Keeping Chickens Warm In Winter - Heating Your Chicken Coop In Winter? 

We wanted to show how we keep our chicken hens warm in the two coops we have. We have temps to -30f each year. We keep it simple and have had no issues with frostbite or other respiratory issues.

Amen Rich! Chickens are not fragile! We have scrawny leghorns with huge combs and they tolerate the winter at -30 F no problem. Have a great day!

We don’t wrap our coop, but I know people who do. We break wind for the girls through the corrugated roofing panels on the small run. There is a gap in the top to allow circulation. That’s it. We reuse the panels every year. We also use a shade cloth on the big run. It helps in the summer heat but it breaks the wind in the winter. We have cameras in the coop. Sometimes I catch a girl with a wing over the bird next to her. They really help keep each other warm.

to be honest Rich, my main question was how do you keep that hair so stunning. And yeah Nah I don't do snow. but your girls look happy. hats off to ya.

We have had frostbite here but on admittedly less hardy birds that were the lowest on the hierarchy. They weren't even allowed on the roost.

Your ladies look very happy and warm.. No snow but lots of rain! 🌧️

Agreed! They are not as fragile as many think! Glad you shared about moisture--such a great point 👍🏻 love the coop Rich! 🐓

I love the snow ❄️ 😍

Always impressed with your chicken set up Rich. I don’t pamper mine with heat either.

Thank you for sharing your video. I'm new to chickens and looking for videos doing all the research I can before I actually buy any chicks. I'm so nervous I'm going to mess up or do something wrong, but, I just want to be able to raise them without any mishaps. I love your videos because it makes me feel like I'm in your coup with those girls. lol thank you for all the great details. I feel a lot better now. I was wondering how I would keep them warm when it turns winter again. I'm in Louisiana so we don't have winter like you do. Thanks again!!

❤ agreement.. 🌽 extra scoop of scratch / sunflower seeds/mealworms mix in the winter is all I’ve done. This year ✅ Experimented a couple of times when I got my girls and made sure all my girls were in the smaller coop. The next nights since all of them were on the chicken run roost shielded/ covered run part. All but one were outside of the coop. Tonight actually is 28 degrees. All are huddled next to each other on the outside roosts which are all on the same level… yes the head-tuck into the fluffy feathers 🪶 all of them are doing it. Natural instinct take over if left alone and half the flock were chicks 6-8 months ago. The others are 2-3 years old

Glad you shared about that idea. Thank you! Stay warm.

Hi Rich, it looks mighty cold at your place but the chickens seem to enjoy foraging in the snow ! Guess that they will all be watching the England v USA football match ! Best Wishes.

Wow, pretty interesting to watch how you grow your chickens and give them lots of good care. Also, its amazing to see the young ones giving new techniques for the old ones and how they get cozy sleep during winter nights. I loved watching entire video! Great sharing, Rich!😍

Nice sharing friends

Hey Rich. You provide the best information. I mean chickens don’t have heat in nature. So I think you are wise! Have a very blessed day! Wendy🙏🏻🌎🇺🇸

The only closing up we have done is to seal up corners to keep the sparrows out. It’s so important to have airflow! I saw a comment about cayenne/hot pepper seeds. A friend in Japan said that they feed chickens red pepper seeds to increase the yellowness of the yolk. Chickens do not sense pepper heat like we would or other animals. The chicken chick says not to use straw or hay but instead wood chips in the winter as deep litter. We do use straw occasionally but change it often so it doesn’t mold. You haven’t had many moulting yet? Haha. They are playing follow the leader. 😅 Take care and stay warm.

CẢM ƠN BẠN CHIA SẺ RẤT HAY ,LKE

Suggestion. 🐓 I picked this up from another channel. I placed a nice size pile of much/leaves/ pine needs/ grass clippings mix inside the covered chicken run and the girl scratch it down every day, and at night I build it back up. In the morning I place a good amount of scratch on those piles. Keeps them busy all day long. Since they beaten it down so much they have a natural dust bath too. I mix wood ash and Demetrius Earth into it as well twice/three times a week

Thank you for that reassurance with no heat. My older girls want nothing to do with the younger girls. Maybe once winter really hits that will change.

