As a dangerous winter storm will soon impact the Northern Hemisphere, people are preparing for impacts of snow, ice, and severe cold temperatures. Store shelves are picked clean, and pet and livestock owners are stocking essentials for their animals till the storm relinquishes its grip.
During this time, many backyard chicken keepers will need to confine the flock to the pen and coop. While the flock is cooped up, providing stimulating activities will assist the flock in weathering the worst of Old Man Winter.
The Kuntry Klucker and Henwarts covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow.
When winter storms impact our region, I like to prepare my flock a homemade flockblock for my hens and gents. All ingredients are available in most home pantries or easy to obtain in stores. Over the past decade, I have had much success with this recipe, and the girls greatly enjoy the break from the winter blues with this boredom buster.
Ingredients:
2 cups of scratch grains (cracked corn is also good)
1 cup layer feed (pellets or crumbles)
1 Cup old fashioned oats
1/2 cup flax seed (ground or whole)
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat is best)
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 eggs (shells included)
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 coconut oil
1 cup raisins (dried cranberries, blueberries, or bananas will also work)
Begin by placing the scratch and layer feed in a large bowl.
Add the oats.
Next, add the spices. The cinnamon aids in respiratory health in the cold weather and the cayenne pepper helps circulation.
Next, add the raisins. The raisins will promote pecking as they look like tasty bugs, plump after baking.
Mix all the dry ingredients together well. After mixing, add the flour and the eggs. Crush up the eggshells into smaller pieces when mixing. The eggshells will dehydrate while baking adding calcium to the final product.
After mixing the eggs in well, add the blackstrap molasses and coconut oil.
Continue to mix. As the molasses and coconut oil combines, the mixture should be sticky and hold a ball shape when compressed in the hand.
Select an oven baking pan and line with foil. Spray the foil with a cooking spray for easy release after baking.
For a large flock block, select a square baking dish. If you prefer to hang the flock block in the pen, bread pans work best because it is roughly the size of a standard suit feeder. For free-hang, a round pie dish works best. Poke a hole in the area where rope or twine be will inserted. You can also double the recipe to create a large flock block to fill a 9 x 13 baking dish.
Press the mixture into the chosen baking dish. Press hard to compact the mixture as much as possible. This will result in a dense flock block that will not fall apart when removing from the pan.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Place the baking dish or dishes into the oven and bake for 35 minutes.
After baking, cut the flock block into the desired size. If you plan to hang the flock block in a suit feeder, a bread pan flock block can be cut in half, into two equal sizes that will fit nicely. If you prefer a larger flock block to free-hang in the pen, cut a hole for the rope of twine.
Flock block cut to fit a suit feeder.
Do not try to remove the flock block from the baking pan till cool. Removing the flock block while warm will increase the chance that it will fall apart. As it cools, the flock block will harden making removal simple.
Once the flock block has cooled, remove by lifting the foil out of the pan and turn over. This recipe will freeze for several months when wrapped in plastic wrap and foil.
Wishing everyone the best. Stay safe during this historic winter storm and cold weather and remember to give your flock boredom busters to help them bide the time while cooped up.
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Snow covers the ground as flurries silently whisp through the air. The flock anxiously waits for me to open the coop door to the outdoors as the sun illuminates the land. Nature has intelligently equipped chickens to live outdoors and embrace the winter season. Winterizing a flock includes preparing the pen and coop for winter while allowing the flock access to fresh air and a few rays from the winter sun. Here are my five tips to free-range a flock in winter.
A Winterized Coop and Pen.
The Kuntry Klucker wrapped in plastic to keep the coop and pen clean and dry.
To successfully free-range a flock in winter, a winterized coop and pen are necessary. In addition to growing in new feathers, chickens will grow in winter down for the coming winter during the annual molt; the coats we put on when the temperature dips are the same coats the flock is wearing factory-installed. A backyard flock does not need artificial heat to survive the winter elements, just a draft-free, dry, and clean. A draft-free winterized coop allows the flock to gauge their comfort level, venturing outside and returning as necessary.
Access to a dust bath.
Buff Orpington Hens taking advantage of a prepared dust bath in The Kuntry Klucker pen.
Dust bathing is a natural instinctive behavior in chickens. Dust baths help to keep feathers clean and in good condition. During the winter, the ground covered with snow or wet limits access to natural dust bathing sites outside the coop. Providing a dust bath in a winterized pen allows the flock to continue their natural behaviors in the bleak winter. A mixture of peat moss, play sand, and wood ash is the perfect medium for a dust bath.
