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Mobile chicken coops offer a wide range of benefits, but there is one drawback that some chicken keepers don’t consider when they purchase one. They aren’t as good in cold weather without a bit of work.
Some larger farms handle this by using mobile coops for different times and moving chickens into winterized options for the cold season, but what if you’re a backyard chicken keeper or built your farm’s entire chicken stock around mobile coops? What do you do?
Today, we’re going to go over our top tips to help you keep your chickens warm in a mobile coop, even in the dead of winter.
The first thing you can do to help keep your mobile coop warm is move it to a spot that meets a couple of requirements.
First, it should provide some sort of windbreak. That’s one of the things that dramatically increases the effect of the cold. The wind comes through, and with a mobile coop made of wire and bars, there really isn’t anything stopping it.
Next, it’s preferable if the coop is placed near a safe source of heat. This can be right outside the heated stable you keep your other livestock in, near your home, or anything else that gives off heat. Of course, make sure the heat source is safe. It can’t put off too much heat, and it shouldn’t be a fire risk, either. You might make your chickens a little too warm. If you know what we mean.
This is the simplest winterization tip we have, and it can make a huge difference in how comfortable your chickens are in the coldest months.
Just like us, it helps to move around when chickens are stuck in the cold. Burning calories and moving around can greatly impact their ability to stay warm in cold conditions.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you have to drag the mobile coop around every twenty minutes, but you should try to stimulate activity in the coop a couple of times per day, at least. Especially if you notice they’re getting lethargic when they’d otherwise be moving around on their own.
One of the strengths of mobile coops is also one of the biggest drawbacks when the weather changes. While bar-based frames make great free-range chicken habitats, they don’t block anything or hold in warmth.
You can quickly help with that by adding plastic wind blocks to the sides of the coop, and you can consider adding insulation material around it, as well. The insulation shouldn’t be accessible to the chickens, though.
You can’t wrap the whole thing in plastic, or it’s like sticking your chickens in plastic bags, but you can cover much of it and greatly increase the amount of heat retained and block the wind.
The ground sucks the heat out of everything in the winter. If you’re going to have your mobile coop parked in one warm spot most or all of the winter, consider adding a thick layer of straw or similar chicken-friendly material that insulates them from the ground. This will keep the ground from conducting all its heat, and it’ll stay a lot warmer without major changes to the coop design.
Of course, this also makes it a hassle to move the coop. So, you definitely want to be prepared for that if you’re still going to move it around all winter.
Heat lamps can be an amazing addition to your mobile chicken coop without requiring too much modification.
These are lamps often used for cold-blooded animals. They do provide some light, but they mostly let off lots of heat. The key is to make sure you add enough to the coop to provide warmth, but you don’t overdo it.
This is a lot easier to do if you park the coop near an electrical source. You can run the cord to an outdoor electrical outlet, plug it in, and your chickens are good to go.
However, this does create a fire risk if you generate too much warmth or let the heat lamps touch things that might catch fire easily. Also, since the coop is outside, make sure that the lamps are properly protected from the elements to prevent damaging them or causing fires.
Also read: How to Choose the Best Mobile Chicken Coop for Your Needs
Heated water systems are similar to the heat lamps we talked about, but they keep your chickens’ water warm.
This doesn’t directly heat the chickens much, but it does keep their water from freezing, and it’s the equivalent of getting hot cocoa for chickens.
Of course, the residual heat given off by the system does help increase the heat in the coop. Especially if you’ve done some of the other things we’ve talked about.
As we said, this doesn’t just help regulate the temperature of the chickens. It helps prevent issues like their water freezing and ensures they have access to fresh water as long as you provide it.
Finally, we have a more natural tip. Some backyard chicken keepers like to keep a handful of chickens just to produce the amount of eggs they can consistently eat. Well, your chickens are at a disadvantage in the winter if you do that.
When chickens are cold, they naturally want to huddle together. They use their body heat to warm each other, and the temperature around them can increase dramatically. With more chickens, this effect is more dramatic. However, it’s not as useful if you only have a few to give you your morning breakfast.
With that being said, it’s still crucial to ensure you’re not overpacking your coop. You don’t want to create serious problems for your flock by cramming tons of them together.
Keeping your chickens warm and comfortable during winter doesn’t have to be difficult. With proper preparation, such as adding insulation, using heat lamps, and moving the coop to a sheltered location, you can ensure your flock thrives even in the coldest months.
At Chicken Ranger, we provide high-quality mobile chicken coops available in three versatile sizes – 6x8, 10x12, and 12x12. Whether you’re preparing for winter or need a year-round solution for your backyard or farm, our coops are designed to offer the flexibility and durability you need.
From ensuring a safe, warm environment to simplifying mobility, our coops make it easier to care for your chickens, regardless of the season. Explore our range of mobile coops today and give your flock the comfort they deserve!