Category: Managing the Flock

Winter Chicken Keeping, Tips and Common Concerns

Let’s get one common question answered first… whether or not to add heat. Chickens have over 8,000 feathers offering them a nice cozy coat. They fluff up those feathers trapping air under their down and stay toasty warm even in temperatures below freezing. So, the answer is no, chickens don’t need added heat in the coop. However, it’s important they have a dry, draft-free shelter.
Windy conditions will ruffle their feathers and compromise their ability to stay warm. Even a spot heater in the coop defeats its purpose in the long run, not to mention it’s a major fire risk. Chickens would indeed huddle under a heat lamp, but when they move away from it their feathers are not fluffed up and they’ll be cold. They do better in a consistent climate, not fluctuating temps. So you have a choice, either confine them to a totally heated shelter all winter or don’t provide them any heat at all.
Your chickens will roost together at night to keep each other warm, make sure they have enough space to do this. Check on them at night, you shouldn’t see any birds on the ground, or roosting alone. This is an indication they couldn’t find a spot with the others. If you only have one or two chickens, rather than providing a heat source, do them a favor and get another chicken.

Good Housekeeping

Keep the coop clean, and change litter weekly. Damp conditions from droppings not only compromise chickens’ ability to stay warm but contribute to the risk of respiratory illness. If your chickens are free-roam during the day, it’s a wise decision to keep their water outside the coop. It isn’t necessary to provide water at night, it only increases unwanted moisture in the coop. Ventilation is good, and drafts are bad. If there are gaps in the coop walls, patch them. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, be creative! Save those empty feed bags, they’re a great way to insulate a coop!

Broody Silkies 10-23-14

Bedding

My personal choice is deep pine shavings. Many people use straw, but it has a tendency to mold, be brittle, and pokey, which can cause irritated vents on your birds.
Grass hay is nice, it stays soft, but it’s a bit pricey. All hay or straw is bulky and takes up a lot of space in the trash can. This is something to consider if you are an urban chicken keeper.

Diet for Winter Health and Warmth

Greens are just as important in winter as in summer. A good way to introduce greens and break the boredom in the coop is to hang a cabbage. This will keep them busy and healthy at the same time. Offering your birds a little scratch feed before bed will help them stay warm, but remember, scratch feed should be considered a treat, not a complete food for chickens.

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Chicks Ready to Leave the Brooder? Now What!

Chicks just out of the brooder aren’t ready yet to greet the world and are not ready to join an existing flock. So, there needs to be a middle ground created. This middle ground is called a Grow Out Pen, which is just a fancy name for a safe enclosure for young birds to grow up in!

Grow Out Pens 102015

The guidelines for transitioning chicks from the brooder to a grow-out pen is when the chicks are fully feathered, which is between six and eight weeks. Allow young birds to mature in a grow-out pen until they are around four or five months old.
This is important because, in the chicken world, size matters. Introducing small/young birds to a mature flock is a sure ticket to a drama show, and it could be a bloody one too! Grow-out pens slowly introduce juveniles gradually to an existing flock, making the transition easier for future interaction.
You’ll want to keep your grow pen in plain view of the adult flock. They will be very curious about the youngsters for a few days and then return to business as usual. The chicks will be timid, or hide for the first few days, then will accept their onlookers as nonthreatening and return to normal behavior.
Introduce Change Slowly
The whole key to enjoying chickens is to avoid those problems that cause chaos in the chicken yard. Nothing good comes from rushing introductions or changes.  The pecking order is serious business, and it’s a given that feeders, drinkers, and nest boxes have already been claimed and will be protected by an existing flock. When your juveniles are ready to join the flock, add more of those sought-after necessities so the new birds aren’t bullied.

Buff Silkie 2 2-9-15

Ready to Leave the Grow Out Pen?
No problem, the trick is to not overthink it. Your existing flock is quite used to seeing the young birds already, and the juveniles are very unlikely to make a mad dash to freedom the minute the grow-out pen door opens.  It’s all a process, one that will naturally go smoothly if you let them exit the grow-out pen on their own. They’ll take a few steps out, then run back in for days, even a week. That’s fine, just close them in at night, and in the morning open the door again.
Social ranking among your chickens will begin almost immediately. Sometimes it’s hard to watch the fuzzy babies you raised all these months to get pushed around, you’ll want to intervene and protect them. My advice to you is to walk away and don’t look for problems. I guarantee, if you look for trouble you’re going to find it. The flock will work everything out on their own over time.  You’ll know when you have to step in, and when to let nature take its course.

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Chickens in the House is Nothing to Brag About

Chickens in the house? Really? This is not a practice I would boast about to the world, yet I see pictures every single day online. Chickens wander around kitchens, sitting on the back of couches, and looking in the back doors and windows of homes. The list goes on and on.
Chickens are not house pets, and though SO MANY people allow their mature chickens in the house, I consider this practice a potential health risk, and irresponsible to say the least.
The rule of thumb is to keep a clean area between chickens and your living space.  That means chickens don’t belong in the yard, on the patio, where children play, or anywhere that family traffic is common. Chickens should have their own area outside. They are NOT companion animals like dogs and cats, and shouldn’t be allowed the same indoor perks.
Why is This so Important?
It’s common for chickens to carry Salmonella, which is a type of germ that naturally lives in the intestines and is shed in their feces. Live poultry may have Salmonella germs on their bodies (including feathers, feet, and beaks) even when they appear healthy and clean. The germs can also get on coops, hay, plants, and soil in the area where the birds live and roam. Additionally, the germs can be found on the hands, shoes, and clothing of those who handle the birds or work or play where they live and roam.
Each spring, children become infected with Salmonella, but it’s important to remember that the illness can occur in chicks or adult birds at any time of the year. Children are exposed to Salmonella by holding, cuddling, or kissing the birds and by touching things where the bird lives, such as cages or feed and water bowls. Young children are especially at risk for illness because their immune systems are still developing and because they are more likely than others to put their fingers or other items into their mouths.
How Common is Salmonella?
CDC estimates that approximately 1.2 million illnesses and approximately 450 deaths occur from Salmonella annually in the United States alone.
And Furthermore…  Shame on Manufacturers
It doesn’t help that chicken diapers and clothes are being marketed. These items are made simply because people will buy them. Nothing of the sort makes it safe to allow chickens indoors… nothing.

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