Boredom Busters.
The flock pecking at a pumpkin.Scratch in a peanut butter jar is perfect for a winter game.A flock block to keep the flock entertained on cold days.
During the winter, when snow covers the ground, the flock will appreciate boredom busters that will keep them entertained and engaged. Throwing some chicken scratch or corn on the ground will keep the flock entertained as they forage for the morsels. A flock block in the free-ranging area will help engage pecking instincts while snow covers the ground. Scratch placed in a plastic jar with holes will engage the flock with game play on cold winter days. Boredom busters keep the flock mentally engaged, promoting position behaviors that ease the winter blues.
Provide paths in deep snow for the flock to follow.
The flock following paths in the deep snow left by a winter storm.
Clearing paths in snow will allow the flock access to the outdoors. Chickens do not like snow and resist going outside if the snow is deep. Paths will encourage the flock to venture outside and natural behaviors. Scattering scratch or cracked corn on the paths will engage the flock in foraging behaviors that will keep the flock happy on the worst snow days.
Install Lighting in the Pen.
The Coop De Ville residents silhouetted by the glow of a red light in the coop.
During the short days of winter, the flock appreciates an illuminated pen. Placing a light in the pen will guide the free-ranging flock toward the coop as the sun sets. An illuminated pen will allow the flock to consume sufficient nutrients before roosting for a cold winter’s night. Laying hens will also produce eggs during winter in a well-light pen. Once the flock is locked up and secured, turn off the light to allow the flock adequate sleep.
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The red glow of a LED bulb in The Coop De Ville bachelor pen.
As fall transitions to winter and temperatures begin to plummet, many backyard chicken keepers are looking for ways to overwinter their flocks and prepare for the anticipated cold weather. While steps to winterize the coop and pen will yield positive impacts, there are potentially dangerous mistakes to avoid when overwintering your flock. The most destructive of these is heat lamps.
In this post, I will explore the dangers of heat lamps and new and safer methods to implement in overwintering backyard chickens. While it is good husbandry to see to the needs of your flock, the most dangerous mistake a chicken keeper can make is judging the flock’s comfort level by your own.
The Kuntry Klucker winterized to keep the coop and pen clean and dry.
Heat lamps-synonymous with chicken coops-began in our grandparents’ days. During the 1940s through the 1980s, heat lamps were used in brooders to keep chicks warm and then used in the coop during winter as a supplemental heat source. While the intentions of these generations of chicken keepers were good, many unfortunately suffered the consequences of using heat lamps in these settings.
During the early 2000s, better methods of providing heat to the brooder setting reduced the need for heat lamps and the associated unintended consequences. However, despite the development of safer products specifically designed for the needs of a backyard chicken keeper, the tradition of heat lamps has progressed through time.
Ganondorf (white crested polish rooster) peering out of the window in the Coop De Ville illuminated by the red glow of a LED light in the coop.
Large, inconstant bulbs, blasting long wavelength red light at an impressive 250 or 500 watts, may seem benign, harmless, or passive. However, the dangers of these bulbs when used in the coop environment are anything but innocuous. A chicken coop filled with dry wood shavings, dust, and feathers is prime kindling for a swift, vehement, and exhaustive fire.
The path of destruction set forth by these bulbs is possible in two primary ways. First, there is no assured way to mount heat lamps in a habitat where the residents can fly. Heat lamps, by the antics of the chickens, are easily knocked down. Once they fall, if the bulb does not bust, the radiating heat will quickly ignite the dry shavings, and a fire ensues.
Secondly, due to the incandescent nature of heat lamp bulbs – at the end of their lifespan – the filament within the bulb can burst, causing the bulb to explode. Releasing a burst of light, heat, and sparks, the instability of heat lamp bulbs when making contact with the kindling in the coop will result in a fatal fire.
Silkie flock roosting in the coop.
Despite best efforts to mount a heat lamp in a chicken coop, the flighty nature of the residents inside makes a coop fire an ever-present danger. Given the volatility of heat lamps in an enclosed environment, there are much safer ways to keep the flock comfortable as the winter weather rages.
Plastic sheeting for winterizing coops.The TARDIS winterized.The Kuntry Klucker winterized to keep the coop and pen clean and dry.The flock in the Kuntry Klucker warm and cozy on a cold winter night.
