Raising chickens in winter can be a lot of fun. Some hens love wandering around the yard and their first snow sighting can be quite entertaining. A bird’s thick feathers are a natural protective coat, so most breeds are well-equipped for winter.

Here are a few tips on how to care for chickens in the winter:

1. How to keep chickens warm in winter:

Do not add heat lamps. Chickens, especially cold-tolerant breeds, can withstand winter temperatures without supplemental heat. A chicken’s body temperature is around 106 degrees Fahrenheit, and they have their own protective layer of feathers to keep them warm.

If you feel it is necessary to provide a source of heat, only provide enough heat to raise the temperature a few degrees. The hens will adjust to the cold temperature, but if it is 70 degrees Fahrenheit in the coop and 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the run, birds will not be able to regulate their body temperature.

2. What to feed chickens in winter:

A common myth is to feed oatmeal to birds in the winter. This is not a beneficial treat for chickens. Oats contain some types of fiber that chickens can’t digest which can cause the contents of the digestive tract to thicken. This leads to a reduction in the bird’s ability to digest and absorb nutrients. Greens are also unnecessary. Hens may pick at hay and spread it around, but they are not going to eat it.

Feeding a complete layer feed like Purina^® Layena^®, Purina^® Layena^® Plus Omega-3 or Purina^® Organic Pellets or Crumbles will provide the necessary nutrition hens need through the winter.

3. Ensure feed and water isn’t frozen.

Consider heated waterers. Feed and water birds more often when it’s below freezing. Energy needs increase in winter. Animals expend a considerable amount of energy to stay warm and will eat more feed. Complete layer feeds include all the energy hens need. The 90/10 rule still applies in winter.

4. Allow exploration.

Birds can tolerate snow, cold air and ice water. There is very little muscle in the lower part of bird legs and feet. The movements are controlled by tendons that stretch from the upper part of the legs down to the toes. \Secondly, the blood entering the lower legs and feet are cooled by the blood returning to the heart. The blood returning is thus warmed by the blood going to the toes. The tissue receives just enough heat to avoid frostbite while also being provided with enough oxygen to keep things functioning.

5. Collect eggs more frequently.

Temperatures below freezing result in frozen eggs. As the egg freezes, the contents expand and will cause the egg to crack.

6. Keep the chicken coop draft free.

But don’t seal it completely. Some air needs to be exchanged to prevent ammonia build up. Open the top vent or higher windows slightly so fresh air can enter and stale air can exit.

7. Keep the chicken coop dry.

Remove any wet spots daily. Provide more bedding than you would in other seasons so birds have a place to burrow and stay cozy.

8. Continue offering activities in the chicken coop.

Hens will spend more time in the coop, so offer enrichment. Logs, sturdy branches or chicken swings can work well and place a Purina^® Flock Block^® supplement in the coop for a nutritious place to peck.

Visit or call J & N Feed and Seed to get more tips for raising chickens in winter!

Article source: Purina Flock Management

It’s hard to believe it’s time for spring chicks!  J&N Feed and Seed is now accepting orders for specialty spring chicks.  Not sure what type of chick to order? Give us a call at 940-549-4631 or stop by the store and talk to us about the different breeds of chicks available.  We are happy to help!

Before you bring chicks home, make sure you’ve prepared. Raising chickens is a great experience for the whole family. One of the primary requirements is providing housing that is comfortable for your backyard flock. Young chicks can be raised in a variety of structures, but the area should be warm, dry and ventilated, but not drafty. Also, make sure it is easy to clean.

Before you bring them home:
Several days in advance, thoroughly clean and disinfect the brooder house and any equipment the chicks will use. Doing this in advance will allow everything to dry completely. Dampness is a mortal enemy to chicks, resulting in chilling and encouraging diseases such as coccidiosis (parasite infection).
When the premises are dry, place 4 to 6 inches of dry litter material (wood shavings or commercial litter) on the floor.

Warming:
Small numbers of chicks can be warmed adequately with heat lamps placed about 20 inches above the litter surface.
Bigger groups of birds in a large room, such as a shed or a garage, should have a supplemental heat source such as a brooder stove.

Feeders and Waterers
It’s important to ensure your chicks have access to fresh feed and water. Positioning the feeders and waterers along the edges of the comfort zone will:

Keep the water and feed from being overheated
Help keep water and feed cleaner (chicks milling and sleeping under the warmth source often scatter bedding and feces)
Encourage the chicks to move around and get exercise
Be sure to have plenty of fresh feed and water when the chicks arrive.

Winter is upon us and egg production tends to slow down in late fall due to the shorter days. Lighting is a huge component to this decrease as well as the temperature drop. A laying hen’s endocrine system is stimulated by light so the shorter days slow egg production or can stop it completely. Some flock owners look at winter as a dormant break for their laying hens.  Other owners like to keep the production throughout the winter months. In order to do this, hens need more than 14 hours of light during the day.

Lighting:

A nine-watt compact fluorescent bulb is all that’s needed for a typical backyard coop. Plug the light into a timer and have it come on early enough in the morning to give the birds 15 hours of daylight, and egg production will be improved through the shorter days of winter.The light needs to light up the largest area possible. Clean the lamps once a week to keep them clean to output as much light as possible.

Heat Lamps:

Start this process in late fall since the lighting changes at that time. Make sure to hang the lamp or bulb up in the coop where the chickens can’t snuggle up to the lamp and cinge there feathers. Make sure the light reaches the whole coop and offers heat throughout.

Other Tips on Winterizing:

Keep the coop dry and clean. The best way to do this is to keep make sure the coop will not have standing water if rain comes. Make sure to replace the bedding with dry bedding each week.

