Since winter is finally getting here, it is getting colder out, we are going to talk about how to keep chickens throughout the winter, so they can lay, lay, lay all winter long.
We have our chickens in a round metal chicken coup. We have put a blue tarp over part of the chicken run so the snow and rain won't get in the door. Also, it provides shade on sunny days.
Inside the chicken coup, we laid down a thick coat of pine needles and then a thick coat of straw to build up the base to keep the ladies warm. We will have to change out the bedding weekly. The chickens usually poop right by the door so that makes it easier to clean, we won't have to change all of the bedding, just the stuff with a lot of poop on it.
We have to check the water frequently to make sure it doesn't freeze solid. If it is a light coating of ice, the chickens can peck through it, but they won't if it is thick. They eat more during the winter and colder months because they need to stay warm and eating helps them do that. So you have to make sure their feed stays full. We also give them table scraps and extra veggies to give them extra yummy stuff to eat. They love pumpkins and squash.
The chickens will still lay eggs during the winter as long as they stay healthy. Their production will go down, but we have been getting about 3-6 eggs a day still. Probably during the late winter we won't get as many eggs because the chickens need sunshine to lay lots of eggs and here in NY we don't get much sun in the winter. If the eggs freeze, it is ok to eat them still. They will thaw in the refrigerator.
