Winter WORRIES
Use these tips to keep your flock protected and safe during the coldest months of the year.
BY KRISTINA MERCEDES URQUHART
Chicken-keepers have it easy. Our workload is relatively light. Especially in the seasons when gardeners and farmers have it toughest (spring and summer), we’re lucky. When shepherds are tending to their flocks by midwifing does and ewes in the wee hours of the morning, chicken-keepers are sitting back and watching the eggs roll in. As milk demands to be collected from young cows with calves, requiring morning and evening milkings, the chicken keeper sleeps in, content knowing the flock is safe behind a locked coop door.
However, one time of the year that our chickens need a bit more of a leg up is winter. Hot summers pose their challenges, too, to be sure, but winter requires hands-on maintenance by the flock-keeper. The work you do in the winter will be compounded by harsh winds, snowdrifts and cold temperatures, after all.
BE PREPARED
The best way to combat winter challenges? Anticipate them. This means preparing as much as possible in advance. So, fall should be a busy season: bedding down the coop, buying extra feed and having medical remedies on hand. Tackle repairs and replacements in the autumn, before things break down and need attention. And before it gets too cold.
GET THE SHELTER IN SHAPE
When fortifying your flock’s living space, start with the housing itself. Most people speak of the “spring cleaning” urge, but in the chicken coop, that may well be the “fall cleaning” rush.
When the hens slow their laying and the molts begin, you feel the change in season and it’s time to give everything a good, deep clean. Scrub water fonts, feeders, miscellaneous dishes and snack baskets. Remove old bedding in the nest boxes, especially material that’s soiled from the season of use.
To avoid frostbite, remove snow from the run or straw areas to protect your chickens feet when outdoors.