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Feeding Strategies for Silkie Chickens in the Winter

February 2, 2018May 12, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Feeding chickens in the winter is a little different than feeding chickens during the rest of the year. During nice weather, chickens love to forage and free range in the pasture looking for the choicest bits of protein and green roughage. They are so happy and content and their minds are fully occupied. In the winter, however, there are limited opportunities to free range. They do not like snow and in Minnesota their chance of finding bugs is slim to none.

Hens that are laying eggs need extra protein all year round and its not just the right kind of food but the right amount of food that is important as well. As winter approaches , a chicken’s feed consumption will be 1.5 times the amount they eat in the spring and summer. You will notice an increase in your feed bill and you will be filling those feeding dish more often.

This increase in food consumption is due to the fact that they are coming off of their fall molt and need energy to regrow feathers. They are also using more energy in order to keep warm in the winter. They can’t just put on another sweater. They have to generate body heat to keep themselves from freezing. If they were free rangers they no longer have access to free food in the form of bugs and greens. Instead they will be increasing their feed consumption in their feeding bowls.

The most important thing to remember when feeding in the winter is to make sure that they are getting plenty of their regular, nutritious feed. Some people have their hens on layer food which has calcium in it. It is around 16% protein. I like to feed mine a Gamebird feed which has a higher percent of protein. I think that silkies benefit all year round from that higher 24% protein. These basic feeds are created to give your bird the correct amount of vitamins and minerals that they need. This is what they should be eating most of the day. Add Oyster shell to the feed for eggshell development. I also put vitamins in their water because I think that silkies need that extra amount of nutrients.

Carbohydrate treats help to keep your birds warm especially on exceptionally cold days. The best sources are what you would find in chicken scratch. Cracked corn, oats and wheat. Scratch scattered around the coop or run will also give the birds something to do and keep them occupied. Remember to offer grit with the scratch. In the winter the small rocks in your run may be covered in snow not allowing the chickens to find their own grit. They need the grit in their crops in order to grind up these scratch grains.

Some people make a nice bowl of warm oatmeal for their chickens on cold mornings. It is a great treat to warm up their insides. Just use regular breakfast oatmeal but make sure that you are not serving it too hot. Cracked corn is a wonderful winter treat. I give mine to my silkies right before bedtime. They will go to bed with a full crop and be warm all night. Watch out for cracked corn turning white silkie’s feathers a yellow tinge on their necks and crests. I usually feed oatmeal instead of corn to the whites. Also, be aware that too many carbohydrates will make your chickens overweight. A heavy hen is not a good layer so be careful with the amount of treats. Treats should be given later in the day as the birds need the nutrients from their main feed first.

Sprouting grains and fodder is a great way to bring the goodness of the outdoor summer pasture all year round. Sprouting grains can increase the enzyme, vitamin and protein content of any seed. I have sprouted and fed my birds both oats and wheat. If you would like to learn how to sprout check out “Sprouting Grains and Growing Fodder” in our blog archives.

Live mealworms can be grown at home or ordered as a fun protein treat. You can grow them using wheat bran as bedding. If you are not sure that you want to deal with live mealworms, they also have the dried form which the birds also enjoy. You can also order live crickets which your hens will have no trouble gobbling up. There are freeze dried crickets as well.

Boredom is common during the winter in the coop. You don’t want the birds to turn on each other in desperation for something new and interesting to do. Try hanging a cabbage or head of lettuce in one of these treat balls. They will spend hours trying to get at those leafy vegetables. Be sure and feed extra greens such as kale, collard, chard and spinach. Leftovers from your salads are great for them as are any kitchen scraps.

Flock Blocks are popular because they lasts a long time. Chickens have an instinct to peck at things. Better to have them pecking at a flock block than pecking at each other during the winter months.

If you are offering treats to your flock outside in the winter, make sure that you are placing it in some kind of bowl or feeding dish. The ground can be very wet outside in the winter. If you sprinkle food on the ground it will get soggy. Birds do not like soggy food. Make sure you clean up any left over food and pellets. If you don’t it will attract pests such as mice. Store extra food safely in sealable containers so you don’t attract predators.

For tips and tricks for raising outstanding silkies check out our Chicken Learning Center at VJPPoultry.com . VJP Poultry is an NPIP and state inspected hatchery located 30 miles north of St. Paul. We hatch out silkies all year long so we always have stock available. Like us on Facebook to get weekly updates on what we currently have for sale.

Victoria J. Peterson

How to Deal with Below Zero Temps in the Chicken Coop

December 28, 2017May 17, 2020 by vjppoultry, posted in New Silkies

Often we think that we have winterized correctly for normal winter temperatures. But often in January the temperature can dip below zero which leaves us scrambling for additional tricks to get us through a couple of days of rough weather.

The first thing to do is observe you chickens. A chicken that is feeling stressed from the cold will look cold. It will be huddled up and not moving much. It may be standing on one leg trying to keep the other leg warm under its feathers. This may be the time to take action.

