Winterizing your Chicken Coop

WINTERIZING YOUR CHICKEN COOP An infographic brought to you by PoultryDVM LIGHT VENTILATION During the winter, maintaining To help maintain egg production during adequate ventilation is essential to the winter months, extend the daylight prevent moisture and ammonia inside hours artificially using a lightbulb set the coop. with a timer. Outside Cold Air Mixes with Inside Warm Air INSULATION Sidewall inlet opening Coops should be properly insulated to help reduce heat transfer or flow and moderate the effect of temperature. Insulation should cover walls, ceiling GROUP ROOSTING and floor of the coop. Provide enough roosting space for all flock members. Roosting allows chickens to cover their feet with thier breast feathers and huddle next to one another to keep warm. FROSTBITE CHECK ELIMINATE DRAFTS KEEP WELL FED ACCESSIBLE WATER KEEP BEDDING DRY Regularly check birds with large Seal up any holes or cracks that The digestion process will Chickens need constant access Moist bedding increases the |combs and roosters for signs of are big enough to let light raise the core temperature of to fresh water. Options include likelihood of frostbite, so frostbite when the temperature inside the coop, as it will let out the chicken and improve their insulating the water source, regularly check and replace starts to drop. heat; a simple tarp or plastic circulation. replacing water often, hanging with dry bedding. sheeting is effective. a lamp above the water, or getting a heated bucket. BUY COLD-HARDY CHICKEN BREEDS Ancona Australorp Barnevelder Dominique Faverolle New Hampshire Orpington Wyandotte REFERENCES http://www.desu.edu/sites/default/files/winterfactsheet.pdf https://www.extension.purdue.edu/extmedia/AE/AE-97.html http://www2.ca.uky.edu/poultryprofitability/Production_manual/Chapter7_Ventilation_principles/Chapter7.html http://www.aces.edu/poultryventilation/documents/InsulationPVP.pdf http://buildachickencoopeasy.com/how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-the-cold/ PoultryDVM http://www.fao.org/docrep/s1250e/s1250e10.htm https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/viewhtml.php?id%3D229 http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/insulation