How to Care for Chickens During the Holidays

How to Care for Chickens During the Holidays
by Alexa Lehr | The Pioneer Chicks | Dec. 19, 2024
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Our homestead livestock need care all year round, there is no ‘Christmas break’ from homestead chores. But, your homestead flock chores don’t need to add stress to the holiday season! With Christmas and New Years right around the corner, I figured I would share with you some of the helpful management tips that I use to care for my flock over the winter holiday season. These 8 winter holiday management tips for chickens include fun activities and helpful ideas for keeping your flock happy and healthy. Busy schedules, inclement weather, and holiday traveling can often get tricky for homesteaders. Hopefully these tips will help you care for your chickens properly and still allow you to enjoy the holiday festivities!

#1. Have an Emergency Plan

Emergency plans are always helpful, but having one during the holiday season is essential. If you have raised chickens for any length of time, you know that random issues can suddenly pop up. Busy schedules and holiday festivities can often make time precious, so the last thing you need is for one of your flock members to become suddenly ill and you are unprepared!

When the cold weather sets in, many issues can arise or be caused by the change in weather. Sudden changes in weather patterns or big dips in the temperature can cause stress for your flock which also weakens their immune system. This is a prime time for when parasites and other pathogens can take over and cause health issues. 

Preparing for a chicken emergency can be simpler than you think. First you will need to determine a safe spot where you can isolate a sick or injured bird. When temperatures are cold outside, this can be tricky. Bringing them inside is an option, but if you prefer not to have a chicken in your house (especially during the holidays) you may want to prepare a spot in your garage, barn, shed, or other outside structure.

However, sick birds will need to be kept warm or at least in a temperate environment so they can focus on healing and not generating body heat. You may need to invest in a small animal heating pad. A small animal heating pad is much safer and healthier than a heat lamp. A small heater set on low would also work. After you have chosen a spot, get a quarantine pen ready, just in case you need one.

How to Set Up a Quarantine Pen:

1. The Cage– Select a cage or pen, the cage should be big enough to allow your largest bird enough space to move around.
2. Set Aside Litter– Get a plastic grocery bag and place enough litter in it to cover the bottom of the cage. Good litters to use would include straw or large flake wood shavings. Secure the grocery bag so that it is ready in case you need it. Place the bag near or in the cage.
3. Feed & Water– Set up feed and water cups. They can be store-bought bird cage or rabbit feeding cups that clip onto the side of the cage or you can make something using small yogurt cups and wire. Place these cups inside the cage in case you need them.
4. Set Aside Feed– Fill a clean container (I like to use large yogurt contains that have been rinsed out) with chicken feed. Make sure the lid seals properly so no mice can get into the feed. Place the food container in an easy to access location near the infirmary pen.
5. Other Supplies– Finally, gather a few other supplies that should be on hand in case you need them: a small shovel for cleaning the litter with, a chicken first aid kit, water jug/container

You should be able to set up a quarantine pen fairly quickly, probably in about half an hour. Setting up this pen shouldn’t take too much time out of your busy holiday schedule and it will pay off in case you need to use it. Make sure your chicken first aid kit is well stocked in essentials like herbal tonics/tinctures, bandages, Vetericyn wound spray, and parasite treatment for treating sudden ailments like wounds, external parasites, or cold stress.

#2. Streamline Daily Coop Chores

Caring for chickens quickly and efficiently can be helpful during the holiday season when you have lots of other things that need to be done. Streamlining the daily coop chores can help you take the best care of your flock despite winter weather and busy holiday schedules.

They will still need their nightly droppings cleaned up, they still need to be fed, they still need fresh, unfrozen water, and they still need a little extra care during the cold weather (keeping water unfrozen, boredom busters, frostbite prevention, etc..). However, there are some ways that you can make caring for your homestead flock quick and efficient.

How to Streamline Coop Chores:

• Break up your chores into increments and based on days. For example, I clean up droppings in the mornings and fill feeders and waterers in the evening. I also tidy up the coop and enclosure on Tuesdays and give my chickens natural supplements on Wednesdays or Fridays.
• Prepare the night before. Some chores can be prepared the night before. Fill feeders/waters or set out feed (in a mouse proof container) the night before so all you have to do in the morning is bring out the feed to your flock.
• Have someone help you! Many hands make light work! Splitting up the chores makes things go much faster and will save everyone time in the long run.
• Get an automatic chicken door. Automatic chickens doors have been a lifesaver for me. Now I no longer have to worry about closing and opening the chicken coop doors every morning and evening.
• Sit down for a few minutes once a week and plan out what you need to do that week in addition to the usual chores. This may mean planning a boredom buster, looking at the weather to see if you need to put salve on combs for frostbite prevention, or deciding if you need to clean the whole enclosure this week or just tidy it up.
• Have your cleaning and care supplies handy and in easy to get locations. This will save you time from having to look around for the items you need.
• Use large feeders and water founts. The feeders and water founts you use should be large enough to hold food and water for your flock for at least 2 days. That way, if you have to skip chores for a day, you know your flock has the basics of food and water.