Chickens are designed to self regulate body heat. Their feathers hold in the warm air around their bodies. There is a lot of heat inside of a coop just from the number of living, breathing chickens in it. The more chickens you have, the warmer your coop will become.

Your coop probably has some insulation in it already. A coop should be designed for the kind of weather you live in. Insulation can be built in or added later. Coops built with a double layer wall will trap air between the layers or, you can us conventional insulation covered with plywood to keep the chickens from pecking at it.

Last minute insulation ideas are things that you can place either inside your coop or outside. Straw bales can be placed around the outside of the coop as well as inside the coop to block drafts. Straw is a warm bedding because it holds the warm air inside the shaft of the stem. Use it sprinkled on the floor of the coop or outside sprinkled on the run. It will keep their feet warmer than on just plain pea rock.

I use square pieces of reflective insulation to block the pop door at night after I shut the main door. This helps to block drafts at the floor level. Remove the square in the morning or leave it on extra cold days where you don’t want them to go outside. I also stuff old pillow cases with old t-shirts and put those in the pop hole area to cut off drafts.

A coop should provide shelter from wind, wet weather and cold drafts along the floor. The north sides and west sides need extra protection. Wrap clear tarps around the fencing in your run to use as a wind break and to keep snow out of your run. Information on how to do this can be found here. Silkies do not like to walk on snow and won’t leave the coop until it is shoveled off of their run.

Ventilation is very important. Keep the wet out (snow/rain) but remember, water vapor needs to escape. Do not keep the coop air-tight. I leave my windows open all year long. When it is below zero, I will shut them halfway but I probably shouldn’t. Ventilation is air that moves freely in and out of the coop. Drafts are air currents that blow directly on the chickens both on the floor and on their roosts. You want to eliminate drafts but you want as much ventilation as you can. Trapped water vapor will make things damp in your coop. If you see frost on your walls and on your doors inside the coop, then you need to increase your ventilation.

Your birds will increase the amount of food that they eat in below zero temps. You need to keep their food bowls filled and keep the food inside the coop where they can find it easily. Cracked corn is your friend in below zero temps. It will keep your bird warm. When it is really cold I give them cracked corn before going to bed so that their crop is full all night. I cook eggs every morning to feed back to the silkies. Warm, cooked oatmeal will warm up their insides and help them in low temperatures.

You will need to have a way to keep your water from freezing up. I use heated bases and put a galvanized metal 2 gallon waterer on top. Information on Heated Water Bases is here. Other people use a heated dog dish for their water. I worry about the silkies beards becoming wet with an open dish like that. I like to put vitamins and electrolytes in their water when it becomes cold to help perk them up.

I change my chicken’s bedding fairly often, but when the temp is below zero I begin to use the deep litter method. I keep adding more and more pine shaving bedding to their pen. I kick it around with my boot every morning so that it does not become compacted. You want it nice and fluffy. Do not try and clean or change bedding when it is below zero. Just keep adding more to the mix. You want it as dry as possible in the pen. Remove large chunks of poo when possible. You will need to gather eggs more often as well or they will freeze and crack.

If you see a bird that is clearly weak or sick you will need to separate it from the rest of the flock. You can crate it in a dog crate in your laundry room or garage. You will need to wait for warmer temperatures to introduce the bird back to the flock as they will have to be acclimated to outside life.

I use heat lamps as a last resort. I do not like to use them as they can be a fire hazard and are expensive to run. I will turn them on if the temperature is -10 degrees or colder. You need to factor wind chill in there as well especially if you have drafts you can’t block out. If you want to read more about heat lamps, look here. Some people like to use Sweeter Heaters instead of heat lamps because they can be safer and less expensive to use. They will not be as warm as a heat lamp will be. Other flat panel heaters include Cozy Products which is similar. Make sure you have a back up plan in case the power goes out. A portable generator is a good thing to have on hand. Birds will not be able to handle extreme changes in temperature and may it may prove deadly.

Frostbite can occur especially on feet, combs and wattles. Silkies have small combs and wattles so usually frostbite is not a problem in those spots. However, frostbite on feet can happen to silkies. If you have other breeds of birds you may want to use some Waxlene on their combs and wattles to protect them.

Remember that you need to dress appropriately in order to do your chicken chores in these cold temperatures. I wear Carhartt gear because it is very warm. Their products are made for people who have to work outdoors. Start with insulated bib overhauls. Add some Carhartt winter boots and your feet will stay very warm. A warm winter jacket and a hat that covers your face. Don’t forget warm gloves as my fingers are the first thing to get cold and warm socks for my toes that also get very cold.

Ultimately, it is your decision on what steps to take for your birds. There are some days where I don’t even open the pop doors to the run because I think that it is too cold. If you want more information on winterizing your coop check out Tips for winterizing your chicken run and How to Winterize a chicken coop built from a Kit.

Victoria J. Peterson