Wintering the flock

As I posted the other day, we lost another Chicken.  It has been a pretty mild winter so far here in Mid-Michigan however it does have a tendency to be in the teens one day and 40 the next.  In that frame of my mind I have decided to list what I do to keep the chickens warm and healthy in the winter.  If you have any questions, comments or advice please feel free to leave a comment. 

Feed:
In addition to their regular food, we offer then some scratch grain mixed with extra corn. The fattiness of the scratch will allow the birds to pack on an extra layer of body fat, which aids them in better combating colder weather. The scratch or corn should be offered as a treat, though, not as the sole source of their diet.  We usually throw some down in the morning and then again right before they head in for the night.

Water:

Yes, most waterers will freeze. We are fortunate enough to have electricity in our coop, so we have purchased an electric warming base (to be used with double-walled, metal waterers).  I still check the water ever day to make sure it's not frozen and there is plenty for them to drink. If you don't have electricity in your coop you will need to check the water several times aday.  One idea is to fill the waterer with hot water and then drop a chunk of ice or a good amount of ice cubes into the water to slowly cool it down over the course of several hours. While they will drink less during colder weather, the birds still need to be able to drink water, period.

Heavy bedding:

If, like me, you use the heavy bedding method for collecting coop droppings, now is the time to add an extra heavy layer. Placed over existing droppings, heat will be generated from the composting manure, as well as the birds own body heat at night. It does not raise the temps much, but, all heat is welcome heat when it's freezing outside!

Combs & Wattles:

A series of days with below freezing temperatures could result in damaging, painful frostbite on your bird's combs and wattles. My gauge is 4 days-if the weather is super cold for over 4 days, I have petrolleum jelly to rub on thier tender bits to help prevent frostbite.

A Clear Path:

when the snow flies and is more than an inch or so, we shovel a path to the feeders and waterer's to lessen the time they spend on the cold, and wet snow, which can cause damage to thier feet.