Keep Your Backyard Chickens Warm this Winter in Seattle

Your backyard chickens have likely been providing you with fresh eggs and you have become used to enjoying the treat of collecting eggs for breakfast every morning. Your chickens will continue to lay eggs for you all winter if you make sure they are warm and comfortable. There are a few extra steps you need to take during the colder months. You will find the necessary supplies for your backyard chicken operation at Greenwood Hardware.

• It doesn’t take much for the water in your chicken coop to freeze. You can buy a heated water dish for your chickens. You can also buy a flat plate-like device that slides under the watering dish and will keep it warm. These are typically sold for dog and cat dishes, but can be used with your chickens.
• A heat lamp in the coop will help keep the chickens warm as well as provide the extra hours of light they need to continue laying eggs throughout the winter. The red heat lamps work best. They put out more heat and are not so bright it stresses the chickens out, which could cause them to stop laying.
• Add an extra layer of pine shavings to the bottom of the coop. The deep litter method will help block the cold air that seeps up through the floor. Think of it as insulation.
• Do not completely seal your chicken coop. You need good ventilation to prevent moisture build up which can lead to disease.
• For days when the temperatures are below 20 degrees, you can protect your chickens by putting a layer of Vaseline on their feet and combs. This will stave off frostbite.
• If there are more than a couple inches of snow on the ground, you will want to clear an area for the chickens to scratch in. Chickens will not appreciate snow on the ground and will usually not even attempt to walk through it. To keep up steady egg production, you want the chickens to get plenty of exercise.

Chickens will huddle together in the coop and produce quite a bit of body heat. You don’t have to keep the heat lamp on all day. In fact, you wouldn’t want to. For nights that you know it is going to be in the teens or single digits, turn on the lamp. Chickens are fairly resilient creatures, but it doesn’t take much to interrupt their egg laying cycle. Head on into Greenwood Hardware and pick up what you need for your backyard chickens this winter. Come on in, or contact us online.