To successfully overwinter a backyard flock, only two things are required – a clean and dry place to call home. Chickens are wearing down coats, factory installed. Artificially warming the coop can be life-threatening in severe winter weather. The loss of power is common in winter storms. We survive these events by wearing warmer clothes, huddling under thermal blankets, and consuming warm food and beverages. All of these creature comforts are unavailable to the freezing flock outside.
Miss Bossy (Buff Orpington Hen) trudging through the snow.
When faced with the same situation, a flock that has become dependent on supplemental heat can freeze to death. During the winter, I will receive several correspondences from other chicken keepers seeking help after a power outage that accompanied a winter storm resulted in death among their flock. In addition to sharing their sympathies, I will take the time to educate them on why this happened and how to avoid a reoccurrence in the future.
Chickens evolved to live outdoors and acclimate to the changing temperatures naturally. During molt, in addition to growing in new feathers, chickens will also grow in winter down to keep them warm during the winter. When the coop is artificially warm during this time, a variable that will cause a flock to be ill-equipped for the coming cold weather is introduced. With the added consequences of power loss during winter storms, flock’s dependent on artificial heat sources suffer when factors outside their control ensue.
The flock venturing out in the snow.The flock following paths cleared of snow.The flock investigating newly fallen snow.
Installing plastic sheeting around the coop and pen does two things. First, the plastic is a wind barrier. Secondly, winter precipitation will stay outside the pen and coop area. This simple improvement will keep the flock’s living habitat clean and dry, which makes cleaning much easier in the winter.
The natural body temperature of a chicken is between 107- and 109-degrees F, fatal for us but necessary for their survival; chickens are little furnaces wrapped in down feathers. A wind barrier is crucial for overwintering a flock because it allows the chickens to trap this heat next to their body where they need it to keep warm. Exposure to winds will lift their feathers, and they will lose the heat they worked hard to maintain. Given a draft-free place to call home, the chickens do the rest.
Roy (Buff Orpington Rooster) inspecting a snowman in the backyard.
Is it safe to free-range the flock during the winter? The answer to this is absolutely yes. A winterized coop and pen protected from the wind, elements, and temperatures will allow flock members to determine their comfort level. Given access to the outdoors, individuals will spend some time free ranging, if they get a chill from the wind or precipitation, they will come to the coop, warm up, and then continue free ranging. Access to the outdoors will keep a flock happy and healthy as they have natural resources such as sunshine and fresh air.
While it may seem daunting, overwintering a backyard flock is simple and affordable. Providing a clean and dry coop and pen stocked with fresh water and feed is all that chickens require. Keep it simple and let the chickens do the rest.
I hope this post was helpful and made the process of winterizing your coop and overwintering your flock much easier. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment. You can also reach me as the following e-mail address: kuntryklucker@gmail.com
I check my e-mail often and will respond as soon as I can.
To watch a YouTube video on my procedure of winterizing The Kuntry Klucker, please click here.
To watch a YouTube video where I go more in depth on overwintering my flock, please click here.
Image Credit: Noelle K. Moser. A male cardinal perching on a snow-covered tree.
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Summer has surrendered to fall, leaves wrestle in the wind, fall, then scatter on the ground. The gardens have been harvested, tilled under and prepared for the coming seasons rest. The girls are finishing their yearly molt, roosting increasingly earlier each evening. All this signifies the coming of winter, along with all its challenges for the backyard chicken keeper.
Many new backyard chicken keepers find themselves intimitated and overwhelmed wondering how to overwinter their flock. I know because I have been there. Over the years, I have learned a trick or two on how to keep your girls happy, healthy, and comfortable as outside temperatures plummet and winter weather rages.
The secret to successfully overwintering your flock is to keep it simple, enhancing your flocks naturally ability to weather the elements. Many new backyard chicken owners make the mistake of judging their flocks comfort by their own. This is the first and essentially the riskiest mistake that a flock owner can make. This is true for several reasons.
Chickens come factory installed with a down coat, the same coat that we put on when the mercury dips below a certain point. Many owners often forget that their ladies and gents are already bundled up for winter. Increasing the temperature in the coop hinders their health and can even cause death. Reasons are these.
