STOCKSDALE, NC — Despite frosty temperatures this week, farmers are finding ways to keep to their livestock warm.

One farmer says most of his chickens do better in the winter than in the summer heat.

What You Need To Know

  • Tim Wall of Magnalia Homestead and Farm in Stocksdale advises keeping animals out of the wind
  • Provide chickens with warm water and ample amounts of food, Wall says
  • Windbreaks can help keep a coop warm, but he says they shouldn't be wrapped air-tight

Tim Wall is a volunteer and master gardener for Magnalia Homestead and Farm in Stocksdale. The animals there are used for agricultural therapy.

“Therapy is really critical, especially with some of the communities we serve as well as children. Adults with special needs, and, you know, just reconnecting intergenerationally across the board,” Wall said.

And with this winter weather, he’s sharing tips on how to keep chickens and roosters safe and warm. If wind is kept out of their coops, Wall says chickens can manage cold weather better than the heat in the summer.

“Different ways you can wrap a coop to just create a windbreak. You don't want to wrap it air tight because that can create condensation and moisture, and that is a problem because that can cause frostbite, especially when it drops to like 13,” Wall said.

He says you can use clean shower curtains or thick plastic on the sides the wind comes in. He also uses Bag Balm on their waddles and cones.

“That helps protect them from frostbite. But ... they're really a cold-hardy breed to begin with,” Wall said.

Wall says nutrition is also important, making sure they have ample food and helping their internal body temperature.

“You want to address their internal thermostat. So that would be with feed like corn, especially at night. And black oil sunflower seeds — those help the birds burn their calories and it's like a little furnace. It warms them up,” Wall said.

He says not to use heating lamps as they can cause a fire. And he says to make sure their drinking water isn’t frozen, he uses a de-icer.

“The livestock need a break from the wind. And then we use the stock tank, the de-icers, to keep the water in the stock tanks thawed. That's just incredibly important,” Wall said.

Wall says keeping them out of the wind and providing warm water and ample food is what they do for all the animals on the farm, so they stay warm and safe during the colder weather.