10 Tips for Keeping Chickens in Winter (You Can’t Ignore!)

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We are just loving our chickens! They’re fun to watch, full of personality, and they give us more eggs than we can possibly eat.

Before we brought our own flock home, we were lucky enough to visit a local farmer and see his chicken setup. 

He was kind enough to answer all my questions—and he was pretty relaxed about keeping chickens through the winter. That was reassuring, but I still wanted to do my homework. 

So, of course, I buried my nose in a book (or, more accurately, the computer screen) to soak up everything I could about keeping chickens happy and healthy in cold weather.

Since I already knew that winterizing a garden takes a little extra thought, I figured chickens would be the same. And I was right—there are a few things worth knowing before the snow flies.

Here’s what I learned during our first winter with chickens (spoiler: that farmer was right—our hens did just fine).

Choose the Best Breed for Your Climate

If you live somewhere that gets freezing temperatures like we do, it’s a good idea to start with cold-hardy chickens. For our first flock, we went with Ameraucanas, Rhode Island Reds, and Buff Orpingtons—and they handled the winter beautifully.

Other cold-hardy breeds to consider:

• Black Australorps – Stunning and hardy.
• Plymouth Rocks – Friendly, reliable, and great winter layers.
• Wyandottes – Fluffy feathers for extra warmth.
• Cochins – Big, fluffy, and winter-ready.
• Brahmas – Gentle giants who handle the cold well.
• Dominiques – One of America’s oldest hardy breeds.
• Welsummers – Hardy and known for their beautiful dark brown eggs.
• Black Copper Marans – Cold-tolerant and famous for their rich, dark eggs.

Update: Our second flock included Black Australorps, and our third flock is Plymouth Rocks—and we absolutely love them too! I have since had Welsummer and Black Copper Marans as well. They’re both great (though a bit of escape artists).

Create Adequate Chicken Coop Ventilation

It might seem counterintuitive, but proper ventilation is key to keeping chickens healthy during the winter. Without it, ammonia can build up and cause illness. Plus, trapped water vapor creates a damp environment. Chickens can handle the cold, but not the dampness.

The trick is to have good airflow without letting drafts reach your birds. Ideally, ventilation should be above where the chickens roost so they stay warm and cozy. In our coop, we use the space between the walls and roof, covered on the inside with hardware cloth.

• Signs your coop might not have enough ventilation:
• Excessive condensation or frost inside
• Mold or mildew growth
• A strong ammonia smell, especially in the morning

Making sure your coop is properly ventilated is the first step, but it’s just one part of keeping your flock cozy and healthy. 

Use the Deep Litter Method

One of my favorite winter hacks for keeping chickens warm is the Deep Litter Method (DLM). With this method, you allow the bedding—and yes, the chicken poop—to build up on the floor of the coop, creating a thick layer anywhere from a few inches to a foot deep.

Here’s the clever part: as the bedding and manure naturally decompose, they generate heat—basically turning your coop floor into a natural heater! This not only helps keep your chickens cozy but also saves you from constantly cleaning out the bedding in winter.

Some people might worry about sanitation, but if done correctly, DLM is perfectly safe. The chickens will do the work of regularly turning the litter to aerate it. All you need to do is add fresh bedding on top as needed, and you’ll have a warm, dry, and surprisingly clean coop.

Use absorbent materials like straw, wood shavings, or chopped leaves. I always include some pine shavings, but will mix in other absorbent materials as well.

By spring, most of the deep litter will have composted nicely, giving you rich material for your garden.

(More on DLM in a future post, but yes—it’s totally sanitary and one of the easiest ways to keep chickens comfortable in winter!)

Trust Them to Stay Warm

Cold-hardy chickens are built for winter. They actually love the cold and thrive in it—believe it or not, it’s usually the summer heat that poses more of a risk!

That said, when we had a ridiculous cold snap (highs in the single digits, lows in the -20s!), I couldn’t help but worry about our chickens staying warm at night.

We received some (not-so-great) advice to put a regular 60-watt light in the coop to give them a little extra heat. 

What ended up happening was that our chickens didn’t like the light. We found them huddled on the ground outside the coop instead of roosting safely inside! Luckily, we discovered them in time to get them settled for the night.

Once we removed the light, they were perfectly happy. What I hadn’t fully considered is that while wind chill can increase heat loss, it doesn’t actually change the air temperature. Inside their coop, it was cold but still much warmer than outside. 

Chickens generate a surprising amount of heat themselves. My five hens together create about the same amount of warmth as a 60-watt lightbulb! So as long as their coop is dry, draft-free, and properly ventilated, they’ll stay cozy all winter long.

