A medley of urban gardening, experimental cooking, family medicine, and my life.

30th October 2008

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I call not lubing up their combs (best call ever).

Winter Precautions
If you have cold winters, you shouldn’t run into any problems provided you choose the right breed. Our customers want to do the very best they can for their flock, and we often get asked whether they should heat their coop during winter. Our feeling is this isn’t a good idea. Chickens adapt to the cold weather over time. Their body metabolism actually changes along with the seasons. When you heat your coop, the birds will never get used to the colder outside temperature — so if the heat were to accidentally cut out causing a sudden change in temperature, you could literally lose your entire flock overnight. We’ve seen it happen.

That said, if you live in a really cold climate there are a few precautions you can take to make everyone’s lives easier (by which we mean you and your birds!):

  • Protect combs and wattles from frostbite by rubbing on petroleum jelly or another heavy moisturizer every few days.

  • Make sure the water supply does not freeze! This is very important. Chickens cannot live long without fresh water. If you don’t have electricity in your coop and therefore cannot provide a water heater, we recommend you bring the waterer into your house every night, and return it outside every morning. Check the water once or twice a day to make sure it’s not frozen.

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