If this is your first winter with chickens, make sure that your coop is in a condition to protect your flock in the cold weather. The chicken is generally a hardy bird, but you can help yours adapt to the changes in temperature and keep them comfortable as the mercury dips. My hens thrived during two winters in southern Ohio because I applied a few common sense rules to their housing and daily care.
Drafts and ventilation – aren’t they the same?
No. Ventilation is required in a coop of any size and the larger the ratio of numbers of birds to coop size, the more ventilation is needed. Ventilation holes are strategically placed, while drafts are random cracks and holes that need to be filled in.
Drafty is nasty
Chickens can withstand steady cold but not direct draft. Make sure that there are no holes or cracks in your coop that allow cold air to blow directly on your chickens in the nest boxes or as they roost overnight. Chickens’ feet and head are most susceptible to the cold when they’re not in motion, so plug any source of draft that would be directed at any area where they’re at rest. If using caulk to fill cracks, make sure to do it early in the day to allow any harmful fumes to dissipate before the chickens roost for the night.
Ventilation a must
If you left doors or windows open in your coop all summer, you’ll need to make adjustments as the temperatures drop at night. Adequate ventilation in your coop is important, even in severe temperatures. Don’t make the mistake of plugging all holes so that your chickens will be warmer, because you will be doing them more harm than good. Chickens are susceptible to respiratory problems and lack of proper ventilation is one major cause. As hours of daylight decrease, your chickens will be spending more time roosting, so proper breathing space is as important in winter as at any other time of year, regardless of how low the thermometer reading.
Vents are required on at least two sides of your coop to allow for cross ventilation. Position the openings so that that cold air won’t be blowing on the roost or nest boxes. My larger coop is 4′ x 8′ and the roost is positioned the 8′ length of the coop, about 10″ or so from the ceiling. My ventilation is placed at both short ends of the coop at almost the same height as the roost, but towards the front (See photo #2). Since the roost is further back, air flow is adequate, but there’s no chilly draft directly on my hens.
Bottom line on airflow
Your chickens’ feathers are sufficient to keep them warm as long as you dictate how fresh air is introduced into the coop. By putting thought into where ventilation is placed rather than allowing drafts to appear wherever they may, your chickens will be able to ward off the cold with just what nature provides them.
More from Marie Anne:
Will My Dog Eat My Chickens?
Straight Poop on Keeping Backyard Chickens
Keeping Chickens Cool in the Summer Heat