How to Winterize the Chicken Coop

How to Winterize the Chicken Coop
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Nov. 12, 2024
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For northern homesteaders, there seems to be an endless number of things to ‘winterize’ in the fall. So when it comes to winterizing the chicken coop, I like to keep it as simple as possible. A simple and effective winterizing plan for the homestead coop will help your flock stay dry and healthy during the winter months. This guide on how to winterize the chicken coop will walk you through the six steps I take to winterize my coops in the fall. Here in the central part of the lower peninsula of Michigan, I like to try and have my coops winterized before opening day of deer rifle season, which is November 15. Your winterizing deadline may be different depending on where you are located! Here are the six tasks I work on throughout the fall to winterize the chicken coops!

#1. Install Heated Water Bases

Chickens can survive for longer without food than they can without water. It is important that your chickens have a fresh supply of water even when the temperatures dip below freezing. The two ways that I use to keep my flock’s water from freezing are:

• a heated water base
• heated dog dishes

I use this heated water base in my chicken coops during the winter to keep the plastic water founts from freezing. The heated water base sits on some wooden blocks and plugs into an electrical outlet in the coop. I place the water founts on the base which keeps the water from freezing. The heated water base that I use is thermostatically controlled so it turns on only when needed.

I also use heated pet bowls when necessary. They come in the most handy when I want to put water out in the enclosure. I can place the heated pet bowl on a block of wood and plug it into an electrical outlet in the enclosure. Heated pet bowls work great, however, they do allow the water to get a little dirtier since they have more open water surface area.

Both of these methods require electricity in your coop. All electrical outlets must be properly installed. Extension cords should not be used in the chicken coop! This also means that the water will freeze if the electricity goes out for a long period of time.

There are many other ways to keep your flock’s water from freezing during the winter, and some don’t require electricity! Learn all the tips and tricks in our new ebook, Winter Chicken Keeping, which can be found in The Trading Post. Or check out this list of ways to keep water from freezing in the chicken coop!

Reminder!

You do not need to heat the coop! Chickens are able to keep themselves warm in most winter conditions. If you are worried about eggs freezing then just remember to check frequently on very cold days. An egg is a few degrees cooler than a hen’s body temperature (105-107°F) so it should not freeze too quickly after it has been laid unless there is extreme weather.

If you do find a frozen egg, just let it unthaw at room temperature and then put it in the fridge. If the shell is cracked though, you may not want to eat it, but you can cook it up and give it to your hens!

Still worried about your flock freezing? Check out this article where I discuss whether chickens need heat during the winter or not!

#2. Make Sure the Coop is Ventilated

The chicken coop must be properly ventilated but still remain draft free. Good ventilation will keep the air from becoming too moisture laden. Moisture causes frostbite to develop on combs, wattles, and toes of chickens. You can tell if the air in your coop is moisture laden in the winter by looking for little, white frozen crystals that will form on windows and doors. Ventilation will also help circulate air through the coop and keep it from becoming smelly. Good ventilation is important, but make sure you don’t have any drafts coming into the coop.

Ventilation allows for air exchange. Drafts on the other hand, are a one-way air flow. I try to keep good ventilation while trapping heat in the coop by covering portions of the windows with plexiglass or construction plastic. Another great way to regulate ventilation is to have hinged window covers. You can then prop the window open as much as you like depending on the weather.

You should also remove sources of moisture, such as water, droppings, and wet bedding on a regular basis. If you can’t keep your flock’s water outside, then try to minimize the amount of water surface that is open. Nipple water systems and bell waterers are good to use during the winter, however, they are harder to keep unfrozen. Cleaning up wet litter and droppings as soon as possible will help reduce the moisture in the air and help keep ammonia fumes from building up.

#3. Supplemental Light

There are mixed feelings in the chicken world about adding supplemental light when the daylight decreases. Hens need 14-16 hours of light a day in order to lay eggs. As daylight decreases, hens will stop laying because they are not getting the correct amount of light. Hens benefit from a break in production since that is more natural for them than laying all year-round. However, I do use some supplemental light during the winter for my homestead flock.

I start the supplemental light only after all my hens have finished their fall molt. The hens need to put all their energy into growing back new feathers for the winter and usually do not lay during their molt. The supplemental light should also be added gradually. If the supplemental light is added suddenly, it could stress the hens out. That could cause them to go into another molt and stop laying again!

Recommendation:

I use LED rope lights in my coop, which provide a soft, warm light each morning for my hens to wake up to. I start by waking them up around 7:00am and gradually work up to 5:30-6am. Usually 5:30am is the earliest I will wake my flock up since I don’t want to stress the older hens out but I still want the younger hens to get enough light to keep laying.

