Winter

Winter can be a hassle for livestock and people. If you live in the north, your zones are lower and you can’t plant some of your favorite foods, like oranges and cinnamon. This cold season also requires you to do some prep on the housing and modify the livestock’s diets.

Water in Winter

Keeping the water in your barn, pasture, and coop is difficult in below freezing weather. You have some options; the first is to get a heated water bowl. These can be expensive and you have to install them in each housing. The upside to this option is that you rarely have to check the water (only twice a day). If you want to install one, you might as well install a constant flowing water system too. The other option is to change/check the water 3-4 times a day as it freezes. To do this in the winter means that you need rubber water bowls and time to check them. If the water frozen in a metal bowl, the bowl will develop a hole. The rubber bowls don’t bust and the ice pops right out of them.

Keeping Chickens in the Cold

When you choose the chicken breeds you are keeping, be sure to pick breeds that are winter hardy. The next step in to winterize the coop. You do this by cleaning the coop and put a thick layer of bedding in the coop. Make sure there are no drafts on the floor. You can not close off all ventilation in the coop because the chickens will suffocate. Keep windows partially open or have vents installed at the top of the coop. Instead of cleaning the litter each week, you will add a layer of bedding. This makes the manure underneath compost and produce heat (again, make sure the coop has ventilation).

After you give the chickens their supper, give them some oats/ oatmeal as a treat. This works best for cold nights and help them keep their body heat. Oats are digested slow and keep the body warm.

Water keeps body temperatures even, so make sure the chickens have plenty of fresh water.

Goats

Goats are winter hardy and don’t start to shiver until 15degrees F. They need a shelter to block the wind and a draft free floor area. It’s also best to keep the litter dry. Goats also huddle together for warmth and sleep.

Like the chickens, goats can have oats as a treat before bed to keep them warm throughout the night. They also need plenty of fresh water.