Heating the coop: Additional heat to the coop or pen hinders the flocks ability to naturally adjust to falling temps. In the presence of a heated coop, your ladies will fail to grow in the down coat necessary for winter temperatures. This becomes problematic in events such as a winter storm knocking out power for hours or even days. The flock has acclimated to a warmer living environment, when this heat source is abruptly removed, shock and death can result. Like us, if resources to keep warm are removed, inability to adequately adapt to the cold environment may result in one falling prey to the harsh conditions . In the same situation we put on warmer cloths, huddle under blankets, sit by a fire, or drink and eat warm substances. All these necessities are not available to the backyard flock who suddenly finds themselves freezing due to depedence on a heat source. This is the first and the most serious mistake that a backyard chicken keeper can make. It is best to let them adjust to the cooler temps gradually, growing in their thick and heavy down coat as nature intended.
Heat lamps: The second mistake that new backyard chicken owners can make is the use of the humble heat lamp. Heat lamps = coop fires!!! I cannot recount how many times I saw on social media or heard about coops destroyed due to heat lamps. Heat lamps are very dangerous for a variety of reason, when used as a winter heat source, they can be deadly. Heat lamps, (sometimes called brooder lamps), consist of a large 500 watt red bulb that is used to create a warm environment to raise chicks. While heat lamps are a danger even when used as a brooder heat source, they are even more dangerous when used around adult birds in an enclosed space. Why? There is no way to safely mount a 500 watt heat lamp in an enclosed space where the occupants can fly, accidentally knocking them down. With a coop full of pine shavings, dry straw, dust and feathers, this is perfect kindling and prime to start a fast, furious and complete coop fire. If you take anything away from this post please, please do not use heat/brooder lamps to heat your coop. They will in most cases cause a devastating disaster. There are much better natural ways to assist your girls in overwintering the cold months. Below I will share with you safe methods that I employ to keep my flock happy, healthy, entertained and content during the long winter season.
But first, let’s answer a simple question. What does a backyard flock need in order to weather the worst of Old Man Winter? The needs of backyard chickens in winter are very few. All they really need is a clean and dry place to call home. They do the rest. It is the job of a keeper to provide the necessary accommodations in order to meet their basic needs. Chickens are well adapted to live outside, all they need is a little help to weather the bitter winds and elements.
How is this achieved? The main thing I do to overwinter my flock is enclosing their pen with construction grade plastic sheeting. The purposes are tripple fold.
Wind Break: The plastic acts as a wind break. As the bitter winter winds blow, the plastic surrounding the pen blocks the wind, allowing the girls to retain their body heat. Chickens are more than capable of generating their own body heat. Using their feathers and down coats, they can regulate heat their bodies produce, thereby keeping warm in the winter. The cold winter winds disrupt this thermal regulation by lifting up their feathers, exposing their skin to the bitter winter winds, loosing the warmth they worked so hard to maintain. A simple wind barrier helps them immensely. If allowed access to free range on a cold day, they will come and go from the protected pen as needed depending on their individual needs. If it’s a cold day, they will stay in the wind free environment of the pen. If it’s warmer, they may spend more time outdoors hunting and pecking. Allowing them access to the outdoors while providing a wind free place to retreat, will keep them happy and content as they weather Old Man Winter.
Precipitation Barrier: The plastic keep the elements out of the pen, providing a dry place to call home. We are all familiar with the mystery that the cold winter rains can elitist. The same can be said for the snow and ice. Chickens prefer to avoid these elements if they can. However, since they live outside, their options may be few. This is another benified of enclosing the pen with plastic sheeting. As the elements rage outside, the girls are protected from the snow, rain, sleet, and ice that pleague the winter season. This simple barrier from the elements creates a dry and wind free place for your flock to call home. Simply keeping the elements out of the pen helps them immensely as they weather the worst of Old Man Winter. If protected from the wind and precipitation, the cold temperatures are not an issue for the flock.
Clean and Dry Digs: Providing clean and dry digs for your flock is essential. Along with providing a wind and precipitation break, a clean coop and pen goes a long way. The flock will undoubtedly spend more time in the protection of the coop/pen during winter. It’s a keepers job to see that their digs remain clean and dry. This is simply done by making sure the coop and pen are cleaned and maintained on a daily basis. This is necessary to keep moisture down their living areas. We all know that chicken poo can be wet and sticky. Due to the moisture content of their poo, this creates the ideal situation for frost bite. When too much moisture is presnent in the coop, frost bite will settle on the combs and wattles of your roosters and larger combed ladies. Removing the poo daily from both the coop and pen prevents these conditions. Frost bite is no fun, it hurts and can be dangerous if not properly treated. As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a cure.
