Let's get those Coops ready for the Winter Months ahead!
Here are some of the basics:
#1 Clean Your Coop
One of the most important factors in helping your hens stay healthy is cleanliness. A build-up of litter in the coop is a breeding ground for bacteria and disease. Having a freshly cleaned and disinfected coop going into winter will help keep your hens healthy.
Read more about how to clean your coop...
#2 Make Sure Your Chickens Can Roost
Chickens use the roost bars as a primary method of staying warm during those cold winter nights. They will crowd together during intense cold and fluff up their feathers to help themselves stay cozy. Your roosts should be about two feet off the ground, and there should be enough roosts for all your birds.
#3 Keep Your Coop Well Ventilated
Chickens generate a lot of moisture, ammonia, and heat – so it’s critical to ventilate well to remove the excess from the coop. The more time your chickens spend indoors, the more important it is to supply good ventilation.
#4 Minimize Drafts
In cold weather, make sure that the ventilation isn’t causing drafts – any ventilation that will be used during cold weather should be high up and hopefully protected from rain and snow by roof overhangs. You don’t want a cold draft wafting across your chicken roost(s) at night. A good suggestion to help insulate would be to stack hay bales outside of the drafty part of the coop.