Winter Chicken Care Tips: How to Care for Chickens in Cold Weather

Winter can be tough on backyard chickens—shorter days, freezing temps, and lots of snow. If you’re wondering how to care for chickens in cold weather, you’re not alone! Don’t worry, keeping your flock happy and healthy in winter isn’t as hard as it sounds. With the right setup and a few winter chicken care tips, you can keep them safe, warm, and thriving all season long.

After years of raising chickens through cold, snowy winters, I’ve learned what works (and what doesn’t!) when it comes to coop insulation, preventing frozen water, protecting against frostbite, and keeping egg production steady. In this guide, I’m sharing practical, easy-to-follow tips to help you winter-proof your flock—so you can enjoy fresh eggs and happy hens all season long!

If you’re just getting started with chickens, be sure to check out my Raising Backyard Chickens for Beginners Guide for everything you need to know before winter hits!

1. Coop Insulation

When winter hits, the wind and snow can make even the coziest chicken coop feel like an icebox. While chickens handle cold temperatures better than extreme heat, it’s still important to protect them from drafts and keep their coop as warm—without completely sealing it up.

How I Insulated Our Coop

I use 4 mil plastic sheeting to cover the wire portions of the coop and run, creating a wind barrier while still allowing natural light in. Using a staple gun and scissors, I measured and cut pieces to fit the coop’s open areas, securing them tightly to withstand winter storms.

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💡 Pro Tip: If you’re covering a run, leave some ventilation near the top so fresh air can still circulate without creating drafts.

Check out my tutorial: How To Insulate A Chicken Coop for Wind, Rain and Snow

2. Ventilation

When it’s freezing outside, it’s easy to think that sealing up the chicken coop is the best way to keep your flock warm. But ventilation is just as important in winter as it is in summer!

Without proper airflow, moisture from your chickens’ breath and droppings builds up inside the coop. This trapped moisture leads to frostbite, respiratory issues, and even ammonia buildup, which can make the air toxic.

How I Keep My Coop Ventilated in Winter

✅ High Vents for Airflow – I made sure to leave openings near the roofline of my coop so humid air can escape without creating drafts at roost level. Cold air settling on your chickens while they sleep = frostbite risk!

👉Proper ventilation is just one part of setting up a functional and healthy chicken coop. For a full checklist on everything your coop needs, check out my Backyard Chicken Coop Setup Checklist.

3. Avoiding Frozen Water

One of the biggest winter challenges for backyard chickens? Keeping their water from freezing! Chickens need access to fresh, unfrozen water all day long, even in the coldest temperatures. If their water source ices over, they can become dehydrated, which can lead to serious health issues—including reduced egg production.

After trying way too many methods (like swapping out waterers multiple times a day—so annoying!), I finally found the best solution: a heated hanging waterer that plugs in and keeps water from freezing all winter long.

What I Use: A Heated Hanging Waterer

• Holds 3 gallons – Just the right size for my flock, without needing constant refills.
• Plugs in for consistent heat – No more breaking ice or carrying warm water out multiple times a day!
• Hangs up off the ground – This keeps bedding, dirt, and poop out of the water, so it stays cleaner longer.

🐔 Reality Check: The only downside? Since my heated waterer hangs from a roosting bar, my girls love to poop all over the top—especially on days when they stay inside the coop all day due to bad weather. It’s not a dealbreaker, but it does mean extra cleaning to keep things tidy!

4. Winter Nutrition

When the ground is frozen and covered in snow, chickens lose access to their usual foraging spots—which means they need a little extra help getting the nutrition they need to stay warm and healthy. Since my girls can’t scratch for bugs and greens like they do in the summer, I make sure to supplement their diet with high-energy foods to help them maintain body heat and keep their digestive systems active through the winter months.

What I Feed My Chickens in Winter

🐓 Scratch Grains – I give my girls a scoop of scratch grains in the late afternoon. Since scratch takes longer to digest, it helps keep them warm overnight when temps drop.

🐛 Dried Mealworms – A great protein boost for my flock! I love tossing a handful into their bedding to encourage natural scratching and pecking.

🥕 Fruit & Veggie Scraps – My chickens get all sorts of kitchen scraps, like:

• Kale & leafy greens
• Squash & pumpkin
• Apples, bananas, & berries
• Carrot & beet tops
• Leftover veggie peels

5. Frostbite Prevention

When the temperatures drop, frostbite becomes a real concern for backyard chickens—especially for breeds with large combs and wattles. Chickens are surprisingly resilient in cold weather, but damp conditions, wind exposure, and extreme cold can lead to frostbite on their exposed skin. Over the years, I’ve found a few simple tricks that help keep my flock safe and comfortable during harsh winter months.

