Keeping Livestock Warm In The Winter

The most important thing to do when raising chickens in the cold is to keep them dry and their coop as draft-free as possible. Keeping a coop draft-free while still providing good ventilation for moisture to escape is a little bit tricky. The best solution I found is to keep the ventilation up high near the ceiling and away from where the chickens perch at night. I cover the windows with feed bags because they breathe well but stop the drafts in the winter. High protein feed and supplementing with kitchen scraps also helps keep chickens warmer. Extra protein increases the metabolic rate, which does help keep them warmer. I don’t know about you, but I feel way more comfortable with a full belly in general, and I figure my animals likely feel the same. I don’t use heat lights or supplementary heat in my coop. I prefer to raise chickens well adapted to the cold and provide protection from the elements rather than risk fire in my coop. The best breeds I have found for our climate are Barred Rocks and Partridge Chanteclers. I prefer chickens with pea combs as they are small and close to the head, making them less susceptible to frostbite than larger combed breeds. Have you ever watched a chicken ruffles their feathers? In the winter, they trap air under their feathers when they ruffle them, which helps to insulate them from the cold. The way that animals have evolved to be able to endure extreme weather is amazing!