#3. Find Chicken Sitters

Traveling during the holidays can get tricky when you have chickens (and the weather is cold). If your coop is set up properly, you may be able to leave for an overnight, or even 2 nights, and your chickens should be fine.

This would mean that your feeders can hold enough food for two days, your waters will not get frozen and can hold enough water to last two days, and you either have an automatic chicken door or you have someone who is willing to open and close the door in the morning and evening. Make sure you check the weather as well, you would not want to leave your flock without daily care during very cold spells (teens or negatives). 

Leaving your flock for longer periods of time is trickier, but the help of a chicken sitter can make it possible. Check out my post on 6 Tips for Finding Chicken Sitters to help you find someone who is willing to look after your flock. To get you started, here are a few points to keep in mind:

Tips for Flock Sitters

• Always have a list of chores. The chicken sitter can just follow the list to make sure they do everything that needs to be done for daily flock care.
• Make sure you have a quarantine pen set up just in case a chicken becomes ill or injured.
• Your coop and enclosure should be predator-proof.
• An automatic chicken coop door would be very helpful. The chicken sitter may only need to care for your flock once a day if the coop door opens and closes on its own.
• Your flock’s water should be able to stay unfrozen and should be able to last at least 2 days. Consider investing in a heated water base or heated pet bowls.
• Make sure the chicken sitter knows how to put salve on chickens’ combs and wattles for frostbite prevention.

#4. Holiday Dietary Considerations for Your Flock

One of the last practical holiday management tips that I want to share with you has to do with your flock’s diet. The winter holiday season is often a time of baking, cooking, and big meals! As a modern pioneer, I like to make sure none of the leftovers or scraps go to waste. So… my homestead flock usually gets a supplemented diet during the holiday season!

Chickens can make great ‘composters’ and help save you from having to throw away food. However, chickens need to watch what they eat too. The wrong foods or even too much of the right foods can cause problems.

In general, cooked or raw fruits and vegetables are safe to give to your flock fairly frequently. They can also be offered in larger amounts than other scraps. Make sure you check out my list of good and bad table scraps for chickens before serving up leftovers to your flock!

You can also give your chickens meat scraps. Chicken, turkey, ham, beef, fish, venison, and lamb are all safe to give to your chickens. However, meat scraps should be given in moderation. Also be mindful of their fat content. Certain baked goods, like whole grain products, can be fed in moderation. Do not give your flock baked goods that contain lots of sugar, chocolate, lots of salt, or contain a lot of dairy.

Tips for Feeding Holiday Leftovers & Treats:

• Moderation– Do not offer a lot of leftovers all at once. Try to stick to the 1-2 tablespoons per bird rule.
• Timing– Give leftovers in late afternoon or evening, after your flock has eaten their share of regular feed.
• Save Leftovers– If you have a lot of leftovers, freeze some to give to your flock later!
• Boredom Buster– Turn the leftovers into boredom busters. Put meat scraps into homemade suet cakes, make a garland out of old berries, put leftovers into a suet cage to make them more challenging to get at, etc…
• No Mold– Never feed your chickens foods that are moldy or have gone bad.
• Water Only– Do not give your chickens any other beverages other than fresh clean drinking water.

Fun Ideas to Do With Chickens During the Winter

These last 4 tips are ones to help you have fun and enjoy your flock this holiday season! These are great ideas to help young modern pioneers become involved with the homestead flock during the winter.

#5. Safe Sled Rides

When I was younger, I had a few special chickens who were like pets to me. One activity that I always liked to do was take them for a sled ride. Obviously taking a chicken for a sled ride would require some snow, so this activity would be weather dependent. You may not think that chickens would like sled riding, however, I have found that certain birds take to it quite well.

In order for it to be ‘fun’ though, you must keep the health and well being of the chicken in mind at all times. The chicken form of sledding does not entail being pushed down a hill, instead, they prefer to be pulled in the sled on relatively flat, level ground. 

When choosing a chicken to take for a sled ride, take their personalities into consideration. I have found that docile breeds are easier to take for sled rides. Also, the older a bird is, the more likely it will be to snuggle down and enjoy the ride. It may take some training, but pretty soon you will have at least one sled riding expert in your flock!

Tips for Taking your Chickens on a Sled Ride:

• Always have a non-slippery surface down on the bottom of the sled so the chicken can get some traction. Soft blankets or towels work well.
• Use sleds with low sides so that the chicken can see its surroundings.
• I like to wrap my sled riding chicken up in a blanket. They love to snuggle down in the blanket and it encourages them to sit down and enjoy the ride.
• Expect the occasional ‘accident’ to happen. You may want to give your chicken a few potty break times in case they have to go.
• Start slow, it may take a few tries for the chicken to get used to being pulled in a moving sled.
• Take the weather conditions and the temperature into consideration before venturing out on a sled ride. Heavy snowstorms and below freezing temperatures are not suitable for sled rides.
• Do not use a motorized vehicle (four-wheeler or snowmobile) to pull your chickens on a sled ride!

