Chicken Health / Winter Care
4 Winter Checks That Go Beyond Keeping Hens Warm
A closed-up coop. A frozen drinker. A hen who's gone quiet. What to check now, and a simple way to support your girls through winter.
A woman in blue scrubs holding a brown chicken, shown in a circular frame.
By Dr. Valerie Henley
Poultry veterinarian · 5-minute read
Updated October 21, 2026
Table of contents
01 The winter check
02 4 things to check
03 When to call a vet
04 Daily support
05 Questions keepers ask
Winter care starts with the flock, the coop and the water they drink.
You top up the feeder, put fresh bedding down and check the coop before bed. But when the weather turns, one of your girls starts hanging back. It's easy to put that down to winter.
Before you do, take a closer look at her daily routine. Can she drink? Is she eating? Is the coop staying dry? Those checks give you somewhere useful to start.
There's also a simple water step for daily immune and digestive support. We'll come to that after the four checks below.
Skip to daily immune support ↓
The quick read
• Shorter days and molt can mean fewer eggs. Watch the whole bird, too.
• Check water, coop air, balanced feed and changes in behavior.
• Breathing trouble or a hen who won't eat needs veterinary advice.
• See the measured water routine for daily immune and digestive support below.
Make your next coop visit a winter check
Water
Fresh, unfrozen and within reach.
Coop
Dry bedding and room for stale air to escape.
Hen
Eating, moving and staying with her flock.
Save the winter check ↓
1. A full drinker she can't drink from
A layer of ice can leave a drinker looking full while the water is out of reach. Check it during freezing weather, not just when you fill it. Watch the quieter hens get a turn, too. A spare drinker gives you another option while one thaws.
2. A coop that's closed up and damp
Condensation and an ammonia smell are reasons to check the airflow and clean up manure. Remove wet bedding and leave a path for stale air to escape. More insulation won't fix moisture trapped inside the coop.
3. Treats crowding out her regular feed
An extra handful of scratch feels like a winter kindness. Keep her balanced ration as the main meal. Extra treats can unbalance her diet, and a hen finishing her molt is already putting energy into growing feathers. Check that every bird can reach the feeder.
4. A hen who's stopped acting like herself
She stays behind when the others come over. Eats less. Spends longer sitting with her eyes closed. Notice changes from her usual behavior, especially if she's standing apart or hunched with ruffled feathers. These are reasons to look closer and contact your vet.
See the daily water routine ↓
Winter care reaches beyond the coop walls
A quieter flock or fewer eggs can have more than one explanation. Shorter days affect laying, and molt shifts energy toward feather growth. Poor nutrition and stress can affect production, too.
Keep checking what each hen eats and drinks, and how she moves with the flock. Then make daily nutritional support easy to repeat.
When to call a vet
Get veterinary advice for breathing trouble, refusal to eat or drink, persistent hunched posture, or several birds becoming unwell. Don't wait for the next water refill if a hen is struggling.
Read the signs of illness in chickens ↗
A simple addition to their daily water
Roosty's Immunity & Digestion Booster supports immune health and digestion. It's a liquid blend of flaxseed-sourced omega-3 oil, oregano oil, turmeric and poultry vitamins.
Shake well. Mix 1 oz into 2 gallons of fresh drinking water daily. You can prepare it while you're refilling their drinker, without changing their regular feed.
Keep the water fresh and unfrozen, and watch that each bird drinks.
See Immunity Booster
→
Dr. Valerie Henley
Veterinarian · Fayetteville, Arkansas
Vet-reviewed formula

“Chickens face daily stress and gut challenges. Roosty’s Immunity & Digestion Booster is an easy way to strengthen their immune system, support digestion, and keep your flock healthier, happier, and laying better.”
From keepers using Immunity Booster
★★★★★
This is our first time with this specific product from roostys and my girls love it. They are always around their waterer so I know they like the taste and my girls are always healthy and their feathers are always shiny.
Donna C. · October 12, 2026
★★★★★
Easy to use love the smell
Jeffrey M Warren · February 17, 2026
★★★★★
My hens are looking so much better now that they've been on Roosty's Immunity & Digestion Booster!
Heather Warnsman · February 16, 2026
Support your girls through winter
Daily immune and digestive support, mixed into the water you're already preparing.

16 oz bottle · 1 oz per 2 gallons daily
See current offers
See Immunity Booster for Your Flock →
90-day money-back guarantee
Questions keepers ask
▸ Is it normal for hens to lay less in winter?
▸ How do I use Immunity Booster?
▸ Should I change their feed?
▸ Can I use it before winter arrives?
▸ What if one of my hens is already unwell?
Sources
1. University of Minnesota Extension: Caring for chickens in cold weather
2. University of Maryland Extension: Sickness Behavior in Chickens
3. Oregon State University Extension: Why did my chickens stop laying?
4. Roosty's Immunity Booster: ingredients and directions
Roosty’s · Flock Health