Very interesting and informative content.Full ⌚👍🔔

Thank you !! I had been confident about not wrapping the coop up until we had 20 degrees. Then I started to second-guess. Now I feel confident in letting them be as is. I do not want to give them a moist situation (I winter-camped in my shed on weekends and I know that damp is the worst). Thank you so much for this video. It is reassuring.

Lk 67 beautiful chickens and nice tips12.34 fully enjoy your video see you around ❤

Aww thank you for sharing your beautiful girls during the day and night. They are beautiful ❤️😍. I'm staying in our basement and I'm all snuggled in my fleece blankets as I watch your video. I'm freezing 🥶🤢 down here 😆. Take care ❤️😘

I spent a night in the coop before getting my chickens. I wore my downy jacket, so I had the same coat as them, and I made a good coop that needs no heating. It doesn't snow where I am. It was 2deg C. the night i spent in there. I made my coop like a cabin with big chunky sleepers. It only gets cold near the windows, so I put Holland blinds in. I just have floor vents at the bottom and top for chicken ventilation. I can open or close them depending upon the weather. My chooks were in the hail last week, just doing their normal things as if nothing was wrong. But remember that their hearts beat twice as fast as ours, so they feel warm just like we do after a workout. Heaters make chickens sick. People had chooks way before heaters.

😮😮😮 I think about how do pheasants and grouse and doves survive in the wild. 🌳 I’ve added bushes around the corners of the coop run. Agreed the moisture is terrible for the girls. A science 🧪 experiment My mini-greenhouse on my raised bed has a bunch of moisture on the plastic every morning, so what would The girl’s breathing in…moisture of course. Great for plants

Great info Rich! I’m lucky with this CA weather. I don’t have to do much to keep them warm.

Great footage of all these creatures - very dramatic! It’s good to see the mink I don’t think we get them where we are although

Amazy sharing

My grandmother had chickens. No electricity to the coop. At 8 years old we went to feed them in the early morning. It was very cold. I asked her if we should bring a heater inside the coop. She laughed and said they keep themselves warm with all their feathers. She also said "what if they knocked it over and started a fire ? There goes all the birds." It was a experience i will never forget

So good keeping !

Thanks for sharing!!!

Great point about not wrapping in plastic, that's something I'd probably do cause I wouldn't no better. Interesting that the light keeps production up !! Pack mentality!! I'll have to try tucking my head when I get cold 😂 I'm curious about the straw, do you guys just throw more straw down over the winter then do a big clean up or are you on a more frequent schedule for cleaning? Great tour Rich Cheers Jason and Colleen 🌱🐔🌱😁

Yes! We live north of you (Manitoba) and don't heat either.

Hi! I contemplated on heat and actually got a flat panel radiant heater for super cold nights. I only have 4 chickens so there's not a lot of community heat...lol. I also wrapped just the run outside with plastic. Hope I didn't screw up.🙄

I can’t imagine what they go through when their combs are getting frost bite.

@8:07 Rich....I think you may be the only one to be that considerate...to keep your voice down while your girls are sleeping lol. I don't have a luxury pole barn for my girls....and they hate the wind....so considering wrapping their run in plastic...at least partially....to keep the wind off them. 1k views after your video released...NICE. 190K views total for your entire channel! Your subs will surely pop off soon. I know your humble and never ask or remind for people to subscribe....but might be worth trying....as you guys are providing a huge amount of info for chicken owners! Take care...

Most of my girls snuggle up with each other and it's June, there is so much room on the roost bars I might be able to get 240 chickens on 1 bar 😂

Tucked next to Each other because they are trying to stay warm. A few heat panels would be amazingly KIND of you. Why not give them a little help.

I'm just want them to lay eggs 😊😅❤😂

Chickens are hardy from my experience! Folks here just use a light for heat in winter but not sure how the 24 hours of light effects them?

Mine don’t cry like that in your video. How are their combs? Any issues or you don’t have concerns.

Why did you abandon the old chicken coop? It looks very nice.

We live up near Stillwater and I’m interested in chicken keeping we have about 6 acres and I just worry about the chickens in our cold snaps that stay soo frigid . Do you have a heated water holder ? How is your care for them change summer vs winter ?

How large is your chicken barn? It looks Awesome!

Do you give them cayenne pepper or pepper flakes? I've been hearing more and more about this. I haven't tired it though.

Not if you only have 3 hens. Agape

Always impressed with your chicken set up Rich. I don’t pamper mine with heat either.