It is possible that you have seen several articles providing management suggestions for your livestock during winter. Ruminant livestock (cattle, sheep, and goats) can easily withstand subzero temperatures as long as they are well fed and provided dry shelter that keeps them out of the wind. The heat generated by rumen fermentation lowers the temperature where they feel most comfortable. Those of you that raise backyard poultry, can take advantage of many of the same recommendations to ensure that your birds withstand the cold temperatures we are experiencing this winter.
Chicks and young poultry thrive when it is hot. Newly hatched chickens require temperatures between 90 and 95 degrees during their first week and owners can reduce the target temperature by 5 degrees per week during their growth. Although the ideal temperature for older birds is between 65 and 75 degrees, these older birds can tolerate subzero temperatures as long as we provide them adequate housing and protection.
Bird housing, spacing and use of supplemental heat
Birds should be provided housing that prevents drafty conditions while maintaining adequate ventilation. This is generally accomplished by sealing or shielding the lower portion of the coop to prevent drafts of winter air. Dry bedding can be added to the floor of the coop, or in the nest boxes, to provide additional protection. You can monitor the bird’s behavior to determine how well they are managing the cold. If the birds are evenly spaced within the coop, we can assume that they are relatively comfortable. However, if they are all within a tight group, we can assume that they are too cold from the outside air temperature or a drafty section of the coop. The closer temperatures get to zero, you may need to consider supplemental heat. This can be done with a heat lamp or space heater. If using a supplemental heat source, you should think about potential fire dangers and keep bedding material far enough away from the source as to not start a fire.
Many coops have an outdoor run area, or birds are allowed free range of the property during the day. It is possible that their combs and feet can experience frostbite. Owners will need to closely inspect their birds each day to see if this is an issue. If you have an outside run that is confined, you can add straw or another bedding material to reduce the chance of frostbite on their feet.
Outside of protection from wind and moisture, the recommendations for poultry are similar to our livestock species. Keep them well fed. If you are limiting feeding your birds, wait until the late afternoon to feed them. Although they won’t generate the same amount of heat as a ruminant, their digestion still produces heat and doing so in the evening will help with the lower temperatures after dark. Make sure they have access to clean, unfrozen water at all times.
You may also find that your egg production falls this time of year. Poultry lay eggs in response to the amount of daylight they are exposed to. With the reduced amount of natural light, you will need to supply supplemental light to encourage more egg production. Poultry need about 14 hours of light when laying eggs. This time of year, you can give them the additional 5 to 7 hours of light by using a 60 watt incandescent light bulb hung about 7 feet off the floor of the coop.
Pesticide and Commodity Marketing School reminders
There are several upcoming programs that are coordinated by OSU Extension in Wayne County. There will be two private pesticide and fertilizer applicator certification opportunities in January. These first two are in Holmes County. The January 21st program will be held at Mt. Hope Livestock Auction and January 30th will be at the Harvest Ridge Event Center in Millersburg. You will need to call the Holmes County Extension Office (330-674-3015) to register for both of those opportunities. The last January program will be January 29th when we will host our Commodity Marketing School. In addition to talks on completing your key financial documents and crop insurance options of 2025, we will host Dr. Ken Burdine from the University of Kentucky who will talk about beef cattle marketing and Dr. Carl Zulauf who will discuss post-harvest grain marketing strategies. On February 4th, we will be hosting our annual Agronomy Day at Secrest Welcome Center. This program will run from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM and there will be CCA credits available. If you want to know more about our upcoming programs (including Salmonella in Dairy Heifers, NE Ohio Dairy Conference, Small Farm Conference, and the Farm Transition Workshop) you can check out the events calendar on our webpage at http://wayne.osu.edu. As always, I hope that you have a safe and prosperous week. If you have any questions or would like to register for one of our programs, please contact me at 330-264-8722 or yost.77@osu.edu
John Yost is an extension educator IV, Agriculture and Natural Resources, at OSU Extension-Wayne County.
This article was previously published in The Daily Record.