In winter or freezy temperatures, one of the greatest headaches for backyard coop owners is how to keep their chickens warm. Sometimes when electricity also goes out, the coop owners think, “How to keep chickens warm in winter without electricity?”
Well, here we are to give you the solution to your headache. Without electricity in winter, you can keep your chicken warm in several ways. Some methods are: use huge bedding, move your chicken’s coop, do your coop’s through investigation, reduce draft, and make your coop smaller.
Also, some other effective ways are adding insulation, using the deep litter method, covering walkways, trapping the sun using windows, and revamping the roosts. All these methods are effective enough to keep your chicken warm in winter without electricity.
This article will shed some light on how to keep chickens warm in winter without electricity. So, keep reading!
How To Keep Chickens Warm In Winter Without Electricity
A chicken keeper has to know how to keep his chicken warm in winter without electricity. So to make your job easier, we will guide you with all the possible ways of keeping your birds warm in winter.
1. Use Lots of Bedding
Chicken coops become very cold in the winter. If you don’t insulate your coops properly in winter, your birds can die by suffering from frostbite. So without electricity, adding lots of bedding is one easy way to keep your chicken warm.
Without electricity, it is one of the best ways of keeping your coop warm. Adding lots of bedding will create a barrier between the chickens and cold ground. Also, your birds will get a place to stay warm and burrow.
Moreover, you can use a plastic tarp or canvas to cover your chicken coop. The plastic cover will prevent the coming of drafts. However, following this method, all winter, you can keep your birds healthy and warm.
2. Move Your Chicken Coop
During winter without electricity, moving your chicken coop is another way to keep hens warm. We recommend moving your chicken coop closer to your house or your property’s other building.
Moving the coop is a good idea as it will help to block the wind. Also, your birds will get some additional warmth from moving the coop. Moreover, you can add a hay or straw layer to your winter chicken coop floor. Adding hay or straw will help the floor to insulate against the cold ground.
3. Do A Through Inspection of Your Chicken Coop
Before the hitting of cold weather, if you can thoroughly inspect your chicken coop, that will be better. During the inspection, look at the walls and ceiling for any gaps or cracks. And using the waterproofing material, you must seal the cracks or gaps.
However, adding an extra insulation layer to your chicken coop is also a very good idea. As an additional layer, you can use bubble wrap or straw. Once your chicken coop becomes snug and nice, then you must provide plenty of bedding material in your chicken coop.
The bedding materials can be wood chips or shavings. The wood chips or shavings will trap heat inside your coop. Also, your chicken will get a quiet place to rest. Finally, we recommend you not open your chicken coop door too often. This will result in cold drafts.
If you follow all these simple tips, you can keep your chickens comfortable and warm without electricity all winter long.
Also Read: Can Chickens Be Left Alone For A Week?
4. Make Your Coop Smaller
Your chickens can withstand the cold wind as they are fairly hearty creatures. Birds can also cope with chilly temperatures. But when the temperature becomes freezy or dips too low, your birds will start feeling the effects.
So another way to keep your chicken warm in the cold winter is to make the coop smaller. If you create a smaller space for your chickens by reducing the coop’s size, the birds will get the chance to heat up. Your chicken will remain warmer.
They will have less space to roam in winter, tie up, and transfer heat from one body to another.
5. Reduce Drafts
Reducing the drafts is one of the most important things for ensuring warmth in the chicken coop without electricity. Ensure your chicken coop has no holes or gaps and is well insulated.
Holes or gaps in the coop let the cold air in. You must check it and reduce the draft to ensure the highest comfort for your chicken. However, some ventilation in the coop is also important for your birds. Therefore ensure the well-ventilation of your coop.
Ample ventilation in your coop will prevent the condensation and building of carbon dioxide. Condensation or carbon can cause respiratory issues in your chickens. Therefore while reducing the drafts, take care of your coop’s ventilation.
6. Add Insulation
Adding insulation to your chicken coop is another way to keep your chickens warm, even without electricity. You can use different materials for insulation, including cardboard, Styrofoam, hay bales, straw, curtain, and fabric.
