5 Winter Dangers Backyard Chickens & What You Can Do (It’s Not Just The Cold!)
When you’re first learning about backyard chickens it’s normal to be worried about getting your flock through their first winter. Depending upon the severity of the winter season in your area, you will likely encounter a variety of seasonal challenges. Don’t worry! With a little forethought, care, and planning you and your flock can enjoy a safe and happy winter.
Note: My region regularly experiences approximately two weeks of severe winter weather with temperatures that are approximately -20 degree below Fahrenheit. If your region has winters and temperature extremes even more severe than that you will need to consider things like insulating your coop and other additional winter preparations appropriate to your climate.
Your backyard chickens are domesticated livestock animals. While they don’t require nothing from you, be assured they are in fact intended to live and flourish outside. As long as your chickens have clean, dry, well-ventilated shelter and their basic needs are met they will have what they need to remain healthy during the winter season. The vast majority of chicken breeds do not require ANY supplemental heat. The 3 groups of chickens that require or benefit from supplemental heat in the winter are:
Baby chicks. Baby chicks are not ready to be outside until they are fully feathered. Baby chicks should remain in a temperature-controlled brooder environment and be transitioned outside sometime approximately 8-10 weeks of age once they have a full set of feathers. Without feathers chicks cannot regulate their body temperature and without a mother hen to care for them they will require supplemental heat.
Ornamental chickens. Ornamental breed like silkies, booted bantams, and Polish chickens (and other ornamental breeds) due to their elaborate plumage and delicate nature are not well suited to winter extremes and often benefit from supplemental heat.
Elderly chickens. Elderly chickens due to natural conditions like arthritis and difficulties associated with the aging process often benefit from supplemental heat.
*Do not use a brooder bulb in your chicken coop. This is an extreme fire hazard and can cause a coop fire. * If you determine your flock would benefit from supplemental heat in the winter consider appropriate livestock safe options intended for that purpose like a wall mounted panel heater.
If you provide your chickens with dry, clean, well-ventilated shelter that is free from draft most chicken breeds will have what they need to flourish during the winter season. Your chicken shelter should be dry, well maintained, ventilated (air holes above the level of your chickens where moist soiled air can escape), and free from draft with walls and a roof to prevent rain, precipitation, and frigid winds from blowing directly onto your chickens. You can construct temporary winter walls from things like a tarp, panels, scrap wood, or bales of straw.
5 winter dangers to your flock other than the cold include things like:
Predators. During the winter season, driven by starvation and desperation predators will become even more brazen in their attempts to find food. Predators aren’t just limited to wildlife and often include unmonitored domestic animals too. Pests like mice and rats will be eager to find food sources like your chicken feed and the chickens themselves. Protect your flock by fortifying your coop and vents with hardware cloth. Chicken wire keeps chickens in but predators like mice, snakes, and raccoons can break and permeate it. Invest in predator proofing your chicken area. Remove excess growth around your chicken structures that can be home to unwanted pests. Bury wire or line your chicken area with gravel to discourage predators from digging under fencing. Motion sensor lights, yard fascinators, predator decoys, coop cameras, redundant locks, storing your chicken feed in a weather proof container at night, pet and child safe pest deterrent sprays and scent balls, and your human presence are all additional ways to discourage a predator presence.
Unsanitary conditions. Excess droppings, unchecked muddy conditions, decaying litter and nesting material saturated with droppings are all the prime environment for pests, ailments, and disease. Maintain your chicken area on a regular basis with a daily clean and deep cleans to prevent conditions like ammonia toxicity, frostbite, and others.
Overcrowding. Especially during the winter season when most flocks will be spending more time in confinement and especially for flocks living in total confinement a lack of space poses a real health issue for your flock. Inadequate space leads to things like excess aggression, feather pecking, a drop or cease in productivity, poor overall health, and other issues. Provide your flock with as much space as you feasibly can. Extend the area your flock has access to during the day by creating a run, a chunnel (a chicken safe activity tunnel), repurposing dog housing, or utilizing temporary or moveable livestock fencing. Provide your flock with plenty of enrichment in the form of nutritious treats, plenty of roosts and perches, and even sturdy parrot toys.
Poor nutrition. Winter conditions can create stress for even the healthiest flock. Excellent, adequate, and complete nutrition is essential to your flocks’ health and productivity during the winter and all year round. Poor and incomplete nutrition can cause things like soft shells, egg binding, poor feather regrowth, a drop or cease in productivity, and even aggression. Choose a complete poultry appropriate feed to your chickens’ breed and purpose. Ferment your chicken feed to double the volume and increase the nutritional impact for your flock. Consider adding a high protein feed like all-flock combined with your flocks’ regular feeding regimen for a protein boost. Provide grit in a free choice container to prevent conditions like impacted crop and sour crop. Provide oyster shell in a free choice container to prevent soft shells and help feather regrowth.
Poor biosecurity. Biosecurity is the measures you take to prevent pests, ailments, and disease from impacting your flock. Especially during the winter season when flocks are living more in partial or fulltime confinement without access to fresh pasture, they are even more susceptible to many chicken ailments. Diseases and pests can spread quickly within your flock. Prevent infestations and problems from arising within your flock by practicing good biosecurity. Clean your chicken facility and replace soiled litter and nesting material regularly. Remove excess droppings. Use a dedicated pair of livestock boots that you only wear when caring for your flock and not any other time. Don’t wear your livestock gear into public and especially when visiting any other place or residence that also has chickens. Provide your flock with a roofed run. Wash your hands with soap before and after handling your flock and especially after handling other chickens. Sanitize any used equipment before use and regularly clean your food and water dispensers. If you add chickens to your flock, be sure to observe an isolation plan for the new flock member of at least 2 to 4 weeks to ensure the new flock members are free from disease and pests before integrating them into your existing flock.
Bonus danger. Your ego. Every beginner makes mistakes and backyard chicken beginners are no different. Your willingness to learn about the needs of your backyard flock is your best defense against preventable, costly, and heart-breaking mistakes. It’s imperative to acknowledge when your flock is encountering issues it is possible your care methods or the environment you have created for your flock may in fact be the source of the challenges. Purchase and read at least one beginner care guide book to familiarize yourself with sound, time-tested, basic care methods for your backyard flock. Local booksellers, your local farm box store, your local library, and online book sellers all have great resources about backyard chickens to help enhance and inform your backyard chicken journey. Your willingness to learn about your backyard chickens will benefit you and your flock beyond measure!
I hope this has been a helpful post about winter dangers to consider while keeping backyard chickens and what you can do to keep your flock safe and healthy during the winter season and all year round. If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out Chuck’s other social media for more backyard chicken and homesteading content.
Chuck and the Chicks 