Chicken WInter Care

It is not easy to raise chicken in a subtropical region where winter occurs. In winter, the flock owner should spend more money for electric because they should turn on the light all day. On the other hand, the revenue of flock owner will decrease because the chicken stops to production in winter. Some chicken breed cannot lay in winter such as Asian Chicken and Mediterranean Chicken. Therefore, you should select the breed that has egg-laying ability in winter such as Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire Red and other.

It is because they may suffer from cold. The cold weather also causes the frostbite in chicken. The frostbite often attack the chicken whose has wide single comb.

A hen can lay when it feel comfort and has enough food. The flock owner should do like this to keep the chicken warm. To raise the chicken in winter, you can do like this:

1. Place the additional heater lamp during winter. The lamp can make the cage warmer. The heat of lamp depends on the weather and the coop. Some articles suggest 75 Watt lamp for the cage. I think it is not absolute. You can observe the chicken with the lamp. If the chicken far from the lamp, it means the lamp is too hot. If, on the other hand, the chicken close from the lamp, it means the lamp is not hot enough.

2. Put the warm water inside the cage. Do not let the water frozen because the chicken cannot drink it. Alternatively, you can change the water often. Water is essential for chicken especially layer egg. They need sufficient water to keep laying.

3. In an attempt to produce eggs, you can increase the chicken appetite by pouring water to the feed. The feed is easy to eat.

4. Design the coop for winter that can reduce cold.

5. The ventilation and air circulation inside the cage should be good. It helps chicken to get fresh water and decrease the humidity. Some flock owner think that closing the ventilation can make the chicken warm. They are wrong. The closed cage can caused diseases such as lung disease.

6. Remove the chicken coop to warehouse or chicken house. They will be comfort inside a building.

7. Add the chicken hay bedding. The hay can control the manure stinky. Change the hay when it dirty. You can use the hay and manure as fertilizer too.