Bracing for the Cold

 Indiana is notorious for the weather fluctuating drastically in the span of a couple days, and even sometimes within a couple of hours. As far as winters go, this one has been relatively mild and we've enjoyed many days of sunshine but the forecast for this weekend means we have to prepare for the potential of an arctic blast with the wind chill reaching more than ten degrees below zero. 

We don't use artificial light or heat for our chickens. Our girls are all cold-hardy but we take measures to make sure they are comfortable and can weather a big winter storm, this includes giving them treats/cracked corn, making sure they have food and fresh water, keeping a clean coop and using the deep litter method. It still amazes me how much they love to play in the snow but having a coop that they can take refuge in is so important.

Sunday is when the severe wind chill of ten to twenty below zero is supposed to hit so we capitalized on the dry afternoon (while little man napped in his crib) before the snow moves in tonight and tomorrow. The last two years when we’ve gotten the Arctic blast I have wrapped the coops in multiple tarps, using bungees to tie them down. We consolidated to one coop earlier this fall since we are down to six chickens which made the winterizing easier. 

Our video baby monitor’s signal reaches to the entrance of the chicken garden so we’re able to set it on a fence post while we work while keeping an eye while baby sleeps.

Ben helped me get started and we used an old comforter (well-loved but time to retire, multiple (poorly) patched holes and not the easiest to launder) as the base layer. 

Ben places a comforter on the rooftop of the coop while Loretta Hen stands on the frozen ground.

We had some accumulating snow over the last week, then it warmed up to the upper thirties and rained yesterday, before plummeting down to the twenties today so there is a sheet of ice in the chicken garden, making our work a little more treacherous and slick. We both stayed upright for the duration of the task but there were a few close calls, whoops. 

After the comforter was in place, we took an extra large tarp and wrapped it around three of the four sides of the coop. We’ll be able to give the hens an option to go outside with the sliding door, while also providing a wind break on the three sides most likely to bear the brunt of the wind; the fourth side faces our house. It may be difficult to collect eggs if the girls lay in the either nesting box besides the one by the door but any eggs laid should be fine until Tuesday or whenever it warms up. Our priority is making sure the hens have a warm, dry place to take comfort.

We used ratchet straps to secure the tarp and comforter and wood panels to hold the base down. The wood panels are repurposed pallets that used to make up the top of Inga’s training kennel that we no longer used because she sleeps on the couch all day. We also realized the little bunny friend who hangs out in the chicken garden will have a safe space to hide from the wind too. 

Here’s hoping the Arctic blast passes as quickly as it arrives!