Chicken Coop Winterizing Checklist

23 items · Home · Medium difficulty · 1 weekend

Get a backyard flock ready for winter: ventilation without drafts, water that will not freeze, deep bedding, predator checks and safe heat.

• Check the roof and walls for leaks

  Do it before the first heavy rain or snow. Wet bedding in winter is hard to dry out.

• Block drafts at roost and floor level

  Wind blowing across roosting birds pulls the warmth out of their feathers.

• Keep vents open near the roof line, above the roosts

  Damp air rises and leaves through them without blowing on the birds.

• Look for frost or condensation on the inside walls on cold mornings

  Frost inside the coop means the ventilation is not enough.

• Repair holes and loose wire that predators could get through

  Check the hardware cloth, the door latches and the base of the run.

• Lay a deep layer of pine shavings or straw

  With the deep litter method you add fresh bedding on top all winter and clean the coop out in spring.

• Make sure the roosts let birds cover their feet

  A 2x4 laid with the wide side up lets a chicken sit down over its toes.

• Set up a way to keep water from freezing

  Use a heated waterer, or set a metal waterer on a heated base.

• If the water is not heated, plan to swap it at least twice a day in freezing weather
• Check every cord and outlet that powers the coop

  Use outdoor-rated extension cords and keep connections off the wet floor.

• Decide whether your flock needs any added heat

  Cold-hardy breeds in a dry, draft-free coop usually do not.

• Fix any heater so it cannot fall into bedding

  Use a heater sold for coops, and secure it with a chain or a second fixing as well as any clamp.

• Stock up on feed before snow makes trips hard

  Chickens eat more in cold weather.

• Store feed in metal bins with tight lids

  Mice and rats move toward food and shelter as it gets cold.

• Give a handful of scratch grains in the late afternoon
• Put a windbreak on the windward side of the run

  Clear plastic or a tarp keeps the snow and wind out, so the birds still go outside on cold days.

• Spread straw over snowy patches in the run

  Some chickens refuse to walk on snow and stay inside all day.

• Collect eggs more than once a day in freezing weather

  An egg left in the nest box can freeze and crack.

• Expect fewer eggs as the days shorten

  Laying slows when daylight drops below about 14 hours. Adding light in the coop keeps them laying, and leaving it off gives the hens a rest.

• Check combs and wattles for frostbite on very cold mornings

  Pale, gray or black tips are the signs. If you find any, the coop needs more ventilation.

• Replace wet bedding around the waterer each week

  Spilled water keeps that patch damp, and damp in the coop raises the risk of frostbite.

• Clear snow from the coop door and the run after each storm
• Keep a headlamp by the back door for dark morning and evening chores

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