Also, to keep the heat in the nesting boxes nesting box liners play an important role. Make the nesting box more comfortable for your chicken so your birds can lay eggs during cold winter.
However, remember that you must ensure a dry place for your chicken to sleep. So you must ensure a well-ventilated coop for your birds to prevent moisture build-up. These simple steps are enough to ensure that your hens will stay comfortable and warm all winter.
7. Use The Deep Litter Method
Without using electricity, another way to keep your chickens warm in winter is to employ the deep litter method. According to the deep litter method, you must create the bedding material’s deep layer. For example, you can place straws in your chicken coop.
If you use straw in your coop, your birds will spend their time around the loose litter by scratching around. Mixing straw by scratching the loose litter helps to create a dry and warm environment. The deep litter method bedding will also help to prevent drafts by insulating the coop.
8. Cover Walkways & Runs
In the winter or freezy cold season, you must ensure a dry shelter for your chicken to escape the cold. Covering the run and walkways with heavy material or a tarp is one way of keeping your chicken warm in winter without electricity.
Covering the walkways will help to block out rain and wind. Also, it will prevent the coop’s floor from freezing. However, you can add leaves or straw to their bedding to ensure additional insulation.
8. Trap the Sun Using a Window
You can trap the sun’s heat in your coop using windows. If you do so, your chickens will keep their body warm with the help of the sun’s heat. During the day, open up your coop’s south-facing windows. And ensure as much sunlight as possible is entering through the window.
Then, close up your coop’s windows during the night to help retain the heat. Also, to further trap the heat, you can hang the insulated curtains over the windows. Take the benefits of the sun’s warmth and give your chickens a cosy feeling without using any electricity all winter.
9. Revamp The Roosts
When the temperature begins to drop, you must take some extra steps to keep your flock warm. Revamping the roosts is one effective way of doing this. However, your birds remain cool during summer by perching high off the ground.
But during the winter, when the ground remains warmer, your chicken prefers to be closer. Around 18 inches off the ground, we recommend you place the roosts. And ensure that the roosts are made of a material that is effective in holding heat, like metal or wood.
While choosing a roost, you must ensure that it’s wide enough. It will help your birds keep their feet warm by keeping them under their body.
10. Use Hot Water Bottles
Hot water bottles are another effective way of keeping your birds warm without electricity. Take a few bottles and fill them with boiling water. And before bedtime, place those hot water bottles in your chicken’s coop.
The heat will radiate throughout the coop, and it helps your chicken keep warm during the winter nights. Also, under the water container of your chicken, you can place those bottles to prevent the water from being cold. But regularly, you must check the bottles and replenish them when necessary.
Related Videos on How To Keep Chickens Warm In Winter
Watch these helpful videos to learn different methods and tips for keeping your chickens warm and healthy during the cold winter months.
3 Ways to Keep CHICKENS Warm WITHOUT a HEAT LAMP | No ELECTRICITY
12 WAYS to Keep Your Chickens Warm in WINTER
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Chickens Survive Winter Without Heat?
Chickens are hardy animals, and they can tolerate freezing temperatures. But in general, hens like to live in a warmer climate.
70-75 degrees Fahrenheit is the ideal temperature for your chickens. In freezy winter; you need to take extra care of your chicken to ensure they are comfortable enough.
What Is the Warmest Bedding for Chickens?
Straw is one of the warmest bedding for your chicken. It is a popular chicken coop bedding choice. Also, straw is a good insulator.
Do Chickens Get Cold At Night?
On cold nights, the chicken gets cold, also. To combat the cold winter, your chicken shares the body heat by huddling together in a tight group.
End Note
Throughout this guide, we have already answered your question about how to keep chickens warm in winter without electricity. Following the tips mentioned above, you can keep your chicken comfortable and warm during winter with a little planning. And even you don’t need to restore your electricity.
From our end, we have ended up with the discussion. You can comment in the comment box if you have any further queries. ASAP we will reply to you.