Many sources note that healthy, cold-hardy chickens can comfortably handle temperatures down to around -20°F. It can get that cold here, but only for a few hours and likely only for a few days at most.

Keeping Chickens Comfortable in Winter

Chickens can definitely walk on snow, but they don’t really like it. I try to offer my flock as much comfort as I can during the cold months.

A covered run helps, but snow can sometimes sneak in the sides when the wind picks up. To block both snow and chill, we propped a couple of pieces of leftover plywood against one side of the run. Not only does it act as a windbreak, but our chickens seem to really enjoy the extra protection and cozy corner it creates.

Another option is to add clear plastic panels to one or more sides of the run. This lets in sunlight while keeping out snow and wind—essentially creating a little sunny, sheltered spot for your flock to enjoy, even on the coldest days.

Right now, our setup doesn’t include a fully covered run. To help keep the chickens more comfortable, I shovel the area around their coop so they have a cleared space to move around. This also helps reduce ice buildup in the run area.

They still venture outside the shoveled area, but they appreciate having space without as much snow to walk on. I also sprinkle some straw on top of the snow to give them a better, warmer surface to walk on.

Keep Their Water from Freezing

One of the trickiest parts of winter chicken care is making sure they always have fresh, unfrozen water. Chickens can handle cold air, but they still need access to water every day.

Here are a few strategies we’ve tried:

1. Heated waterers – These plug-in waterers keep water from freezing and can be a lifesaver in bitter cold. The downside is that warmer water evaporates quickly, so you end up refilling often. I don’t use these anymore for that reason.
2. Sunlight and placement – If you don’t have a heated waterer, put water in a spot that gets direct sunlight during the day. It won’t solve everything, but it helps slow freezing.
3. Insulated dishes – Place a rubber feed dish in a tire filled with insulating material. This keeps the water a bit warmer and lasts longer before freezing. I found this frozen water fix in this post by Lisa Steele of Fresh Eggs Daily.
4. Change water frequently – Even with protection, water can freeze or get crusty on top.
5. Plastic water bottle trick – Fill a plastic bottle with salt water and float it in the water dish. It bobs around and helps slow freezing. This works best in open water containers like a deep feed pan, not typical chicken waterers.
6. Frequent checks – Even with protection, water can freeze or form a crust on top. Check it regularly and refill or break ice as needed.

I haven’t found a perfect solution that completely eliminates the need to go outside in the cold, so currently our best approach is a combination of numbers 2 through 5 above. It’s simple, effective, and keeps our chickens (and ducks) drinking happily all winter.

Provide Extra Food in Winter

Winter changes the way chickens eat. They sleep longer during the cold months, which means they often eat a lot more in a shorter period of time. 

Add to that the lack of forage—no bugs, greens, or grass—and it’s especially important to make sure they always have enough feed.

I don’t like to keep feed outside overnight, so I keep a close eye on how much they eat during the day.

I start with a measured amount and gradually increase it until I notice a small amount of leftover food at bedtime. That tells me they have just the right amount. (A few pieces left over are fine, but a half-full feed pan can attract pests.)

I also give extra treats in the winter, especially in the afternoon when they’re a few hours from bedtime. Our chickens have access to a compost pile where I put kitchen scraps, and they can eat from it whenever they like.

 I make a point to include extra greens with their scraps whenever I can—lettuce, spinach, or kale. They love it!

I’ve also tried a fodder system to grow fresh greens for them all winter, like this person. I haven’t yet created a setup that works for me, though.

Even though they’re hardy, cold-hardy chickens burn a lot of calories staying warm. A little extra feed goes a long way toward keeping them cozy and thriving until spring arrives.

Give Them a Dust Bath

Chickens keep themselves “clean” by taking dust baths. In the summer, they usually find a nice sandy spot in the yard and kick the dust up onto their feathers. 

In winter, though, they can’t always access these natural spots—so it’s up to us to provide some dusting material.

I like to use a tub filled with sand/dirt and/or wood ash, sometimes mixed with a bit of food-grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) or citric acid for extra protection against lice and mites. 

If you have a protected space—like a dirt-floor coop or a covered run—you can keep things really simple. Just sprinkle the dry dusting material right onto the ground for your chickens. 

Once they’re done, they’ll scratch it around, and it naturally creates a clean layer of ground for them to use as their “bath” area.