To save on electricity I set my LED lights on a timer so that I can have them automatically turn off once the sun comes up. I also only supply supplemental light in the morning. To learn more about using supplemental light during the winter, check out Do Hens Need Supplemental Light?

#4. Winterize the Chicken Coop Enclosure

I have noticed throughout my years of chicken keeping, that some chickens don’t mind walking through the snow while other absolutely despise it. Making sure your flock has plenty of space to exercise even during the snowy months is important.

Make sure at least a portion of your enclosure is covered. Reducing exposure to wind chill or blowing precipitation is also key to minimizing cold stress during the winter. I like to set up a wind and snow block on the north and west sides of the chicken coop enclosures. I staple opaque construction plastic over the wire fencing of the enclosure, this keeps the snow from blowing in and provides some wind block. Wood batons that are screwed into the wood frame of the enclosure keep the plastic from coming un-stapled during windy conditions.

Surrounding the entire enclosure with a wind block is also beneficial for preventing frostbite, conserving heat, and providing shelter. If you do surround your entire enclosure make sure there is still plenty of air flow and ventilation. Also, make sure the enclosure is not too dark. Sunlight is important for your flock’s health and happiness throughout the winter. Don’t surround the entire enclosure with a dark or black material, the dark material could cause the enclosure to heat up too much when the sun is out.

#5. Insulate with Straw

Every winter I use straw in the flock’s enclosures. And recently, I have been using it inside the coops as well. I like to do a litter change in the fall to get the coops all freshened up before winter sets in. The fall litter combo that I use includes a layer of large flake wood shavings topped with several flakes of straw. Straw provides a great boredom buster, helps keep the enclosure clean during the winter, and actually generates some heat through the natural composting process.

I like to create a deep litter using straw in my flock’s enclosure. The deep litter method should only be used if you are willing to do it properly. Deep litter that is not managed properly will allow harmful ammonia fumes to build up in the enclosure. However, if you put the effort into doing the deep litter method properly, it can help insulate your chicken coop and enclosure which will help keep your flock warm during the winter. I cover how to do the deep litter method in my book, Winter Chicken Keeping.

Even if you don’t use the deep litter method, you can still provide your flock with entertaining straw flakes to sort through. I always put straw in my flock’s enclosure every winter for entertainment and insulation. When using straw you will want to keep an eye out for these things.

Straw Tips for the Coop:

• bugs- Get straw from a reliable source so that you know it won’t have bugs or parasites in it.
• straw mats- When straw gets wet, gathers droppings, or gets walked over a lot it will form disgusting straw mats. To prevent straw mats, rake and turn the straw regularly and remove any straw mats that form immediately.
• chickens eating a lot of straw- Straw can cause impacted crop when consumed in large quantities, however, under normal circumstances your chickens will only sort through the straw and consume any seeds or hulls they find. Also make sure your flock has access to grit to help them digest what they eat.

#6. Decorate the Coop!

Okay, so maybe this last task isn’t necessarily essential, but it is fun! Here are a few festive ideas that I do to decorate my homestead coop:

• Small pine trees- I place a small pine tree in my flock’s enclosure. Not only does it look pretty but it also provides entertainment for my flock. Chickens like to eat pine needles, but only the long ones, not the short prickly kind. Make sure your chickens have access to grit to help them break down the fibrous needles in their crop.
• Garland- Feel free to make a garland for your chickens out of popcorn and cranberries. However, do not use thin or weak string! String can break easily and entangle or strangle your chickens!
• Wreaths- You can decorate with both real wreaths and edible wreaths. Edible wreaths can contain seeds, nuts, and berries for your flock to enjoy!
• Stockings- Our chickens are spoiled because they each have their own little stocking. Each stocking has a name tag with the chicken’s name on it. We hang their stockings out at the coop so they can see them and on Christmas day we make them a special treat such as a mealworm mix or popcorn.

One other fun thing that we like to do with our chickens is take them on sled rides in the woods! We have a few special hens who seem to enjoy being wrapped up in a blanket and going for a ride! My Buff Oprington hen, Flint, was the best ever at sled riding.

Specific sled riding guidelines can be found in the Winter Chicken Keeping ebook as well.

Hopefully this six step guide on how to winterize the chicken coop will help you get your homestead coop ready for winter weather in a simple but effective way. By planning ahead and preparing properly your flock should weather the colder months easily. Once you have prepared for the cold weather, be sure to check out my other post on 8 Winter Chicken Keeping Tips for ideas on how to keep your flock happy throughout the winter! You can also check out my post on How to Keep your Flock Warm this Winter for ideas on how to help your flock conserve heat!

Lastly, don’t forget to grab your copy of Winter Chicken Keeping from the Trading Post! It covers everything you need to know about keeping your homestead flock happy and healthy all winter long!