What to do in the winter for your fowl

Here in the UK we do not have the varied winters that seem to be quite common in many other countries, I realise that with the size of countries like the US the diffence from one end of the country to other can vary from minus 30 to warm sunny weather. I cannot imagine minus 30 as we tend only to suffer light frosts and rain with damp foggy days. Even when it freezes here it does not last for long periods.

Poultry Keeping has legs!

Whether or not the temperatures are mild or extreme we all need put extra poultry management into practice. The prime consideration is in keeping the birds in a good, solid and well protected poultry house and run. Tthe need for this is quite obvious and as well as weather protection there needs to be good protection from predators. I personally prefer poultry housing to be built on legs, with clear views under the house. The length of leg does not matter as long as there is a good clearance underneath to stop the rats etc taking up residence, rats and other vermin love dark places to hide so by raising the unit you are dealing with a problem before it starts.

Roofing on the units is also important as we prefer Onduline which is a rubber based corrugated sheet which screws over the roof and is both easy to fit and remove. This can be power washed and is a good deterrent against insects such as Red Mite. Other types of sheeting are available which will give similar results. It is best to avoid felt as this just creates a good hiding and breeding area for all types of bugs. By using sheeting it is easier to clean and helps with lower maintenance as well as better protection for the birds.

Having raised the housing you also need to make sure all entry points on the poultry house are secure and safe, making access difficult for thing like foxes, badgers and mink is of major importance. This is were the strength of a poultry shed is required. I have known a badger that has burrowed under a shed and ripped a hole in the floor to get access to the chickens and then proceed to kill all the Light Sussexs inside the shed. Again the raised floor would have helped to prevent this type of attack from happening. One other type of threat and what is becoming a more apparent problem is the domestic dog, so good protective fencing which is high enough to keep the dogs out must be used wherever possible. ( My dog is very well behaved with chickens but it is not always the case).

Dr Fresh Air Now we have the basic housing covered it must be a very serious consideration as to how these houses are ventilated. Having fresh clean air all the year round is of great importance. This is even more apparent when the birds are confined during the winter months. Fitted air vents are good, sliding windows to keep out excessive wet are useful, these sliding window are good if made from Perspex which although closed still gives light. Strong mesh fitted to these windows is also very important as this is also an access to predators - we use weld mesh which is a lot stronger than chicken wire.

If you have used a roof sheet system such as onduline it has its own built in ventilation system created by the profile of the sheets. The down side to this is that it can give access to smaller rodents unless you fill in the gaps using some sort of wire infill to prevent entry.

The main entrance door to any poultry shed can be a perfect place to leave open and fit an inside wire mesh door which will keep the birds confined but also give all the fresh air needed. I have included pictures of examples of how this is done.

One other thing to take into consideration is the present day threat from disease so if the birds are kept under cover and clear of the wild bird population we are more secure for the future. Also with today's problems within the poultry hobby it is better to be safe than sorry.

Let There Be Light As I personally do not breed solely for egg production then lighting is not a main problem for us; for me the amount of eggs my birds lay of season is unimportant.

I only need the eggs for hatching at certain times of the year which, for my show birds, is really quite early in the year, but if you are wanting egg production which is the most popular reasons for keeping chickens then lighting may very well be an important part of your play. The easiest way to keep the birds in lay is to supply extra lighting during the winter time, this is easy to do by using a domestic type timer which can be set for early morning and later in the evening. By using false lighting you are creating a longer day for the chicken, this should guarantee continues egg production even in the winter months. There is a product called 'the Rooster Booster' which is designed especially to fulfill this function. Rooster Booster poultry lighting is ideal for free range chickens houses where mains electricity is not available. Connected to a 12-volt battery, the rooster booster will provide light throughout the winter months, making it viable to keep hens in more remote areas.

Monitoring the 24-hour pattern of natural light and dark, the Rooster Booster timer adjusts it self so that it only comes on when it is dark in a 15 hour period thus maximising time between battery charges and ensuring that the free range chickens enjoy the benefits of natural daylight. At the end of the day after a short dimming time, a night period of 9 hours begins. No lighting is provided during this time allowing the hens to roost. www.roosterbooster.co.uk When feathers fly During the winter the birds will go through their annual moult. This will stop egg production as they need all the vitamins to re create the feathers they lose during this time. It does not matter how much light you supply they will still all go through this natural process, and as soon as the moult is completed then back to the egg production.

Heating. This is a subject that varies from person to person but I personally do not heat the shed no matter how cold it gets (commercial units do have a controlled environment with heating and lighting control) but for most standard poultry keepers a dry well ventilated shed is quite sufficient. You should continue to feed a good layers ration through the moult. Sadly many people stop feeding during the moult as egg production drops but this is the very time they need good nutrition. A vitamin supplement in the water may also help at this time.

Water hard as stone Freezing weather obviously brings the frozen drinker problems. Tthis means that you have to be constantly on hand to ensure a good frequent supply of water, in most cases just breaking the surface ice is enough for the birds to be allowed to drink. We use a plastic twist fit drinker which is strong enough to knock on a post or similar which breaks the ice and not the drinker. This type of drinker is easy to empty and fill even when frozen.