By simply enclosing your coop/pen in construction grade plastic, you provided a condusive habitat for your flock to weather Old Man Winter. Below are some pictures of my coops and pens that have been prepared for the coming bitter season.
As the bitter weather rages, the girls will be safe and warm in their pens. Below are some pictures of the ladies braving the elements in their winter digs.
Along with enclosing the coops and pens in plastic, providing your flock with some entertainment will go a long way. During the coldest days, your flock will undoubtedly spend more time in their pen. If this occurs for consecutive days, they may begin to suffer from coop boredom. Just like us, if we spend a lot of time in a tight enclosure, we get a little restless and bored. Chickens are no different, it left too long in these conditions, they will begin to peck at each other, creating injury and a hostile flock environment. To prevent this, provide games to play and things to peck. Below are a few things that I do for my flock, keeping them happy and healthy.
Flock Block: A flock block is a very simple entertainment tool I often use during the harshest part of winter. Additionally, due to the fact that they are unable to forage for grains and seeds, a flock block provides these nutrients. Flock blocks are large blocks that consists of seeds and other goodies compacted in a hard square shaped formation. The chickens will spend hours happily pecking at the block, keeping them entertained for days on end. One block will last my flock for an entire winter. They are found at most feed stores, usually under $20. It is also possible to make your own. At the end of this post, I will leave a recipe that I use when I want something a little more tailor made for my girls.
2. Peck the Bottle: This is a little chicken game that keeps my girls busy for hours. Additionally, it is very entertainment to watch them peck at the bottle. The supplies needed for this game are very simple. An empty plastic water bottle add some scratch or cracked corn. Take the bottle and poke some small holes large enough for the corn or scratch to fall through. Inside the bottle, fill the bottle half full of the treat. Place the bottle in the pen.
The flock will peck at the bottle, trying to free the corn or scratch contained inside. One by one, the flock will each peck at the bottle, moving it around the pen in efforts to consume the treat. This will keep a flock busy for days. If you have a larger flock, place a few more bottles in the pen. If you want to step up their game, fill the bottle with dry meal worms. Your flock will go crazy, working extra hard to get the worms out of the bottle.
3. Cabbage in a basket: If you want to add some greens to your chickens winter diet, veggies in a basket or suit feeder is a great choice. With grass and other delectables long since dormant for the season, greens are in short supply. To supplement your ladies diet with green veggies, this winter time trick is ideal. Simply take a suit feeder, open it, and place the veggies inside. Hang the feeder in the coop and let the games begin. Your ladies will go crazy for some fresh greens. Since it is cold outside, the greens will stay fresh for a while. Once the suit cage is empty, refill and play again. You can also put a head of cabbage in a metal hanging basket, placing it in the pen or yard for you girls to pick at. They will enjoy the fresh greens, all the while staying healthy and entertained.
4. Sand Box Spa: As winter sets in, the ground becomes covered, saturated with snow or rain, the girls will find it hard to keep up their beauty regiments. Simply placing a sand box in the pen and filling it with sand goes a long way. If your pen is too small for fit a sand box, pour the sand directly on the pen floor. Not only does this provide them a place to dust bath, it is also provides them a great way to scratch around.
Chickens love to scratch at the ground as they hunt and peck for delectable to dine on. In winter however, this past time is hindered due to the ground conditions caused by winter. To keep them further entertained, sprinkle some scratch or mealworms on top of the sand and watch the fun begin. They will spend hours digging in the sandbox, making sure that they have found and consumed every last morsel. This will quickly become a flock activity that they love and relish during the cold miserable days of winter.
Finally, I come to my last tip for winter care for your flock, water. Many keepers underestimate the need for clean and fresh water during the winter months. While they will drink more water in the summer to stay hydrated and cool, water is necessary for them to regulate their body temperature. During the cold months while a flock is working hard to regulate their body temperature, water is essential. For their little bodies to keep their furnaces stoked, access to liquid water is necessary. One of the major hinderances to this process is the cold temps causing the water to freeze. To combat this, I use several methods.
The haul it method: For those who do not have a large flock, simply hauling fresh unfrozen water to the backyard several times a day is ideal. If your flock is small and someone is at home during the day, this is the simplest and cheapest method to combat freezing waterers. Since it requires no electricity or expensive accessories, this method is best if applicable.
