Chickens are awesome as pet. They are full of pleasure and entertainment. If you are raising a few chickens as pet, then you must have to know how to keep pet chickens warm in winter.
To ensure that your pet chickens are ready for the cold weather, you have to make some preparations. Did you know, chickens prefer cold than hot weather.
Usually chickens prepare themselves for winter by developing new feather in their body when they feel winter season is coming. During this period, they produce less eggs and eat more foods than usual.
However, by taking a little more care your chickens will live happily and comfortably throughout the winter season.
How to Keep Pet Chickens Warm in Winter
Follow the methods described below for keeping your pet chickens warm in winter season.
Keep the water source of your chickens from freezing. If your chicken coop is well facilitated with electricity, use a heated water pot for keeping your chicken’s drinking water from turning into cold or ice.
Prepare the water pots in your home with warm water and take the pots to the coop if you don’t have electricity in your chicken coop. Do it for a few times a day.
Warm water help to keep your chickens to stay warm without using their own energy. And chickens prefer warm water in excessive cold temperatures.
Add some additional ingredients in the normal diet of your chickens. You can feed them corn with their regular feed. Corn can produce more energy in digestive process and keep the bird warmer than other grains.
Usually corn turns to fat which help your chickens insulating them from the cold.
But don’t feed your chickens excessive corn and don’t use it as an alternative to their normal diet. Just add a few handfuls of corn with their regular feed.
Along with corn, other fatty scratch grains will also do the same for your chickens. Try to keep them slightly heavier than they were in the warmer months.
There may have some problems with your chicken coop. So, repair the holes or drafty areas in the coop. It will help to keep your chickens warmer and also help to prevent hungry predators from feasting on your chickens.
During winter season, various types of wild birds and animals find it very difficult to have food.
They want to have some free and easy meal. And your pet chickens are among their potential meals. So, ensure that your chicken coop is fully predator proof during cold months.
Repair the roof leaks and ensure that the latches on your doors are tight. Keep some comfortable bedding materials inside the coop or nesting boxes. This also help your birds to keep their body warm.
During winter months, pick up the eggs from the coop frequently and if possible each time you go to the coop for replenishing the water. Chicken’s eggs are mostly water.
Tour chickens may crack the eggs when they get cold. Change the bedding inside the coop immediately when you notice it is moist. Remove the damp or wet material from the coop.
Because this type of material make the coop colder. Which can result your chickens to get frostbite. Try to clean your chicken coop on a regular basis (at least twice a week).
However taking good care and proper management can keep your chickens healthy and productive throughout the cold months.
