How to Prepare your Chicken Coop for Winter

Cold weather can be a worry for chicken keepers but there are ways to prepare your chicken coop for winter. Preparations such as:

• Moving you coop closer to your house
• Upgrading to a plastic coop
• Installing an automatic chicken coop door
• Adding a chicken run cover
• Adding an extreme temperature jacket

Get your chickens’ coop ready for the colder months and you will be able to and rest easy knowing that your girls are warm and healthy throughout winter. Take a look at some of our top tips for getting your chicken coop winter-ready.

Move Your Coop Closer to the House

Moving your chicken coop closer to the house is a simple step for making it easier for you to look after your girls and give them their daily health checks, which are even more important in the colder months. Choose a lightweight coop with wheels, like the Eglu, to make it even easier to move it around your garden.

Upgrade Your Wooden Coop to a plastic chicken coop

Upgrading your wooden chicken coop to a plastic coop has many benefits. The main benefit of a plastic Eglu Cube Chicken Coop for chicken keepers in winter is the twin wall insulation found in the design of the plastic house. This works in a similar way to double glazing, by creating a barrier between the cold air outside the coop, and the air in side. The air between the two walls conducts poorly, which means inside the house stays at a consistent and warm temperature throughout winter, whatever the weather is doing outside. Chickens are very efficient at keeping themselves warm, all you will need to do is make sure the coop door is shut at night time. 

Install an automatic chicken coop door

Installing an Automatic Chicken Coop Door is a convenient solution for plastic or wooden chicken coops allowing you to shut your chicken coop’s door at dusk even if you are not yet home. 

You can set the Autodoor to close at a specific time or light percentage to suit when all your girls have gone up to bed and the sun has set. The Autodoor runs off batteries and has been tested to work down to -10 degrees celcius so there is no worry, however cold it gets outside! 

The other benefit to the Autodoor is that it will open again at dawn so you can head off to work early before the sun rises and your girls need to be let out, or you can stay in bed for even longer at the weekends without going out in the freezing cold to let your chickens out of their coop! 

The NEW Coop Light also makes it easier for you to check on your girls and carry out daily chicken keeping duties if you don’t get home until after dark. This plugs directly into your Autodoor control panel, and can even be programmed to automatically turn on 5 minutes before your Autodoor closes to encourage your chickens up to the coop.

“The nights are drawing in and I couldn’t be happier knowing that my girls are safely tucked up in bed with their Omlet Autodoor closed behind them. The Autodoor has given me peace of mind, flexibility and a well needed lie in! Couldn’t recommend it enough!” – Hayley’s Lottie Haven

Add a chicken run cover

Chickens are very good at coping in cold temperatures, but don’t like getting wet, adding a run cover allows them to be protected from the elements when outside in their run. Covers are available in a variety of sizes to suit your run length, the clear run covers protect your girls from wind and rain so they can continue to play whatever the weather, whilst still allowing light into the run. 

Add an extreme temperature jacket

When the temperature drops below freezing for multiple days in a row during the very depths of winter, it might be wise to give your chickens extra warmth with an extreme temperature jacket.  Filled with a heat trapping recycled material that is breathable, the jackets keep your pets warm and protected from the worst that the weather can throw at them. Preparing your chicken coop for the winter will definitely benefit poorly or older chickens. 

Provide Hentertainment

Prevent chickens getting bored when rain stops play with a variety of fun and interactive toys that can keep them entertained in all weathers. The Chicken Perch provides an easy outdoor perch which can be installed in their run (and protected by the run covers) for when your chickens can’t perch in their usual spots around your garden. The Chicken Swing provides hours of fun and again, can be easily installed in any run. While the Peck Toys and Caddi Treat Holder offer enriching entertainment as well as a rewarding flow of treats.

Water Heaters & Chicken Treats

Prevent your chickens’ water from freezing with a water heater to ensure they have access to flowing water at all times. It is also recommended to provide extra layers pellets and treats during winter, as chickens will need more energy to keep themselves warm and lay their eggs in the colder months.

 

This entry was posted in Chickens

---