Why Frostbite Happens

Frostbite occurs when moisture collects on a chicken’s comb, wattles, or feet and then freezes. This is why proper coop ventilation (yes, ventilation—not insulation!) is key. Without enough airflow, condensation from the chickens’ breath builds up, leading to damp conditions inside the coop. Combine that with freezing temps, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for frostbite.

Tips to Prevent Frostbite in Chickens

❄️ Keep the Coop Dry – Ensure proper ventilation near the roofline to let moisture escape and use deep bedding like straw or pine shavings to absorb dampness.

💨 Block Drafts, Not Airflow – Wrap part of the run with plastic sheeting to reduce wind exposure while keeping ventilation intact.

🛢 Apply Petroleum Jelly – A thin layer on large combs and wattles helps protect against freezing temps.

🍽 Feed High-Energy Snacks at Night – Scratch grains, mealworms, and veggie scraps keep chickens warm by boosting digestion overnight.

👀 Check for Early Signs – Watch for blackened or pale comb tips and bring affected chickens inside to warm up gradually—never rub frostbitten areas.

6. Egg Production in Winter

When winter rolls around and the days get shorter, my hens go on strike! ❄️🐔 Instead of laying multiple eggs per week, they sometimes take a full week (or more) off.

One thing I’ve noticed over the years is that first-year hens don’t seem to get the memo—they’ll keep laying almost daily through their first winter. But by year two? They catch on quick and take advantage of the break!

Some chicken owners use supplemental lighting to mimic longer daylight hours and keep egg production steady. But personally, I let my girls lay on their own schedule rather than tricking them into it. It’s their well-earned winter break!

☀️ During the summer, I stock up on extra eggs that we do not use and store them. Check out my post: How to Preserve Eggs for Months with Pickling Lime | Water Glassing Method

8. Safety Tips

Winter brings more than just cold temperatures—it also brings unique safety challenges for backyard chickens. From predators to icy conditions, here are some key things I do to keep my flock safe all winter long.

1. Protect Against Predators

• Winter can make chickens more vulnerable to predators since food is scarce for wild animals. Even in the city, I’ve seen signs bald eagles, hawks, and even a fox one time! While I can’t say I do all of these things, here are some tips I’ve learned from a couple chicken community pages I’m apart of:
• Lock the coop every night—double-check latches since raccoons are sneaky!
• Bury fencing around the run to prevent digging predators
• Cover the top of the run to protect against hawks and owls
• Use motion-activated lights to deter nocturnal predators

2. Keep Paths Clear of Ice & Snow

• Just like us, chickens can slip on ice, which can cause leg injuries. If the snow piles up, they’ll often stay in the coop all day, which can lead to boredom and pecking issues. I like to:
• Shovel pathways leading out of their coop so they can move around
• Lay down straw or hay to provide traction

3. Be Mindful of Heat Sources

• While I don’t use heat lamps (they can be a serious fire hazard – and after living through a house fire, I don’t take that lightly!), I do take some precautions to make sure my girls stay warm naturally:
• Deep bedding method—extra straw or pine shavings for insulation, inside their nesting boxes and indoor coop area
• Block direct wind with plastic sheeting but maintain ventilation
• Keep water from freezing with a heated waterer (but watch for poop buildup on top!)

4. Check for Signs of Illness

• Winter can be tough on chickens, and they sometimes hide signs of illness until it’s too late. Every day, I do a quick check for:
• Lethargy or puffed-up hens (a sign they might be cold or sick)
• Frostbite on combs, wattles, or toes (use Vaseline as a protective layer)
• Runny noses or watery eyes, which could indicate respiratory illness

After surviving many harsh Wisconsin winters, I’m happy to say I’ve never lost a chicken to the cold, frostbite, winter illness, or predators. A little extra time spent checking on them each day goes a long way—and it’s totally worth it to keep my flock happy and healthy!

Winter can be tough on backyard chickens, but with the right setup and a little extra care, your flock can thrive even in the coldest months. By insulating the coop, maintaining proper ventilation, keeping water from freezing, and providing the right nutrition, you can ensure your hens stay happy, healthy, and safe all season long.

Every winter, I make small adjustments based on the weather and my flock’s needs, and it has made all the difference in keeping them comfortable.

👉 Looking for more backyard chicken tips? Check out these helpful guides:

• 🏡 Raising Backyard Chickens for Beginners
• 📋 Backyard Chicken Coop Setup Checklist
• 🔥 How to Insulate a Chicken Coop for Winter

Have questions or winter chicken care tips of your own? Drop them in the comments—I’d love to hear what works for you!