Chickens love to go outside during the day, romping in the sun when it’s up. Many breeds of chickens, however, are not fond of snow (just like people!). In northern climates where the snow does fly, this requires a bit of planning on the part of the chicken farmer. See tips on keeping chickens happy in winter.
Chickens enjoy scratching the ground looking for bugs and worms, stretching out and sunbathing in the rays as well as digging deep dirt holes so that they can “dust bath” in them. They emerge from their baths completely covered with dirt and create a huge dust cloud around themselves as they shake it off. It’s quite hilarious to watch.
Chickens, however, are not usually crazy about the snow. Once the white stuff has hit the ground, you open their door and the first foot that goes out comes right back in. Some chickens actually spend the entire winter indoors for this reason (Perhaps that’s where the saying “cooped up” comes from).
But I think it’s healthier for the chicks to keep going outside. They won’t get any vitamin D in their eggs if they stay inside and the coop gets dirtier and dustier.
During a storm, I give the girls some squashes, pumpkins or sunflower seeds to chew on so that they don’t decide to chew on each other. Sometimes I will hang a cabbage from a roost for the same reason. Once the storm has departed, I get out the shovel. I slide the snow off of their ramp then shovel them a courtyard. Our chickens can get under their coop, so I make their yard where they can then get under it. Then, I spread out some hay or leaves. They love to poke through this stuff and it entices them outside. The hay generally contains some seeds that they like as well.
If we get a dusting on top of the hay, I just lift if up over the snow. This way, they continue to go outside and are generally much happier than just being “cooped up.”
Related Content
- Part 1: Raising Chickens: Getting Started
- Part 2: Choosing the Right Chicken Breeds
- Part 3: How to Build a Chicken Coop
- Part 4: Raising Baby Chicks
- Part 5: Collecting, Cleaning, and Storing Chicken Eggs
- Part 6: When Chickens Stop Laying Eggs
Reader Comments
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Thank you
Thank you for writing such a sweet article! It made my day to think about some happy chickens being well taken care of and romping around in the winter. If only every animal owner was as kind and thoughtful as you are!
I live in the mountains of
I live in the mountains of California where we will get a good amount of snow a year. Im looking to get a few chickens for my kids to raise and care for. I feel its much better then video games. My first question is how do you keep the water from freezing in the winter? My first thought was maybe a fish tank heater. my next question is what is a good breed for the beginners. I want something that will yield eggs but also something that my kids will have fun with. I plan on building a 6Wx8Lx6H coop. I know this is an old thread but sure could use some advise.
Dan
Celeste! I've been thinking
Celeste!
I've been thinking about you!
I moved back to Long Island and I have chickens and a semi-farm.
Would love to hear from you.
Oh....loved this article too. Someone sent it to me on Facebook not knowing we were old friends. :-)
xoxoxo
Bridget
Miss you Bridget!
Miss you Bridget!
Excellent article! I really
Excellent article! I really hadn't thought to hang cabbage for them for boredom. We are in Northwest Idaho. We have Blue-laced Red Wyandottes. Unfortunately we have 7 rooster and 3 hens. We separated one rooster with the hens and 6 rooster together. All get along very well for now. They are all 5 1/2 mo old. We get 3 eggs on sunshine days and 1 egg on overcast. Our chickens love to be outside be it rain, snow, or sunshine. They only go in if the wind is blowing hard or raining really hard. They can't wait to go out. They also don't eat scraps much. We have taken them apples, lettuce, carrots, pineapple--they don't want it. We keep grit and oyster shell down all the time as well as layer feed and corn for the winter to help them keep warm. The layer feed has everything they nutritinally need so I guess that's why they don't like veggies. These chickens are very large about 8-10 lbs. Our friend has a variety of chickens but came over and called ours Pterodactyls! They aren't full grown yet. I just love them. They talk to you when you go out and they run to keep up with you. We are very proud of our birds! I guess this breed is perfect for our mountain climate. We will be moving them into the shade for the summer in a new coop since they like the cold weather so much. Thank you for sharing your insights!
Hi Jodi, Thanks for your
Hi Jodi,
Thanks for your kind comments!
How are the chickens
How are the chickens producing Vitamin D from sunlight?
Animals (including man)
Animals (including man) naturally convert solar energy into Vitamin D. That's why it's so important to be in the sun (while protecting yourself from the sun's harmful rays).
Hi LeoG, Yes, all animals
Hi LeoG,
Yes, all animals (including us) do convert sunshine into vitamin D.
My chickens do well in the
My chickens do well in the winter. They know when they need to go in the coop. I usually just make sure that they have extra food , unfrozen water and extra hay. They do well in the winter. They don't lay as much as they do in the warmer months. They are fun to keep and teach little ones responsibility to care for animals. They get lots of treats, and when I go to feel them one of them gets a treat by getting to be tucked in my jacket.:-)
Hi Chick Mama, I agree that
Hi Chick Mama,
I agree that chickens are fun to keep and a good way to teach little ones about responsibility and how to care for animals.
I'm wondering if it's
I'm wondering if it's necessary to keep the chickens warm in winter. It worries me to no end that they are cold especially when it gets down in the "teens". I was thinking about putting one of those little heaters in the coop for them. What should I do?
Thank you
Hi Donna, Chickens actually
Hi Donna,
Chickens actually have a harder time with the heat than with the cold. They are birds, after all, and can fluff up. I don't usually worry about my chickens until it gets significantly below zero.
Interesting! I hope that
Interesting! I hope that everyone's weekend was both great and safe,had a nice weekend,having a good week and has another good weekend,plus I also hope that they had a nice MLK Day! That goes for last year and all the other years that I've missed. I'm sorry,but it slipped my mind.
Great ideas in your post,
Great ideas in your post, Celeste, thank you! Our biddies love their enlarged coop for winter; it has access to an outside pen through a small opening, the plastic sheet hangs in place like a doggie door. They love to get out on the warm days. They also appreciate an extra thick layer of wood shavings to nest and bury their eggs in.
Thanks for your comments,
Thanks for your comments, Angie. Good ideas as well!