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Winter is a difficult time for the poultry keeper. There are a number of things to consider to help things go smoothly:
Looking after your grass.
Birds on the same piece of ground can quickly turn it to mud. Over the winter months this is especially true as the grass isn't growing. Ground that is left to turn to mud takes much longer to recover and of course during the winter months there will be no grass growing. Now is the time to check your numbers and decide what you plan to do next spring. Are there any birds that need to be sold on? Are there any surplus cockerels or drakes that need culling? As brutal as this seems, if you keep too many birds on your ground over winter then all of your birds will suffer so it is better to make some tough decisions now rather during the during the winter months when the damage to the grass is already done.
Ducks are especially bad at this with their dipping and probing beaks. A wet piece of grass can turn into muddy holes in no time at all. During wet weather, we keep our ducks and some of the chickens in their run that is covered with gravel to stop them from ruining the ground. During really wet weather, the chickens usually stay huddled up out of the rain anyway so there are no benefits to them being out on the grass anyway. The ducks of course love the rain but are usually quite happy around their pond during the wet weather. They still manage to get through the gravel in places to create small mud pools but this is easily covered over with the back of a welly boot.
The grass is always greener on the other side...
I try to save a small area of grass for my birds to use over winter to save turning their summer runs into mud. The ducks are kept in a gravel run during wet weather to stop an instant mud bath! The grass on the left has been saved for winter use. The grass on the right has been used over the summer months and can now have a rest. Giving your ground a break like this helps to keep disease and internal parasites under control as well as keeping the grass alive. Portable houses and runs are especially good for getting a change of grass every week or so.
Feeding
There are a number of myths that circulate from time to time about winter feeding. Some poultry keepers tell me they only feed corn or wheat to their chickens over the winter months to save money when they are not laying. This I believe is false economy as it will delay the onset of lay as they are unable to build up enough calcium phosphate and essential nutrients in their body. Lack of calcium leads to thin shelled eggs and poor general condition. It is therefore not wise to cut back on feed like this. There can be one exception to the rule and that is in the feeding of drakes. Many experienced breeders advise that if drakes can free range from time to time, they can be fed on wheat alone over the winter months. This can be dropped into the bottom of their bath which keeps it away from predators and wild birds. I haven't tried this myself as some of my ducks, drakes and chickens are usually mixed during the winter months to save wear and tear on the field.
Water
The winter months can be hard work when drinking water needs defrosting in the mornings. There are several methods used by poultry keepers to help ease the burden. Your birds need to have fresh drinking water at all times during the day but you can remove water containers at night, refill them and keep them in a frost free building overnight. The next morning, you can quickly put them out with any feed containers you have taken in. This is far easier than trying to defrost a solid ‘block' of water in the morning! Another method I have used with success is wrapping old towels around my hanging water containers if I think there may be a frost. This keeps the water from freezing unless it's a really cold night.
Remember ducks and geese will need constant access to clean water for washing. A lack of water and excess of mud can cause a condition known as wet feather which is a problem that needs to be avoided.
Housing
Birds need clean bedding (ideally cleaned once per week). Ensure adequate ventilation is provided at high level but your birds (especially chickens) are not in a direct draught. The main openings on my chicken house face the North and it's normally during the winter months that we can get a bitter North wind blowing. I cover this opening up to keep the wind and rain out but still leave a small high level vent.
Vermin
Remember at this time of year, there are hungry rats and mice around. Take care with with the storage of your feeds and keep an eye out for the tell tale signs of vermin. Don't ignore them or you will suddenly find you are over-run. You can read more about controllong rats in this article in our pests and predators section.
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Common To All Poultry