We have automatic water systems which are amazing for most of the year but when it really freezes stand by for major leaks and problems. When these systems freeze there is very little problem, but as they defrost the damage done to the system becomes apparent and is some times quite drastic. This is basic commonsense and apart from the obvious water problems is just making sure the birds are kept dry and draft free, also making sure the feed is kept in good condition and fresh, the bedding in the nest boxes and sheds will need more constant attention at this time of the year, looking after the flock will maintained they are kept in top health and disease free.

Vitamins and Extra Rations Again speaking from my own experience over the years, I always find that during the winter and the moult seasons the birds do get stressed out and this applies to the breeding season as well. It is at these times when the birds are at their lowest ebb and a little extra help is always the best way. (People also suffer from stress during the winter so it should be easy to understand). Giving extra vitamins can do no harm and if given correctly will help the bird through one of the worst stages of the year. Additives can have various different effects on the birds, some will help stamina and others will improve feather quality and in fact they can help to keep the body temperature higher with the same effect as sweet corn which, as cracked maize, also produces body heat for the birds.

The market today is full of a large variety of vitamins and minerals, you need to think about what you require from the additives. It is likely that a very good quality multi vitamin is all you really require, you can distribute this by adding to feed or water - this is down to the individual to decide which they prefer. My preference is to add a liquid based vitamin to the water, I find that the birds will always drink and this ensures a fair distribution of vitamins through out the flock. Powder based vitamins in feed are good but if you mix them into the feed without damping the feed when you have finished all the dust from the vitamins tend to be still in your bucket and not in the chicken feed. This is not only a waste of time but also a waste of money. If I ever have to use powder based vitamin I always add a little cod liver oil to the feed and mix it well, this enables the powder to stick to the feed and be more evenly distributed.

Combs and Wattles.

(Health Care) I think I have covered quite a number of the basics in this article, but finally the general health of the birds and its external features need to be taken into consideration.

During the very cold spells when the temperature reaches freezing and well below, the bird's combs and wattles can be very badly affected. This can also happen if there is an early morning frost. There is a very simple form of protection that can be achieved to prevent the birds suffering, you can coat the wattles and comb in Vaseline, rub it in well and quite thick, this does no harm to the bird and helps prevent the frost bite from happening. If the birds are affected it is quite obvious as the red on the wattles and comb turn black as the cold kills the cells. This is vary rarely fatal but must be very painful and uncomfortable for the birds.

As I said before keeping the birds in good health is so very important, and I must stress the need for keeping them as dry as possible during these months. I have actually seen a bird frozen to death because the owner washed and shampooed the bird for showing and then left it wet overnight. Not only is this very stupid but also very cruel. Poultry keeping is very basic commonsense and does not need any special qualifications just care and a little time plus a big dollop of thoughtfulness.

Mite & Cleanliness When the winter preparation begins there is the inevitable problem of mite and lice. Thankfully, there tends to be a decline during the winter months of this type of insect, but inside a nice warm dry shed they will thrive, no matter what time of the year it is. In the summer it is a constant nightmare to keep Red Mite and Lice under control but do not be caught out and with the coming of winter think you are in the clear. I can assure you they are still there.

This is the time were the use of lice and mite powder is a must; this helps kill and keep the insects at bay, but if you have a bad infestation then you need a clear day to move the birds outside and spray the shed giving the unit time for it to basically dry out before replacing the birds later in the day.

If possible spraying and treating the poultry unit before the winter actually sets in is a great idea, making sure you penetrate all the cracks and crevises you can. This is a clear case of prevention is always better than cure.

Use the powders both in the sheds, nest boxes and on the actual birds themselves, we have some excellent powder treatments here in the UK some of which are organic and some chemical, again this is down to personal preference, Before using any product please ensure that they are safe to use even when the birds are confined, again commonsense but needs to be considered.

If in any doubt about any product try to find an experienced poultry breeder who will hopefully give you advice on which product they have used and recommend. In the UK we have several products which are not licensed for poultry but are used all the same. The non licensing is nearly always down to the cost of licensing by the companies which is why I suggest you just ask, the voice of experience is always the best way to learn.

As a final note of interest there is a breed of chicken which are reared in Sweden which can stand temperatures of 29 degrees below these - the Hedemora Hens.

The Hedemora Hens.

This breed originated in Sweden purely as a breed that would stand temperatures of 20/29 below freezing, they were specially bred to for this type of condition and of course are ideal for the Swedish winters, but the bird adapts very easily to normal weather conditions and will run outside even in freezing, snowy conditions. They do lay a slightly smaller egg than normal but the fact that the breed is so hardy outweighs the loss in size of the eggs. There is no standard colour for this breed but it sometimes comes with a slightly frizzled feather, which combined with the colour makes the bird very attractive.

The town of Hedemora is a small town in the middle of Sweden and this is a very cold place, even in comparison with the rest of the country and it is in this actual town that the breed originated.

I hope this article will help with the on coming winter preparation and that it may help to prevent some losses or mishaps that can occur, good luck for the winter and I would like to wish all readers a Very Merry Xmas.

This is one feature of 20 plus pages of poultry including how to look after heritage turkey breeds, a guide to breeding waterfowl, identifying poultry breed, how poultry changed one woman's life and the hen keepers diary for small flock owners.