Oh dear, it’s that winter chicken keeping question again… Do chickens need heat during the winter? The answer to that question is no. However, the answer to the next question may surprise you… Do chickens need supplemental heat during the winter? The answer is, sometimes. Yes, I’m saying that your homestead flock can actually benefit from some heat during the winter! The key is understanding when that ‘sometimes’ is and when the heat will be beneficial, not harmful, to the health of your flock.
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What is Supplemental Heat?
Chickens don’t need heat, but they can benefit from supplemental heat. So what is the difference? Supplemental heat is only provided during the time of need. Your flock will not rely on supplemental heat to stay warm during the winter. Instead, supplemental heat cuts back on the factors that cause cold stress, which can be deadly to the health of your flock.
Supplemental heat is not even ‘heat’ as we know it. Supplemental heat should only keep the coop as warm as your flock is used to during the winter. This is generally recognized as around 32°F but will vary depending on your region. Actually, supplemental heat does not even have to heat the entire coop. Free-choice heat is even better for when your flock needs a little supplemental heat. We will go into different heating methods in a different post.
For now, let’s see exactly how we go about identifying when our flock will benefit from supplemental heat. Basically you have to evaluate the factors known to your region and how you manage your flock during the winter. There are three categories of factors that will determine if and when your flock could benefit from supplemental heat.
#1. Environmental Factors
Environmental factors are the factors that result from the region that you live in. These are factors that you cannot change. Your region’s environmental factors may provide a need for supplemental heat within your flock.
Sudden Temperature Drops
Chickens rely on gradual adjustment to handle cold temperatures. Fall is the main transition time. During the fall, your flock will begin to adjust to the slowly decreasing temperatures. Warm summer temperatures cool off to moderate fall temperatures which gradually decreases to colder winter temperatures.
As these temperature changes occur, your flock will adjust their behaviors and coping mechanisms to accommodate the cooler weather. The rapidity and degree of temperature change will vary depending on the region you live in. Norther climates usually experience a broader temperature change than southern climates.
No matter what region you live, it’s the sudden and dramatic temperature changes that can create a need for supplemental heat. Unseasonal temperature dips for your region can also cause a need for supplemental heat.
For southern regions, unseasonal cold spells can cause cold stress in your flock if they are used to more tropical, warm temperatures. For northern regions, temperatures that suddenly dip into the teens usually cause cold stress.
When the temperature changes suddenly from warm to very cold, your flock will not have had time to adjust to the colder temperatures. This causes cold stress.
If these sudden changes only occur for a short period of time, you can usually take other preventative methods to prevent cold stress rather than providing supplemental heat for a short period of time. If the sudden change is long-term, you might consider providing supplemental heat until your flock has had time to adjust to the colder temperatures.
You don’t want your flock to become dependent on the supplemental heat, you want them to adjust to the cold temperatures gradually. Eventually they will no longer need the supplemental heat.
Severe Weather
Severe weather can also cause cold stress in your flock. Remember, the main reason why we provide supplemental heat is to help prevent the harmful affects that cold stress can have on our flocks.
Extended periods of extreme weather tax a chicken’s ability to generate enough energy to stay warm and keep their body functions working properly. Supplemental heat can provide a source of external energy (heat) that the chickens don’t have to expend additional energy in order to receive.
What constitutes severe weather will depend on the seasonal weather for your region. For southern regions, extended cold spells could be considered severe weather. For northern regions, extended periods of single digits and negatives could be considered severe weather. Also, by ‘extended’ I am referring to a period of time that is at least more than three days long.
#2. Management Factors
Management factors are factors that you can control. They include the tasks and chores you do to care for and manage your flock during the winter. Some of these factors can play a role in whether or not your flock may need supplemental heat during times of severe weather or sudden temperature drops.
Coop Litter
Th type of litter you use in your coop will determine how insulated your coop is as well as if any supplemental heat is naturally generated by the litter. The two most common winter time coop litters are straw and sand. If you use another disposable litter, like wood shavings, I strongly recommend you switch to a straw deep litter during the winter. If you use sand, it can be harder to make a litter switch.
However, both sand and straw have their winter time benefits. Sand is a temperature regulator due to its heavy mass. It can help the coop maintain a steadier temperature and will decrease sudden temperature changes within the coop. Straw is an insulator and is compostable. It can help trap heat within the coop as well as produce heat naturally when it is used as the composting deep litter method.
When it comes to providing supplemental heat, you are more likely to need to provide supplemental heat if you use sand as your coop litter. While sand does do a good job at regulating the coop temperature, it can not trap warm air or produce heat naturally. During really cold spells and severe weather, it will not help your flock cope with cold stress.
Straw on the other hand, can help your flock cope with cold stress. It provides entertainment to get your flock moving and active as well as it provides a natural source of heat as it composts.
One thing to make a note of is if you do have to provide supplemental heat when using straw, never use a heat lamp. Straw and heat lamps create a very dangerous fire hazard.