Where to get dusting material:

• Sandy soil dug up in the summer and stored in boxes or buckets in the garage (this is one of my kids’ fall chores!) – just be sure to dry it out before storing.
• Sand meant for sandboxes or for sanding icy driveways.
• Woodstove ash – I like to sprinkle a little bit into the dust bath throughout the winter.

Providing a dust bath keeps your chickens healthy, clean, and entertained—even in the middle of winter.

Chicken Boredome Busters

Wintertime can be boring for chickens who like to forage and explore. If your chickens don’t have the option to do this in the winter (like when there is a lot of snow), it’s a good idea to provide them with some entertainment and enrichment. 

When I feed our flock each morning, I start by filling their feeder—and then I toss a little extra feed onto the ground so they can scratch and forage.

I also toss in kitchen scraps and occasional treats whenever I have them. This keeps them busy, encourages natural foraging behavior, and helps prevent boredom.

Another idea is to hang treats like dry sunflower heads, heads of lettuce, or cabbage. The chickens have to jump, peck, and work a little to get the food—making it both fun and stimulating for them.

Preventing Frostbite in Chickens

Chickens with large combs and wattles can be more prone to frostbite in very cold weather. Some farmers suggest applying petroleum jelly to help protect them.

I don’t do this for a few reasons: 

• I’m not convinced adding moisture is the best prevention
• I prefer not to use petroleum jelly since it isn’t natural or sustainable (If I felt it was necessary, I’d opt for a beeswax- or oil-based product instead.)
• Trying to spread any goopy substance on a cold comb is tricky—and would need frequent reapplication. 

So far, our chickens have mostly been frostbite-free. The only time we had issues was when they chose to sleep on the ground instead of in the coop. 

Two of them got mild frostbite, which we monitored daily. Luckily, both healed on their own. 

For more information on frostbite treatment, this post from The Chicken Chick is a great resource.

Since that first experience—during a night with a wind chill around -20°F—I’m not very worried about frostbite. 

Our rooster, with his large comb and wattle, did develop a bit of frostbite, but it healed naturally. This reinforced my belief that the best prevention is simply giving your chickens a warm, sheltered place to sleep.

Keep an Eye on First-Timers

It’s always a good idea to keep an eye on young chickens when they’re experiencing a new environment—or, in this case, their first winter.

Our chickens were born at the end of June, so this was their first snowy season. The first time I let them out of their run after a fresh snowfall, they didn’t quite know what to do.

Then, out of nowhere, some snow fell off the run roof—BOOM! The chickens scattered in five different directions, and three of them ended up stuck in the snow. 

As I ran around rescuing them, I realized it was probably a good thing this happened while I was outside! Luckily, they eventually got used to the snow and no longer get stuck.

If your chickens are facing their first winter, keep a close eye on them until they get accustomed to snow and ice—you definitely don’t want to find a frozen chicken.

It’s also smart to check that they all get into the coop at night. We have an automatic door, which helps, but young chickens might need a little guidance at first. (Thankfully, we only had that one snowy mishap!)

Do Quick Winter Health Checks

While new chickens may have some confusion in their first winter, older chickens should be monitored as well.

It can be tempting to stay inside when it’s cold out, but spending just a few minutes observing your chickens every day is an important part of winter care. Chickens are hardy, but winter stress, illness, or injury can sneak up on you if you don’t take the time to notice.

When you check on them, look for signs like:

• Unusual lethargy or hiding
• Fluffed-up feathers that don’t seem to settle
• Pale or discolored combs and wattles
• Changes in droppings
• Limping or difficulty walking

Even a short observation while they eat or scratch around can give you a clear sense of who is doing well and who might need extra care. Catching problems early is much easier than dealing with a full-blown illness in the middle of winter.

I try to remind myself that being outside in the fresh air is as good for me as it is for my chickens! I also ask my kids to help with this, which takes some of the burden off my shoulders. They are often the ones that alert me to something unusual with our flock.

Final Thoughts: Winter Chicken Care Made Simple

Keeping chickens healthy and happy through the winter isn’t as scary as it might seem. 

With a few thoughtful steps—choosing cold-hardy breeds, providing proper ventilation, using the deep litter method, giving them dust baths, and making sure they have a cozy, protected space—your flock can thrive even in the coldest months.

Remember, chickens are surprisingly resilient. They generate their own heat and can handle temperatures far colder than we might expect. Most importantly, trust them a little—they often know better than we do when it comes to staying warm.

A bit of preparation and attention goes a long way. With some simple adjustments and a little extra care, winter can be a season of comfort, fun, and even joy for both you and your chickens.

 How do you keep your chickens healthy and happy all winter?