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Keeping the Egg Laying Hens Warm in the Winter

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We are not yet out of the woods! The cold is still hanging around and for the northern parts of the United States winter is far from over.

The southeast got a taste of spring last week and sometimes that’s worse than having the cold finally come to an end.

We are not yet out of the woods! The cold is still hanging around and for the northern parts of the United States winter is far from over.

Even the chickens get happy when weather warms.

Lets talk about small flocks in small coups and what can be done to keep them warm during the winter.

When you first start keeping chickens you get lost in the idea that you are getting eggs. You forget that the little egg layers need to be cared for. This is a big deal.

Summertime is not so bad but every mile is two in winter. A famous man wrote that quote and it explains winter to a T. Lets look at three ways to keep those egg laying hens warm in the winter.

Deep Bedding

Many Chicken owners depend on the deep bedding method for keeping chickens warm in the winter. This is just what it sounds like. Using more bedding to help your birds insulate and retain heat.

Heat Lamp

A small heat lamp is one of the best methods and a little goes a long way. A small heat lamp, a small flock and a small coup with deep bedding will not only keep the girls warm but cozy.

Coop Covering

Use a canvas covering and a tarp covering in the cold and precipitation. This keeps the worst out of the coop and also helps keep heat in.

BONUS

Another big tip is the size of the coop itself. Don’t build a massive coop for a few birds.

Keeping 4-6 birds means that you should have a very small coop and a nice run you can build yourself. When its cold you want them huddled up together in a small area that will hold that heat.

While a big coop might make you feel like they have a lot of space, when its cold they don’t care about space and when its nice they will be in the run.

We are not yet out of the woods! The cold is still hanging around and for the northern parts of the United States winter is far from over.