Seasonal care

Backyard Flock Care Calendar: Month-by-Month Chicken Care

Field guide · Updated October 28, 2026 · about 6 min read

Two things set the rhythm of a backyard flock's year: day length, which drives laying and molting, and temperature, which brings the summer heat work and the winter water work. This calendar lines up what extension services, USDA and CDC say about each season, month by month, and links to the HenClass guide that covers each topic in depth.

The months below fit much of the continental US; shift them to match your own climate. Day length is the more reliable signal: University of Maine Extension educator Donna Coffin notes that hens in Florida and in Maine alike molt in response to shortening days, not to air temperature.

The year at a glance

Day length peaks around June 22 and bottoms out around December 22 (Oregon State). It falls below 12 hours, usually in September and October in the US, when laying drops and hens molt (Penn State).
Chicks: March and April chicks are the easiest to raise to laying age and start laying in late summer or early fall (Mississippi State).
Molt is mostly a fall event, tied to shortening days (Kansas State, Oregon State).
Wild birds: spring and fall migration are the seasons when migrating birds spread avian influenza (USDA APHIS).
Heat: heat stress may begin once temperatures reach the 80s and 90s °F (Penn State).
Freeze: water freezes, frostbite risk; Minnesota suggests supplemental heat below 35°F (Minnesota).
All year: daily chores, mite checks every two weeks and a predator-proof coop at night (Delaware, Kentucky).

Timeline drawn by HenClass from the Oregon State, Penn State, Mississippi State, Kansas State, USDA APHIS, Minnesota, Delaware and Kentucky sources cited on this page. Day-length curve is schematic; month edges are approximate. Not to scale.

Month-by-month checklist

Month	What to do	Guide
January	Check and refresh water routinely and keep a second waterer in case one freezes (Minnesota). Collect eggs at least twice a day in cold weather (Mississippi State). Feed intake may rise by up to 25% in the cold (Minnesota).	Winter care
February	Plan chicks: buy only from breeders, hatcheries or dealers that take part in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) (USDA). Prepare the brooder and run the heat for at least 24 hours before chicks arrive (Missouri).	Chick care
March	Chick season. Missouri starts the brooder at about 95°F in cold weather (90°F otherwise) and lowers it 5°F a week to 70°F. Wash hands after handling chicks and supervise children (CDC). Spring migration: protect feed and water from wild birds (USDA).	Salmonella, biosecurity
April	Keep any new birds apart from the flock for 30 days (USDA). Deep-bedded coops need a deep cleaning in spring (Minnesota).	Adding new chickens, bedding
May	Keep heat on until chicks are well feathered; removing it too early raises the risk of respiratory problems (Missouri). Clean up spilled feed that draws wild birds (USDA).	Heat lamps
June	Days start to shorten after June 22 (Oregon State). Get ready for heat: shade in the run, vents placed so prevailing winds blow through, hardware cloth over every opening (Penn State).	Ventilation
July	Peak heat. Keep cool water available at all times and refresh it several times a day; feed early morning or late evening; skip scratch and corn during heat waves (Penn State). Collect eggs at least twice a day in hot weather (Mississippi State).	Heat stress
August	Pullets start to lay at 18 to 20 weeks of age (Oregon State), so March and April chicks begin in late summer or early fall (Mississippi State). Report unexplained illness or deaths right away (USDA).	Laying by age, health check
September	Day length drops below 12 hours; laying slows and the molt begins (Penn State). Fall migration raises avian influenza risk as waterfowl move south; keep wild birds away from the flock (USDA).	Molting, biosecurity
October	Molt continues: most hens stop laying until it is over (Mississippi State). If you plan to add light, use a timer and change the day length by no more than 1 hour a week (Penn State). Seal drafts and insulate unfinished coops before winter (Minnesota).	Lighting
November	Before winter, look for birds that are old, underweight or in poor health, which may cope badly with cold (Minnesota). Set up deep bedding of 4 to 6 inches of straw or shavings if you use that method (Minnesota). Plan how you would dispose of a dead bird properly (USDA).	Winter care
December	After December 20 daylight increases; adjust a light timer to keep about 14 hours (Minnesota). Watch combs, wattles and feet for frostbite: gray or black, brittle tissue (Minnesota).	Winter care, lighting

Light, laying and the molt

In Oregon, day length falls from nearly 16 hours at the start of summer to just over 8 hours at the start of winter, and that decline makes hens molt and stop laying (Oregon State). To keep hens laying, Oregon State says day length should stay above 12 hours, with 14 to 16 hours typical. The sources differ on the target:

Source	Light for laying hens
Penn State	About 16 hours a day, not more; hens also need a dark period. Add light in the early morning and let the natural sunset signal roosting time.
University of Minnesota	About 14 hours a day on a timer, added before sunrise, not after sunset, so birds can find the roost.
Oregon State	Above 12 hours; 14 to 16 hours is typical. Suggests letting hens molt in their second winter by turning the lights off for about 6 weeks.

Molts during long days are often incomplete (Oregon State). Common breeds may molt over one to two months; older or fancy breeds can stay in molt for three to five months (Kansas State). Feathers drop in order: head, neck, breast, body, wings, then tail (Mississippi State). More detail in molting in hens and supplemental lighting; for how output changes from year to year, see how long hens lay.

Heat and cold

Penn State gives 60–75°F as the range in which most poultry hold their body temperature without spending extra energy. Above it, watch for heavy panting with the wattles knocking together, crouching, wings held away from the body, lethargy and pale combs; Penn State advises cooling a bird in that state at once by dipping its body in cool (not icy) water. Birds with large combs and wattles generally handle hot climates better.

At the other end, Minnesota links frostbite mainly to cold combined with moisture, so its winter advice centers on controlling airflow and manure. Its 35°F threshold for added heat is not shared by every extension service; winter care sets out where they disagree, and heat stress covers summer cooling.

All year: daily and routine checks

Every morning: open the coop, check food, water and bedding, refresh feed and water, clean waterers and collect eggs (Delaware).
Every day: inspect the coop for damage or possible predator entry points and spend a few minutes watching the flock for signs of illness or injury (Delaware). The hen health check lists what to look at.
Every night: close and lock the coop so the flock roosts in a secured place (Delaware, Extension Poultry). Hardware cloth buried at least 12 inches deep stops diggers (Extension Poultry). See predators.
Every two weeks: check the vent area of some of the birds for northern fowl mites; chicken mites are easiest to find on birds at night (Kentucky). See mites and lice.
If birds sicken or die unexpectedly: act right away. Contact a veterinarian, your Cooperative Extension office or your State Veterinarian or poultry diagnostic lab, or call USDA at 866-536-7593 (USDA APHIS).

USDA's 2023 Defend the Flock calendar gives each month one biosecurity theme, from separate gear for poultry chores (February) to keeping wild birds away (September); the steps behind them are in backyard flock biosecurity.