External Stressors
Factors that cause stress in your flock can also increase the need for supplemental heat. If a flock is already stressed, adding cold stress to the mix can increase the detrimental affects of the cold stress on your flock’s health. Some external stress factors that your flock might experience during the winter include:
- production demand
- disruption in the pecking order
- a predator attack
- sudden changes in routine
- disease
If your flock is already experiencing an external stress factor, then cold stress can occur quicker. Providing supplemental heat at this time might be beneficial. The supplemental heat will at least mitigate the cold stress and allow your flock to cope with the other stress factor without becoming ill or experiencing health issues.
Once the stress levels become manageable, you can reduce or remove the supplemental heat.
Cold Stress
I’ve referenced cold stress quite a few times now, and this management factor is directly correlated to cold stress and the other factors that I have discussed so far. If preventative measures are not taken to prevent cold stress, then your flock will be needing supplemental heat more often than necessary.
If you work on preventing cold stress without supplemental heat then your flock will be able to handle the colder temperatures much better. The critical low temperature for your flock will decrease and you won’t have to resort to supplemental heat quite as often, if at all. Here are some things you should be doing to help with cold stress:
- include more protein sources in the diet
- winterize the chicken coop
- reduce exposure to cold wind and precipitation
If these preventatives are still not enough and your flock is exhibiting signs of having reached their critical low temperature, then supplemental heat is necessary and will benefit them.
#3. Physical Factors
The last group of factors that determine if and when your flock needs supplemental heat are physical factors. Physical factors can be controlled to a certain degree, however, they are based on the individual birds in your flock.
Cold Hardy Breeds
The breeds of chickens you have in your flock may dictate when supplemental heat becomes necessary. Breeds that have been developed for cold hardiness will be able to handle cold temperatures the best and won’t need supplemental heat as much or at all. Some of these breeds have physical features that help them cope with the cold better. Here are some features that help cold hardy breeds deal with the cold:
- muffs and a beard– these features are usually present in place of the wattles, which are prone to frostbite
- small combs– breeds that have a pea, rose, or cushion comb are less prone to frostbite compared to single combed breeds
- feathered feet and shanks- the feathers provide some insulation to those extremities
- lots of feathers- fluffy breeds have lots of insulation!
Breeds that don’t have these features are more likely to experience cold stress quicker and suffer from the results, like frostbite and shivering. If your flock is composed of less cold hardy breeds, than they may benefit from more frequent supplemental heat than a cold hardy flock would need.
Age
Consider the age composition of your flock when determining if they would benefit from supplemental heat. Older chickens will experience cold stress sooner than young chickens. It just has to do with how the body functions, as a bird ages, its body slows down and may not be able to keep up with energy demands that cold weather requires.
If your flock is composed of mostly older birds, than supplemental heat may be necessary more often than if your flock was composed of younger birds. A mixed flock may benefit from free-choice heat, where the older birds can get warmed up if they choose and the younger birds won’t become reliant on the supplemental heat.
Flock Health
Lastly, the overall health of your flock may determine if and when supplemental heat is necessary during the winter. A healthy flock won’t experience cold stress as quickly and will be able to cope with the cold temperatures better. When a chicken is in a healthy state, it won’t be expending energy on fighting disease, dealing with parasites, or healing from an injury. It can use more of its energy on staying warm and all of the normal body functions will be working properly to allow for proper digestion, respiration, and circulation.
A flock that is battling an ailment or dealing with parasites will be affected by colder temperatures faster. Providing supplemental heat during those times can help your flock continue to fight their ailment without struggling to stay warm as well. Once your flock has reached a healthy state again, supplemental heat will no longer be needed.
Do Chickens Need Supplemental Heat?
Yes, your homestead flock can sometimes benefit from supplemental heat during the winter! The main reason for this is in the science of cold stress. Your flock has a critical low temperature. If external temperatures dip below this critical low temperature, then your flock will start experiencing negative affects from cold stress.
Some factors accentuate cold stress and make supplemental heat necessary in order to maintain a healthy flock. These factors include the ones we just discussed, such as….
- sudden prolonged cold temperatures
- extreme weather
- external stressors
- lack of cold stress prevention
- sickness or parasites
Cold stress can lead to death, which is why supplemental heat may become necessary during the winter. Remember though, in order for supplemental heat to be beneficial, your flock cannot become reliant on the supplemental heat. It should only be provided while the conditions persist. You should not have to wean your flock on or off supplemental heat.
When used properly, supplemental heat can benefit your homestead flock during the winter!
Chickens are amazing cold hardy animals, but cold stress is a real winter danger and occasional supplemental heat could be what’s needed to keep a healthy, warm flock this winter. When your flock needs supplemental heat will depend on your region as well as environmental factors, management factors, and physical factors within your flock. Knowing when supplemental heat will be beneficial is an important part of being a winter chicken keeper on the homestead!
Make sure you are well equipped this winter to take care of your flock! Get The Complete Guide to Winter Chicken Keeping which is available in the Trading post as well as make sure you are a part of our pioneer newsletter for weekly winter chicken keeping tips!
Warm wishes to you and your flock!
by Alexa
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