Essential Tips from Reiterman Feed & Supply in Mt. Sterling, Ohio. Winter in central Ohio hits backyard flocks hard. Short days, single-digit nights, and wind whipping across open fields can turn a happy, productive flock into a huddle of puffed-up birds and empty nest boxes almost overnight. At Reiterman Feed & Supply on State Route 56 in Mt. Sterling, we’ve been helping chicken keepers beat the winter slump for decades. This guide combines everything we’ve learned on our own farm, plus university research and the exact products we keep in stock, so your hens stay healthy, warm, and laying right through the coldest months.
Why Egg Production Drops in Winter (and How to Fix Every Cause)
Three things, and only three, cause the winter slowdown:
- Daylight shortage
Hens need 14–16 hours of light to trigger consistent egg production. By the winter solstice around Mt. Sterling, we’re down to about 9 hours of natural daylight. That dramatic drop tells a hen’s body, “It’s survival season, not baby-making season.” - Cold stress
When temperatures fall below 20 °F (and we all know Ohio nights can hit -15 °F or lower), chickens burn massive amounts of calories just to maintain their 106 °F body temperature. Those calories and nutrients that would have become eggs get redirected to staying alive. - Age of the hen
By their third winter, most hens experience a natural, significant drop in production, often 50 % or more. It’s simply biology; older birds slow down just like older people do.
The great news? You can directly counteract every one of these factors with simple, inexpensive changes.
Coop Winterization: Ohio-Proof Your Setup
Ventilation Without Drafts (The Mistake We See Most Often)
Cold air itself is not the enemy, wind and moisture are. Place vents high on the walls or along the ridge line so warm, humid air rises and escapes while cold air never blows across roosting birds. A good Ohio rule we follow: 1 square foot of vent space for every 10 birds. Cover with ¼-inch hardware cloth to keep out mice and sparrows.
Deep-Litter Method + Natural Heat from Composting
Start in fall with 6–8 inches of pine shavings (we stock the big 8 cu ft expanded bales that cover most coops with one bag). Every week, sprinkle a few handfuls of fresh shavings and lightly turn the top layer. The manure underneath composts slowly, generating real heat, sometimes raising floor temperature 8–10 °F, while keeping ammonia levels low and your coop smelling fresh.
Insulation & Wind Blocks That Actually Work Here
Stack straw bales against the north and west walls, that’s where the worst Ohio wind comes from. Cover windows with clear 6-mil greenhouse plastic so you keep every bit of winter daylight but stop the wind. A single $30 roll from the store does most 8×12 coops.
Safe Supplemental Heat (Only When You Really Need It)
Healthy adult birds with good feathering handle 0 °F just fine without added heat. During those brutal, multi-day sub-zero stretches we get in January and February, use flat-panel radiant heaters or Sweeter Heaters mounted above the roost. Never use red heat lamps, they are the #1 cause of coop fires nationwide.
Lighting: The Single Biggest Egg Booster You Can Add
Install one 9–15 watt warm-white LED bulb on a timer. Here’s the exact schedule that works perfectly for our latitude:
- October: lights on 5 am – 8 am + natural dusk
- November–February: 4:30 am – 8 am + dusk – 8 pm = 15 total hours
This one change routinely brings flocks back to 80–90 % of summer production. We keep outdoor-rated timers and poultry-safe LED bulbs in stock all winter long.
Winter Nutrition: Exactly What We Feed Our Own Flock
Base Diet – Complete 16–18 % Layer Feed Free-Choice
We carry and trust:
- Kalmbach 17% Layer Pellets or Crumble
- Kalmbach Henhouse Reserve
- Reiterman’s Sterling Egg Layer
All are complete feeds, no mixing, no guessing.
Extra Calories for Cold Nights
Chickens naturally eat 15–25 % more in winter. Help them out with a late-afternoon handful of scratch grains or a Purina® Flock Block in the run. The extra carbohydrates become overnight body heat without cutting protein intake.
Water: The Most Overlooked Winter Problem
A dehydrated hen stops laying within days. Cold water = less drinking = dehydration. We never let water drop below 40 °F. Stock up on heated bases and heated poultry watereres and keep a spare waterer so you can swap while one thaws in the sink.
Calcium & Grit on Demand
Keep a separate container of crushed oyster shell and insoluble poultry grit. Hens self-regulate perfectly, preventing thin shells and egg-eating.
Immune & Gut Support We Use Ourselves
Consider adding Kalmbach’s Oregano Oil or LifeGuard Poultry Supplement, cheap insurance when birds are cooped up longer and stress is higher.
Daily Winter Routine That Works in Madison County
- 6:30 am – Lights on, fresh warm water, scatter scratch to get them moving
- 8:00 am – Top off layer feeder (always free-choice)
- 3:00 pm – Quick coop check, break ice if needed, toss in mealworms or Flock Block pieces
- Dusk – Second light period until 8 pm
- Weekly – Scoop corners, add fresh shavings, check combs for frostbite
Best Cold-Hardy Breeds for Ohio Winters
Top layers our customers love:
Buff Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Australorps, Plymouth Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, Speckled Sussex
Breeds that often take a winter vacation:
Leghorns, most Mediterranean breeds, Silkies
Health Red Flags to Watch For
- Pale comb/wattles → mites, worms, or anemia
- Sneezing or bubbly eyes → increase ventilation, add electrolytes
- Puffed-up and lethargic → cold stress or illness — isolate immediately
Final Checklist Before the First Hard Freeze
- Coop cleaned and deep litter started
- Timer and bulb installed and tested/li>
- Heated waterer plugged in and working
- Extra 50 lb bag of layer feed and a Flock Block ready
- Oyster shell and grit containers full
- Emergency flat-panel heater on hand
Stop by Reiterman Feed & Supply on State Route 56 in Mt. Sterling, we’ll pull everything to the door and load it right into your truck with our Grab & Go service. Whether you have 6 hens or 60, we’ve got the Ohio-tested products and advice to keep fresh eggs on your table all winter long.
What’s your biggest winter chicken struggle? Send us a message or give us a call, we answer every question personally.
Happy winter laying!
—The Reiterman Feed Team
Serving Madison, Fayette, Pickaway, Franklin, Ross and surrounding counties since 1974
