Backyard FOWL (nothin' foul about it)

RESOURCES

~ Joke ~

Q: What happened to the chicken whose feathers were all pointing the wrong way?

A: She was tickled to death!

©2007
tami jayne jackson

webmaster

cold weather care:

How Do Chickens & Ducks Fair The Winter In Washington State?

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• HELPFUL COLD WEATHER HINTS

• biology The Helps The Birds

• Danger of Cold

• Realities of Winter

Having grown up in Auburn, Washington, (and now living 5 miles away in Kent) my family never worried too much about our home grown chickens getting too cold during the winter. That's because Washington seldom realized temperatures below freezing.

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These days, with temperatures dropping into the low 20s, I'm feeding my fowl warm water in both the winter mornings and in the cold winter evening -- just before the birds go up to roost. I also keep a heat lamp on inside their roosting shed.

Nowadays, with climate changes and more unpredictable weather, it's a good idea to also provide your coop with extra straw or white wood shavings (not cedar shavings, due to cedar's toxicity) for your henhouse -- especially provide such insulation materials for any outdoor bedding, and keep it DRY.

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The truth is -- most chickens are homeotherms (some variations are evident with some breeds being able to withstand cold temperatures better than others) and "homeotherm" means that the typical chicken can maintain a pretty constant body temperature in cool (but not freezing) weather.

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The truth is -- your birds can always freeze their little wattles off. I've heard of such instances happening (and have seen birds sold at auction who obviously had lost their toes from hazards such as cold)! Wherever a bird's body is not covered by insulation in the form of feathers (the comb, wattles, shanks and feet) THAT's where there's an increased flow of blood that helps the birds to stay warm in the winter . . . but in the coldest temperatures (we're talking below freezing) the bird can actually suffer hypothermia and lose his/her wattles or toes; just like people can lose their fingers and toes from frigid temperatures.

According to Storey's Guide to Raising Poultry (Chapter 3, Poultry Biology): "Birds allowed free access to their environment also rely on behavior thermoregulaton. This means they will seek out the most energy efficient means of maintaining their body temperature, such as ruffling their feathers, drinking water, moving into the shade or sun (or heat source), huddling, and lying down." p. 67.

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The most important thing about raising chickens in Washington state and keeping them warm in the winter, as far as I can see it, is keeping the birds in a completely dry place where they can get out of the wind.

Of course -- advocates of free range chickens would argue that "thermoregulation" protects birds who know EXACTLY where it's warmest to roost and they will survive.

Anyone who coops a chicken (and who cares about their feathered pet) will make sure the birds can escape both the winter winds and moisture.

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