory infections - wintertime carries an increased risk of respiratory infections, here’s some top tips to reduce the risk:
Clean and dry - ensure your birds coop is cleaned out more frequently - they spend more time indoors (their early to bed and staying out of the cold) and they will produce more faeces in there, this can increase the moisture levels and ammonia. In extreme conditions ammonia can damage to the eyes, and airway, which is likely to lead to a respiratory infection. Keeping the coop clean and dry is key.
Ventilation - it’s essential to maintain good ventilation in the coop. Your chicken coop should have several smallish holes up near the roof, these are essential to allow fresh air in, and stale air out. Do not be tempted to block the holes to keep your chickens warm! A failure to properly ventilate the coop can cause health issues, including damage to the airways. Ensure the perches are positioned below any ventilation holes, so the air exchange happens above your birds heads, and not through them! Birds need a supply of fresh air, but they need to be protected against direct drafts, consider repositioning the coop if possible to protect from wind and fill any cracks in the coop.
Dusty bedding - can lead to trouble! Dusty bedding will be disturbed every time the birds move in the coop, this will increase the risk of your birds inhaling dust particles, which are bad for your birds airways. Birds have a unique respiratory system, which includes air sacs, birds can’t easily clear dust particles that are inhaled into the air sacs, so it’s best avoided - ensure any material used in the coop is dust extracted.