Rules for caring and keeping chickens in winter for beginners at home

Laying hens are kept in specially prepared premises in winter. Of course, we are talking about a chicken coop, which should be comfortable even in the coldest time of the year. Deal with this issue in advance, before the onset of the first frost.

What should be the conditions in the chicken coop?

For most people, a poultry house is a barn specifically designed for keeping chickens.There are also those who convert their garage into a chicken coop for the winter. Regardless of where they are kept, chickens must be provided with certain conditions.

Lighting

Poultry farmers are most often interested in this question. The egg production of laying hens depends on lighting. Proper lighting maintains fertility in winter.

Fluorescent lamps are best suited for this purpose. Conventional ones are characterized by weakness and are ineffective. To ensure full daylight hours, the lamps are turned on in the morning from 6 to 9 am and in the evening from 5 to 9 am. The lamps are installed high so that birds cannot reach them.

Ventilation

There’s one more thing you should take care of at home: ventilation. There must be fresh air in the chicken coop to prevent the growth of bacteria, which cause the development of various diseases.

Installing an automatic relay makes caring for birds easier in winter. A person sets a certain time at which ventilation, lighting and heating will be turned on.

Briefly about natural heating

Chicken can withstand temperatures of at least 10 degrees in winter. If the indicator does not drop, the egg production of chickens is maintained. When cooling the air in the room, a heater is additionally installed.

Natural heating will help maintain the temperature in the optimal range. As a rule, it consists of bedding and insulation of the room.

Litter

The floor in the chicken coop is cleaned and disinfected before the onset of winter. Peat, sawdust, hay or straw are used as flooring. To prevent chickens from freezing, the layer of litter should be within 10-15 cm.

It is poured in parts, compacted thoroughly. A complete replacement of the floor layer is done in the warm season. In winter, they turn it so that it does not lie stale.After this, a new layer of straw, hay, sawdust or peat is added.

Few people know that droppings serve as a source of heat in the chicken coop. During the decomposition process, methane is released. This is why you should not clean your chicken coop in winter.

Thermal insulation

Holes in the walls are filled with putty in the fall so that the putty has time to dry. The room is covered with plywood boards. Be sure to inspect the chicken coop for drafts, as there should not be any.

Additional heating

To ensure that the chickens feel great in the chicken coop and continue to lay eggs, devices are installed to heat the room. It could be:

• lamp;
• heat gun;
• radiator;
• stove.

Along with the installation of a heater, the question of the need to ensure fire safety arises. Also, chickens should not have access to appliances. Otherwise, they may injure themselves out of curiosity.

Walking area

Even in winter, chickens should be outside. A daily walk can take no more than 15 minutes, so the chickens will not become overgrown with fat. During severe frosts, birds’ bodies continue to absorb calcium by absorbing vitamin D.

The chickens are released outside into the courtyard, which is located near the chicken coop. The place is fenced with a net to protect the birds from predators. To prevent frostbite on paws, wooden boards are scattered around the area and bedding material is poured.

The walking yard should be away from pets such as dogs. By barking, they scare the chickens, and the latter’s stressful state negatively affects the laying of eggs. Caring for birds in this way keeps chickens healthy.

Why do chickens need hygiene?

The cleanliness of the chicken coop is directly related to the health of the birds.The accumulation of bacteria leads to parasitic and other diseases. Therefore, chickens must be kept clean.

Since the litter does not change in winter, poultry farmers use one trick that helps keep it clean. Moreover, this does not imply any special care. Scattering grain throughout the coop will help prevent droppings from rolling off. Trying to collect grain, chickens loosen the litter and thus clean it.

Catering for chickens in winter

Helpful tips to follow:

1. In winter, chickens are given food three times a day. This is explained by the fact that chickens spend a lot of energy trying to warm themselves. In turn, energy enters the body along with food. Dry food is given in the morning and evening, and mash is added at lunch. Prolonged digestion of food provides birds with energy and, accordingly, warmth.
2. In winter, the diet should include hay that was dried in the summer. It is useful to give chickens nettles and branches of coniferous trees.
3. Combining different feeds is effective. Don't forget about fresh vegetables, wet mash and boiled porridge.
4. Sunflower cake and seeds are added to the main feed. The body reacts positively to sprouted grain.
5. Fish oil is added to roughage. In small quantities it supports the body well. Various poultry food manufacturers offer bone meal and a variety of vitamin and mineral supplements.
6. Food rich in protein can increase egg production in chickens. Cottage cheese is periodically mixed into the food. Whey is used for drinking.
7. To strengthen the bones, birds are given chalk, small shells, and sand. Crushed and dried eggshells have exactly the same effect. Such additives strengthen the shells of eggs, which is also very important.

As for drinking bowls, they should always be clean. If the chickens do not have time to drink the water, make sure that it does not stagnate and change it to a new one. In winter, warm water is poured into the drinking bowls.

Poultry farmers recommend having both winter and summer drinkers in your arsenal.

How to calculate the required amount of feed

Beginning poultry farmers often make mistakes when feeding chickens. They give too much food, worrying that poor nutrition will not cause serious problems. This way the chickens eat more food than they need. As a result, they gain excess weight, become inactive, and do not lay eggs well.

An adult bird consumes 130-150 g of feed per day. This indicator helps to calculate the required amount of food for the entire herd.

If there is little food left in the feeders until the next feeding, then the dose is calculated correctly.

Increased productivity in cold weather

The first thing you need to take care of in winter is having a warm chicken coop. If your chickens are not laying eggs well, the room may not be warm enough. An insulated chicken coop increases egg production by 40%. At temperatures of 15 degrees and above, chickens lay eggs well.

Daylight hours for chickens should last no more than 14 hours. Otherwise, the life expectancy of birds is reduced. Extended daylight hours provoke premature molting.

A rheostat, a special device responsible for the brightness of lighting, will help control daylight hours. Its installation will make a person’s work easier when caring for livestock.

Chickens are regularly fed greens in winter. With a large flock, the greenhouses are sown with grass, which is used to feed the birds. The appearance of greenery in the diet of birds increases productivity by 50%.

It is important for people to know about the existence of another important rule, this is especially true for novice poultry farmers. There should not be many individuals living in the chicken coop. It is better to make several rooms and separate the chickens. Otherwise, they may die from the rapid spread of diseases, which is typical in close spaces.

In order for chickens to lay eggs constantly, there must be a secluded place in the chicken coop. With a large herd this is impossible to achieve. A secluded place specially designated for this purpose will protect the bird from stress, and the person will receive the desired number of eggs.

How to prevent chicken diseases in winter?

In order for the birds to be healthy and lay eggs, no special measures are needed. Chickens must receive proper care and nutrition. This will help you avoid many diseases and regularly receive fresh eggs.

Prevention is as follows:

1. Factors that can become sources of stressful situations are completely excluded.
2. The birds are provided with a complete and varied diet.
3. If a sick rooster or laying hen is found in the herd, they are immediately isolated.
4. The room is insulated and drafts are removed.
5. Feeders and drinking bowls are kept clean.
6. Additional heating equipment is installed in the room where chickens winter. Air humidity is also constantly monitored.
7. Near the roosts there is a mandatory presence of fluttering birds.
8. The quality of the floor bedding is checked regularly.

After studying the list, some people think that this is unrealistic and very difficult. But these are the optimal conditions in which birds should live. If the usual behavior of laying hens has changed, urgent measures are taken.

A person who keeps chickens at home should be familiar with bird diseases, their symptoms and treatment. Even basic knowledge will help when problems arise.