Bedding also provides insulation for the chickens. Cover large holes where drafts or critters can enter. Be careful not to cover up all the holes so proper ventilation can occur.

Freezing temperatures can freeze up the water source. Think about getting a heated water source or pour fresh water each day.

It’s important to gather eggs daily because those can freeze as well.

Throw down extra feed or corn before they head to roost at night. This will provide energy and keep them warm at night.

Your flock needs some time and attention during the winter months to keep up with egg production. The extra work is worth it! You’ll have a full carton of eggs all winter!

Purina True Choice Poultry Feed is now available at J&N Feed and Seed.  True Choice layer pellets, crumbles and starter/grower feed is a budget-friendly alternative to our premium line of poultry feed. It provides complete nutrition for broilers and layers, with no cheap fillers or by-products!

• Layer 16 Crumble 
• Layer 16 Pellet
• Poultry Starter/Grower 18 Crumbles

If your flock is ready to make the switch to layer feed, give Purina True Choice 16% Layer Pellet or Crumble a try. Layer feeds are designed to provide optimum nutrition for birds laying eggs for consumption. Layer feeds contain 16% protein and has increased levels of Calcium, for proper shell development. Not sure when to start your girls on layer feed? Layer feeds should be fed starting around 18-20 weeks of age, or when the first egg is laid, whichever comes first.

Guaranteed Analysis: Layer 16

• Crude Protein (MIN) 16%
• Lysine (MIN) 0.70%
• Methionine (MIN) .30%
• Crude Fat (MIN) 1.50%
• Crude Fiber (MAX) 10.00%
• Calcium (MIN) 3.50% (MAX) 4.50%
• Phosphorus (MIN) 0.40%
• Salt (MIN) 0.15% (MAX) .65%
• Phytase* (A.Oryzae)(MIN) 227 FYT/lb

Guaranteed Analysis: Grower 18

• Crude Protein (MIN) 18%
• Lysine (MIN) 0.90%
• Methionine (MIN) .33%
• Crude Fat (MIN) 2.50%
• Crude Fiber (MAX) 7.00%
• Calcium (MIN) .75% (MAX) 1.25%
• Phosphorus (MIN) 0.50%
• Salt (MIN) 0.15% (MAX) .75%
• Phytase* (A.Oryzae)(MIN) 227 FYT/lb

Keeping 6-8 Week Old Chicks

Between 6 and 8 weeks of age, your chicks will be much larger and will need twice the amount of floor space they started with. It’s also time to start thinking about moving your chicks from the brooder to more permanent living quarters outside. If the temperature is mild and the chicks are fully feathered, they can be allowed outside during the day. If you purchased straight-run chicks (50/50 males and females) you may be able to distinguish the males from the females around 5 to 7 weeks of age. The combs and wattles of the males usually develop earlier and are usually (but not always) larger than in the females. Females are typically smaller in size than males. If you are still uncertain of their sex by appearance, you’ll be sure who the males in the flock are when you hear them attempting to crow.

Your chicks are able to regulate their body temperature by this time and should not need a heat source any longer unless the outside temperatures are still very cold. Keep temperature at 65°F if this is the case.

Prepare your chicken house or coop. Housing should provide approximately three to four square feet of space per mature bird and should contain sufficient feeders and waterers to accommodate your flock size so that all birds can eat and drink at the same time. Two to three inches of litter should be put down to minimize dampness and odor. A nest box for every four hens should be made available for laying pullets. Roosts can be considered for laying pullets but not recommended for meat birds because of the potential for developing breast blisters.

If possible, prepare an area outside the coop for your birds. Outside runs or fenced in areas will allow chickens to scratch and peck to their hearts desire, returning to the roost at dusk to sleep. The house needs to have a secure latch that is fastened each night if they are allowed outside during the day. An outside run attached to the coop with screening on the top and sides for protection will allow chickens unlimited access to the yard and save you time and worry.

Once you move your birds to their permanent residence, make sure they are protected from predators, especially at night. Even a latched door may not be secure enough to keep raccoons out.

• Your birds are still growing so keep feeding Purina® Start & Grow® Recipe to help them reach their maximum potential. Chicks should remain on this feed until at least 18 weeks of age.
• If your flock is a mix of chicks, ducks and geese, continue feeding Purina® Flock Raiser Recipe.
• Turkeys can start on Flock Raiser Sunresh® Recipe at 8 to 10 weeks of age. Keep feeding this until market weight or laying age.
•  If chicks were purchased for meat production, the normal weight for processing is 3 to 4 pounds for broilers and 6 to 8 pounds for roasters.

Laying pullets will need to receive a constant amount of light exposure once they reach 16 weeks of age to promote good egg production. For optimum egg production, a maximum of 17-18 hours of light (natural and/or artificial) per day is recommended. Gradually change your layer flock over to Purina® Layena® Sunfresh® Recipe at 18 to 20 weeks of age to support egg production.

Pullets will usually begin laying between 18 and 22 weeks of age. Increasing day length in the spring stimulates normal egg production, and egg production is naturally decreased in the fall when the days get shorter. Artificial light can be used in addition to natural daylight in the fall and winter months to maintain egg production all year long. If artificial light is not used, hens will stop laying when daylight hours decrease. It is very important that the supplemental light be consistent, as even one day without supplemental lighting can cause a decrease in egg production.

After 10-14 months of egg production, hens will molt and stop laying eggs. During molting, old feathers are lost and replaced by new feathers. It usually lasts between eight and twelve weeks (though it can be shorter or longer, depending on the individual hen and her environment) and it gives the hen’s reproductive system some much needed rest. Hens will return to production after the molt. Eggs laid in the next cycle are usually larger with improved shell quality but production typically drops about 10 percent.

Source: Purina Poultry