Essential Winter Care For Backyard Hens

Winter Is Harder on Hens Than Most People Assume

Hens are remarkably hardy birds. A healthy, fully feathered hen with a dry coat can shrug off a hard frost that would send us reaching for another jumper. What they struggle with is damp, wind and a coop that has been sealed up too tightly in a well-meaning attempt to keep the cold out. Get those three things wrong and you get respiratory trouble, frostbitten combs, dirty eggs and a flock that goes off lay for weeks.

There is also the simple matter of daylight. Egg production is driven by day length, so from late autumn your hens naturally slow down or stop altogether. That is normal, not a fault in your management. Your job over winter is not to force eggs out of them but to keep them healthy, comfortable and in good condition so they come back into lay strongly in spring. Shorter days also mean less time to forage, so a bird that free-ranged its way through summer now depends almost entirely on what you put in the feeder.

Keep Drinkers Ice-Free and Clean

A hen drinks roughly a quarter to half a litre of water a day, and more when she is on dry layers pellets. A drinker frozen solid at dawn means a thirsty flock, reduced feed intake and a slow-down in laying. In prolonged frost, ice is the single most common reason backyard flocks lose condition.

• Check and top up drinkers twice a day, early morning and again in the afternoon.
• Use lukewarm water rather than boiling, and never tip hot water directly into a frozen metal drinker.
• Never smash ice out of a metal drinker with a spade — you will split the seam and soak the bedding.
• Keep a spare drinker indoors overnight and simply swap them over each morning.
• Stand drinkers on a brick or paving slab so the base is not sitting on frozen ground.
• Empty and refill daily regardless; stale, freezing water is unappealing and a hen will drink less than she needs.

A thick layer of straw wrapped around a galvanised drinker with baler twine will slow freezing considerably, and an old tyre filled with straw makes a decent insulated stand.

Bedding, Deep Litter and Dry Feet

Damp bedding is a winter killer. It chills birds through the night, produces ammonia and encourages respiratory infection. Aim for a deep, dry litter that you top up rather than strip out.

• Use softwood shavings or chopped straw, never mouldy hay, and lay it five to eight centimetres deep.
• Add a fresh thin layer every few days rather than a deep clean, and stir it weekly with a fork to keep it loose.
• Rake out wet patches around the pop hole and under the drinker immediately.
• Give each bird at least 20 to 25 centimetres of perch, set flat-side up and well clear of the floor.
• Provide a sheltered dust bath under cover so birds can keep their plumage in good order.

A small apron of gravel or paving outside the pop hole keeps feet out of the mud and stops the run turning into a bog. If your run has no cover, stretch a tarpaulin over part of it — a dry outdoor area is worth more than extra heat.

Ventilate Without Draughts

The old argument runs: seal the coop to keep it warm, or leave it open to keep the air fresh. The answer is both, in the right place. Warm, moist air rises, carrying ammonia and moisture with it, so ventilation should be high up, above the birds' heads. What you must avoid is a draught at perch level, because a cold breeze across a hen's back is what actually causes trouble.

• Keep high-level vents open all winter. Reduce them in a gale, never close them.
• Check vents are not blocked by snow, bales or cobwebs.
• Test for draughts with the back of your hand at perch height — if you feel a steady stream of air, block that gap.
• Shut the pop hole at dusk, but keep the roof vents clear.
• If condensation is dripping off the inside of the roof in the morning, you need more ventilation, not less.

Feed for Warmth, Not Just for Eggs

Digestion generates heat, so an evening feed that takes time to work through the crop genuinely helps birds through a freezing night.

• Keep layers pellets available as the staple — do not water down the ration.
• Offer a small evening scratch of mixed corn; it digests slowly and keeps them warm overnight.
• Feed a warm mash on frosty mornings: pellets mixed with warm water, fed in a shallow dish.
• Keep grit and oyster shell available at all times.
• Hang greens such as kale, cabbage leaves or sprout tops on a wire so they stay clean and provide interest.

Watch for Combs, Feet and Other Cold-Weather Troubles

Birds with large single combs are most at risk of frostbite. On a night forecast to drop well below freezing, smear a little petroleum jelly on combs and wattles to protect them. Watch for pale, waxy tips, which signal damage already done.

Check feet weekly for mud balls and small cuts, which can lead to bumblefoot in wet conditions. Winter is also the ideal time to tackle red mite, since the coop is easier to empty and treat thoroughly, and to dust birds for lice. Keep an eye on moulting hens — they need extra protein and warmth while regrowing feathers. Finally, do not coop birds up for days on end. Even twenty minutes out in the cold, scratching about, does them more good than a long spell shut indoors.