#6. Make Chicken Stockings

Another fun holiday tradition that we do for our chickens is we make them each their own stocking!

Over the years, our collection of chicken stockings has grown dramatically. Of course, some stockings are retired as flock members pass away. We have a rule, however, that the retired stockings can not be reused. They are kind of like a memoir for those chickens who have passed away. 

We usually hang up the stockings out at the coop. Now there is a spot out at the coop where the current stockings get hung up, and another spot where memorial stockings get hung up. Each stocking has a piece of paper attached to it designating who’s stocking it is. We hand sew all of our stockings using fabric that we think matches the chicken’s personality. However, there are many other ways to make stockings for your flock.

How to Make Stockings for Chickens:

• Stockings can be made out of a variety of materials: fabric, felt, empty feed bags, etc…
• The stockings don’t have to be sewn. I am sure your chickens won’t mind if they just have a cut out shape of a stocking.
• Don’t forget to ‘fill’ the stockings on Christmas morning! Giving them a special treat such as dried grubs, scratch grains, or some popcorn will suffice as a ‘stocking stuffer’.
• I use ornament hangers to hang up my chickens’ stockings on the hardwire cloth covering a window or the galvanized fencing of their enclosure.
• You can also string up all of your stockings on a string and hang the stocking garland up out at the coop.
• Don’t feel like you have to make a stocking for every flock member (unless you want to of course)! Chickens don’t mind sharing a stocking as long as they each get a bite of the stocking stuffer!

#7. Holiday Chicken Coop Decor

I love holiday decorating, and making the chicken coop look festive is a fun way to decorate the homestead for the holiday season. Decorating the chicken coop can be as elaborate or as simple as you want.

Some decorations that I like to put up around the coop include: the flock’s stockings (both in the coop and in the enclosure), fake pine bough garland on the enclosure, big red bows (tied onto the garland), real pine boughs in two flower pots around the coop, pine boughs and pinecones in the window box, and a small reindeer and sleigh in the window sill. When decorating the chicken coop, there are a few safety considerations you will want to keep in mind.

Coop Decorating Safety Tips:

• Items that have strings attached to them or are hung on string should be out of the chickens’ reach to prevent entanglement or strangulation.
• Decorations should be sturdy. Any decorations that the chickens may be able to fly up on should be securely fastened so that they don’t fall down or tip over.
• Try to keep the holiday decorating to the exterior of the coop, not in the chickens’ enclosure or coop space.
• Chickens are curious and will peck at anything, so make sure the decorations are safe and not toxic.
• Any Christmas lights hung out at the coop should be properly fastened up and not present a fire hazard.

#8. A Chicken’s Christmas

This final fun winter holiday management tip is basically just giving you some ideas on how to incorporate your homestead flock into the special holiday season! Chickens can actually help you enjoy this holiday season even more and they can bring joy into the holidays!

Chicken Gifts

Typically Christmas is thought of as a time of giving, and giving gifts can often make you feel happy and grateful. I love giving gifts at Christmas time, and I make sure to never forget my chickens! Making something for your flock as a Christmas gift can be quite simple and easy. Every year I always pop a batch of popcorn as a ‘gift’ for my flock. One year I sewed nesting box curtains for the nesting boxes and used it as a ‘gift’. Really,  any improvements to the coop/enclosure or special treat can count as a gift, chickens aren’t too picky!

Gifts for Chicken Lovers

If you know of some modern pioneers who absolutely love their flock, you may want to check out my list of 20+ Gift Ideas for Chicken Lovers!

Christmas Chicken Therapy

Chickens can also help lift your spirits and make you more joyful. Sometimes it can be hard to be joyful during the holiday season despite all the festivities. Life struggles, lose of a loved one, or other factors can be a little sobering at this time of year. Animals have been proven to have a positive impact on making people feel better. Spend some time with your chickens and you’ll notice the joy and laughter they bring to you!

Even better, share your flock with a loved one or friend who is struggling this holiday season! I have even brought one of my hens into a nursing home before to share the joy of chickens with the elderly community. Petting, holding, talking to, and being around chickens can lift the spirits of both young and old this holiday season!

I hope you have found these 8 tips on caring for chickens during the holidays to be both helpful and fun! The holidays should be enjoyable and as stress free as possible, and if that means using simple ways to care for your flock, then let’s do it! You can now properly care for your homestead flock throughout the holiday season and still enjoy the festivities. Whether it’s making an emergency plan, finding an overnight chicken sitter, taking your favorite hen for a sled ride, or filling your flock’s stockings… I hope you enjoy this time of year with your flock!

Happy Holidays from The Pioneer Chicks and our flock!

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