The Ultimate Autumn-Winter Chicken Care Guide Every Keeper Needs

As the seasons shift and the days grow shorter, your chickens face new challenges that can quietly impact their health, egg production and overall well-being. Autumn and winter require more than just slight adjustments to the coop- there are crucial steps every chicken keeper should take to ensure their flock not only survives, but thrives. Autumn is the perfect time to get ahead of winter's challenges- ensuring your chickens stay healthy, warm and productive when the weather turns harsh.

1. Evaluate Your Coop

   
   

   Before the first frost, inspect your coop for drafts, leaks or areas that might allow moisture in. Chickens are remarkably hardy, but dampness and wind can cause problems such as frostbite.

   
   

2. Nutrition and Hydration

   
   

   As temperatures drop, chickens burn more calories to stay warm. The more chicken feed they consume, the more they burn, which is a form of heat.

   
   

   A strong immune system begins with proper nutrition.

   
   

   Feed Quality: Many chickens molt in the fall, requiring a boost of protein. Consider adding a higher-protein feed such as a chick starter/grower that contains 21% protein, which is essentially Amino Acids (the components of protein).

   Amino acids form a protein chain, with methionine and lysine being the most crucial at the top. If your chickens don't get these proteins in the correct balance with the other amino acids that follow, they cannot utilize them effectively. The elevated amino acid content in the starter/grower feed provides nutritional support by supplying the higher protein needed for efficient feather regrowth. This process can take 8-12 weeks, depending on the chicken's health.

   Avoid overdoing "extras" and treats, which can dilute vital nutrients during a time when their bodies need them most.

   
   

   Added Support: Autumn is a great time to add vitamins to help chickens through molting and cold stress.

   
   

   Fresh Water: Keep water from freezing by using heated waterers or by swapping water frequently.

   Chickens need access to unfrozen water at all times for digestion and egg formation. Chickens use their chicken feed to help keep themselves warm, as calories are a form of heat. If they do not have constant access to water, they will not eat. Snow is not a sufficient form of water.

3. Lighting and Egg Production

   
   

   As daylight decreases, so will egg production. Chickens need about 14-16 hours of daylight per day to maintain consistent laying.

   
   

   * If you add light: Use a timer and a safe well-secured fixture. Add light in the morning rather than at night to avoid sudden darkness. We use rope lighting in the coop and larger rope lighting in the run. Each on their own timer. To add supplemental lighting, it needs to be added in the early Autumn months. If delayed too long before adding it, it will take the hen weeks to come back into lay again.

   
   

   * If you don't: If you are concerned about the supplemental light not allowing a rest period from egg production, don't be. The extra light added will not cause or make a hen lay eggs. The same way you can't make her stop laying eggs, they need all the resources to be able to lay eggs.

   
   

   Resources include:

   * youth,

   * health (diet)

   * molting

   She will never run out of eggs in her lifetime if you choose to add supplemental lighting. A baby chick is hatched with millions of ova. If she laid an egg every single day of he entire life she still would never run out. She will just get back to egg laying sooner when using the supplemental lighting in the spring after her body has used the extra nutrients needed for feather replacement and rebuilding nutrients.

   
   

4. Molting Season

   
   

   Molting often begins in autumn, as chickens shed old feathers and grow new ones. This process can make them look rough, but its's completely natural.

   
   

   * Feathers are made of over 80% protein, so offer a chick starter/grower feed that will support feather regrowth that contains balanced amino acids.

   * Avoid handling them too much- new feathers, called pin feathers, are sensitive and can be easily damaged.

5. Roosting and Warmth

   
   

Your chickens will naturally huddle together for warmth on the roost.

• Ensure roosts are wide and smooth, allowing them to sit and cover their toes with their body to prevent frostbite. A good size roost is the use of 2x4's with the 4" side up.

• Avoid heat lamps- they pose a fire risk and chickens need at least 8 hours of complete darkness to get restorative sleep in a 24 hour period.

  A well-insulated, dry coop and proper diet are all chickens need to stay warm. If you live in an area where temperatures get down below -20 C in January, February, a safer option if needed is an electric oil heater. It does not have heat coils like a regular heater. chickens generate a lot of dust from regrowing new feathers, beware that those types of heater can be more risky for fires.

• Wrap their run in contactors plastic (vapor barrier). It provides a much more comfortable and healthier environment during the cold, snowy months. It keeps out rain, wind and snow out and acts like a greenhouse on a sunny day. Temperatures inside a wrapped run can be significantly warmer than outside.

