It is not only your poor little fingers and toes, that can suffer from frostbite. I remember just last winter, when we had extreme cold temperatures my chickens actually got frostbite. Not even the brand new diy garden shed chicken coop, could protect them from Mother Nature’s wrath. With this in mind, I thought today we should perhaps take a quick look at a few ways to prevent frostbite in chickens.
They say that prevention is better than cure, and this is especially true when it comes to frostbite. Your goal should be to try and avoid and reduce the effects, rather than treating your chickens after the fact. When it comes to your chickens, frostbite tends to mostly affect the combs, wattles as well as the feet. Besides the cold temperatures, there is also moisture and wind chill to worry about when it comes to frostbite.
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Tip #1: Control Coop Moisture Levels
During the winter months, it is not advised to have high moisture levels inside your chicken coop. If you notice frost in the windows, droplets on the ceiling or even if the bedding just feels wet it means there is too much moisture. The main culprit is usually the heated waterer, simply remove that or use one with a smaller surface area to reduce the moisture levels in your coop.
Tip #2: Extra Dry Bedding
When you are cold in your bed, you tend to pile on the blankets, right? Same thing for your chickens, you should try to make sure they always have a thick layer of dry bedding. This will help insulate their feet and bodies from the cold floor. Choose the material you use for their bedding wisely, and make sure that it is dry before laying it down in your chicken coop.
Tip #3: Cold Hardy Breeds
If you live in the colder climates, it is recommended that you select cold hardy breeds for your flock. Typically, you should choose breeds that have smaller combs as their a less probe to frostbite. Breeds to consider include Buckeye, Ameraucana, Wyandottes, Barred Plymouth Rocks, Austalorps and Orpingtons. The last three in the list being the recommended cold hardy egg laying breads.
Tip #4: Wider & Flatter Roosts
At night when the girls are roosting, installing wider and flatter roosts makes it easier for them to get down real low and tuck in their feet closer to their bodies. Their fluffy feathers will then protect their feet and toes from the cold during the night hours. A simple and affordable roost option would be to untreated 2×4. Just sand them down and install them with their wide side facing upwards.
Tip #5: Keep Them Away From The Snow
The snow is probably the coldest thing, next to the wind chill that your chickens will encounter. It only makes sense then that if you are trying to avoid frostbite, you keep them away from the snow. The doorway should be shoveled and clear at all times, and ideally there should also be a snow free zone for you chickens to play in during the day. It goes without saying that snow should not be allowed to enter the coop at anytime.
You can get more information from the Murano Chicken Farm blog, here…
How To Prevent
Frostbite In Chickens
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