One of the most common questions we receive is, “What do I do to keep my hens warm during the winter?”  The short answer is “not much.”

It is a perfectly reasonable question and it is easy to understand our concerns.  Our hens give us great eggs and great compost and in many cases they give us great entertainment.  And despite the emotional hazards, we sometimes even name them and pamper them and treat them like family.

It is important to remember that chickens are essentially live-stock.  Sure they are cute and funny but they are also tough birds and can handle some harsh conditions. Many of the breeds that we sold originated in the Northeast, upper mid-west, and in England.  Oregon winters are temperate compared to some of those places.  Set your alarm for 4:00 some morning and go out to the coop and pick up a hen.  You will see them huddled together and you can feel the heat radiating off them.

But there are a few things you can do to make things more comfortable during the winter.  Change their water more often so it doesn’t freeze.  You can even paint your water container black or cover it with some sort of sweater.  We will even sell water heaters for the dead of winter.

You can also give them some cracked corn about an hour before they go to bed.  The extra corn increases their metabolism and will give them something to burn during the night.  You can even put the scratch in that chick feeder that you haven’t used since they were 2 months old.

Some backyard farmers do add a light in the coop during extremely cold nights.  If doing so, use caution as you do run the risk of a fire hazard.  One trick is to shine a light bulb into a ceramic pot.  This will create a long-term radiant heat and will also keep it dark enough for the hens to sleep.

Another popular heat source is the deep bedding method.  With this method, you do not clean out the droppings but rather add a thin layer of pine shavings.  As the droppings compost, they create a natural heat that can add ten degrees to the inside of the coop.  If you do this method, be certain that your coop has plenty of ventilation (there is a difference between ventilation and draft.  You want the air to circulate but you do not want gusts of cold air).  A lack of proper ventilation can cause respiratory health problems in your flock.  The composting process can also wear on your coop floor and you will have a bit of an odor issue.  The deep bedding method is popular and effective but it does come with a few drawbacks.

Some breeds have combs and waddles that are susceptible to frostbite.  In extreme cold conditions you can treat a comb with bag balm or petroleum jelly.

If you are still concerned you can always knit them a sweater.  But putting them in front of the fire with a cup of cocoa or a snifter of brandy is unnecessary.

Do you have any tricks to keep your hens warm all winter?  Feel free to add a comment.

Most backyard farmers seem to agree that the worst part of raising their flock is dealing with the water.  Chickens enjoy tossing dust in the water and they manage to get dirt, feed, feathers and even droppings in their water supply.  Fortunately we sell the chicken nipple.  The chicken nipple is widely used in the industrial chicken farming industry and can be easily adapted for the urban farmer.

The chicken nipple is a home made waterer and the choice of reservoir you choose is up to you.  Some people use a food grade bucket.  Other options are galvanized pails or PVC pipe.  I use a re-used plastic juice bottle.  I have found that Trader Joe’s Green Plant bottles are great but you are encouraged to be creative.

First drill a 11/32 inch hole in the cap. (see photo 1).  It must be an 11/32 hole.  If you do not have a 11/32 inch drill bit, bring your container to the store and we are happy to install your chicken nipple.

Remove gasket from the nipple and push it through the hole in the cap.  Be sure it is pushed in until        the bottom of the gasket rim is flush with the surface.  (see photo 2).

Push the narrow part of the nipple through the gasket and hole until it is all the way in.  It should be hard to push it through which will ensure a strong seal.  If you put a little spit on the nipple, it will slide through a little easier.

Drill a large hole in the bottom of the container (the reservoir hangs upside down so the top hangs down and the nipple suspends above the chicken’s head).

The hanging mechanism is a 3/16 inch eye-bolt threaded through a 3/16 inch toggle bolt (also known as a ceiling anchor).  Both can be purchased at your local hardware store.  Once you screw in the eye-bolt, use a pair of pliers and strip the end of the bolt.  As the chickens drink through the nipple, they will spin the waterer around.  Stripping the bolt will keep it from becoming unattached.

Push the hanging mechanism through the hole.  Your chicken nipple is ready to use.  I recommend you hang it with a section of chain.  Chickens like to reach their necks up to drink so hang it so that it is just above chicken head level.     Using the chain will allow you to raise and lower the waterer to the ideal height.  If you replenish your flock with new pullets, add a second (or more) chicken nipple to accommodate the different size birds.

A few tips for chicken nipple success.  Younger chickens learn this device faster then older hens (all baby chicks sold at EBYF have been trained on the chicken nipple).  Chickens are attracted to the shinny steel and should naturally peck at it out of curiosity.  Once one hen learns it, the rest generally follow.  If you want to encourage slow learners, impale a grape on the nipple or slather it with fruit preserves.

During the summer you can add ice cubes to the water to help them keep cool in the hot weather.  During the winter you can add warm water to keep it from freezing. You also can paint the waterer black to help avoid freezing.  You can even knit a waterer sweater to keep it warm.

Feel free to experiment and be creative.  If you have any suggestions or stories, please add a comment.

In the interest of long-term sustainability and balance, The Eugene Backyard Farmer will be moving to Winter hours starting October 24.  Winter hours will be Monday through Saturday, 10:00-6:00 and closed Sundays.

We will move back to Summer hours in mid-February.  Monday through Saturday, 10:00-6:00 and Sunday, 11:00-5.

Thank you so much for a great first six months!  We have done much in terms of supporting back-yard sustainability and we look forward to accomplishing so much more.