• Broody Hens- I would just like to take a moment regarding broody hens going into the winter. Make sure everyone is a healthy weight before the cold arrives. If you have a broody hen and she is not intending on hatching chicks, you need to break her up as broody hens eat and drink 80% less and she needs the calories from her chicken feed to help keep her warm. A broody hen that is allowed to sit in a nest box can die of hypothermia. For more information on how to break up a broody hen refer to my blog post here.

6. Mental & Physical Stimulation

When snow and cold keep them inside, chickens can get bored- which can lead to feather picking or aggression.

•  Provide enrichment: Add cage cups spaced out on the perimeter of the walls. Offering their food in different ways keeps it interesting for them. You don't need to offer treats and extras for enrichment, giving them their nutritionally complete chicken feed will do the exact same thing stimulation wise as it's the healthiest option.

•  Cut small holes around the perimeter of a gatorade bottle. Fill it with their chicken feed (again, that is the healthiest option) they will kick the bottle around, trying to get the feed out. I call it chicken soccer.

• Use a large dog bowl ( I like using plastic bowls instead of metal, because when out in the winter months the metal is colder with potential to freeze the feed in the bowl) and fill it full of their chicken feed ( I use starter/grower feed as most of them are still continuing to molt. The higher percentage of 21% protein helps in regrowing their feathers back more efficiently). Add water to the feed to make a porridge type consistency. You will need to continue to add more water as the feed absorbs the water. They will go nuts over this enrichment activity and provides them with the extra needed protein at this time. It doesn't need to taste different for variety, they only have 250 taste buds and do not chew their food, they swallow it whole. It's all about offering their chicken feed in a different way.

• Provide different level roosts in the run, wooden chair frames with seat removed or wooden stumps. Using sand for litter provides the perfect dust bath. (make sure you have a covered run if using sand).

7. Check Health and Flock Condition

Before winter fully sets in, do a quick flock health check:

• Trim rooster spurs with spur trimmers

• Check for mites, lice or intestinal parasites

• Make sure everyone is at a healthy weight before the cold arrives. A nutritionally complete chicken feed is all they need, treats and extras are not beneficial in anyway. Keep their diet simple.

8. Parasite Prevention: Mites, Lice & Worms

   
   

As your chickens spend more time indoors, parasites can thrive in the warmth of the coop. Autumn is the perfect time for a flock check and prevention plan.

• Prevent External Parasites:

  Use Chick' N Protect, a natural essential oil-based spray that helps repel mites while conditioning feathers and skin if you choose to spray it on your birds. Regular use helps stop infestations before they start- especially important when chickens spend more time roosting close together throughout the winter.

• Treat Active Infestations:

  If you discover mites, lice, Elector PSP is an all-natural product that effectively kills both mites, lice and nits in one treatment. Safe for all ages of poultry and easy to apply, it's the go-to product for getting infestations under control quickly.

• Support Intestinal Health Naturally:

  For prevention of intestinal parasites and overall gut health. Chick' N Digestion is a gentle, natural choice. Formulated with essential oils that support intestinal balance, it helps create an environment that's unfavorable to intestinal parasites, while promoting optimal digestion and nutrient absorption. It's a great way to maintain gut integrity between routine deworming cycles.

• Deworming Support:

  When it's time to fully deworm, use Piperazine Dihydrochloride, a reliable dewormer that targets large roundworms in poultry. Treating your flock before winter ensures your chickens maintain body condition and nutrient uptake during the cold months when every calorie counts.

9. Prepare for Snow and Ice

Most of us live in a snowy climate, make adjustments to to your chicken run and coop access.

• Keep paths clear: Shovel and salt areas outside the coop for easier access (avoid salt where chickens walk)

• Offer shelter in the run: Covered areas allow chickens to get fresh air even when it's snowing. Wrap the sides of the run in contactors plastic to keep out the rain, snow and wind. (I purchase my plastic by the roll from Home Depot).

• Mind frostbite: In very cold climates, be aware of the potential of frostbite. Do not keep water in the coop for this reason. Any extra moisture inside the coop is a higher risk for it.

  Final Thoughts

  
  

  Autumn and winter preparation isn't about making your coop a heated paradise- it's about providing a safe, dry space and ensuring your flock has what it needs nutritionally and mentally to thrive. Chickens are built to handle cold, but attentive care can make all the difference in keeping them healthy, comfortable through the darkest days of the year.