Heated waterer: If your flock is larger and no one is home to see to the water needs of the flock, a heated waterer is ideal. Although these waterers are a little bit on the pricy side, they are a life saver. You can find electric heated waterer at most feed stores. They range from $40 to $60 and long lasting. I am still using the one I purchased 5 years ago and its still going strong.
3. Light bulb in a metal tin: The last method that I use is the light bulb in a metal tin. Like the heated poultry drinker, this method requires electricity supplied to your coop. If you have several coops, purchasing a heated poultry drinker for each one can get expensive. I use the purchased heated drinker for my largest coop, the rest I use this simpler method.
Simply take a metal tin (cookie or other round tin), drill a hole just large enough for a cord, string the cord through the hole in the tin, purchase a light bulb and a socket cord (used for restiringing lamps) and simply screw the light bulb into the socket that is connected to the tin. Put the tin lid on, place the plastic or metal drinker on top and presto, you have a heated poultry drinker.
The radiant heat from the bulb will keep the water from freezing. Since all you need to keep the water warm enough to remain liquid a 15 or 25 watt bulb is best. You don’t want to heat the water too high, making it too warm for the flock drink. The goal here is to keep the water from freezing. This low watt bulb will supply just enough heat to keep the water in a liquid, drinkable state. If you don’t have any metal tins around suitable for this purpose, a terra cotta flower put turned upside down will also do the trick.
That’s a wrap. Above are all the techniques, tools and tricks of the trade I use to keep my flock happy, healthy, and content during the harsh winter months. As promised, below I will leave the recipe that I use to make a homemade suit treat for my girls. The ingredients used in this flock treat are typically found in every kitchen and cheap to purchase if needed.
The Kuntry Klucker Crew’s Favorite Flock Block
2 cups scratch grains
1 cup layer feed
1 cup old-fashioned oats
1 1/2 cup of raisins (for added fun)
1/4 cup whole wheat flower
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (aids in respiratory health)
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (helps circulation)
3 whole eggs (provides calcuim , shells included, crushed to fine pieces)
1/2 cup blackstrap molasses
1/2 coconut oil, liquified
preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Pat into several small baking dishes, so your blocks are approximately 2″ thick (this way they can fit into suit feeders).
If you plan to hang the flock block treat in your chicken pen, use a chopstick to make a hole large enough for twine or rope to fit though.
Bake for 30 minus, then cool completely. If you try to remove them from the pan while still warm they will fall apart. Once cool, run a knife around the inside rim of each pan and invert to remove the block. Serve to a flock of very happy girls.
Leftovers can be refrigerated or wrapped in foil and frozen then defrosted as needed.
Enjoy!!
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post and found it helpful or useful. If you have any questions please post them in the comments.
As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!
Daylight is retreating, leaves cover the ground and frost blankets the early morning hours. This is natures way of telling us that a change of season is upon us. As backyard chicken keepers, it’s time to prepare the coop and flock for the coming cold weather and winter precipitation. Old man winter is on his way.
For new keepers, the first winter with chickens can be a time of apprehension and anxiety. I know these feelings all too well I was there 12 years ago with my flock as winter approached. Fortunately, winterizing a chicken coop is simple with minimal cost, no more than the cost of a bag of feed.
The TARDIS wrapped and ready for winter.
Chickens are simple creatures; they need a clean and dry place to call home. Contrary to popular opinion, chickens do not require heaters or other “creature comforts” to weather the worst of old man winter. Chickens come factory installed with down coats; they need a barrier around their coop and pen to buffer the worst winter winds and weather.
The Kuntry Klucker protected as the snow blankets the ground. The ladies and gents are warm and cozy inside.
Typically, I use construction grade plastic to buffer the worst of old man winter. This year, with rising inflation and supply issues, I decided to wrap my coops with feeds bags.
We are all familiar with these feed bags. They are tough heavy bags sold for 25 or 50 pounds at farm/feed stores. Due to the weight, they have to contain, they are made of tough material. They are water and weather-resistant and make excellent barriers to buffer winter winds and precipitation.
Purina 50 lb feed bags.
The procedure for this project is fairly straight forward. Remove the ends of the bags by cutting away the reinforced seam, then cut the bags down the side to allow them to lay flat. With a staple gun, simply staple the bags to the wood around the coop and pen. This is best done with a few helpers, someone can prepare the bags, another can assist in positioning the bags against the wood. That’s it, it’s that simple to prepare your coop and flock for winter.
The Kuntry Klucker 