Raising chickens is often portrayed as quaint and cozy—fresh eggs in a wicker basket, happy hens scratching in the sunshine, a peaceful homestead rhythm that feels almost effortless. Scroll through Instagram in July and you might be convinced that keeping chickens is nothing but charm and simplicity.

Winter tells a different story.

If you are thinking about bringing livestock onto your homestead, it’s important to understand this truth upfront: this is not a life of convenience. It is a life of responsibility, endurance, and purpose—especially when the temperatures drop and the weather turns harsh.

Winter Doesn’t Pause for You—and Neither Do Your Animals

Chickens still need care when the ground is frozen solid. Ducks still need food and water when the wind cuts through every layer you’re wearing. Snowstorms don’t cancel chores. Illness doesn’t wait for warmer weather. And livestock don’t understand holidays, sick days, or exhaustion.

There are mornings when the alarm goes off at 4 a.m. and it’s nine degrees outside. The house is warm. The coffee hasn’t brewed yet. And still—you pull on boots, layers, gloves, and a headlamp because the animals are waiting.

You walk through snowdrifts to check the coop.
You break ice out of waterers.
You refill feed with numb fingers.
You shovel paths just to reach the run.

None of that shows up in a perfectly filtered photo.

The Emotional Weight of Winter Animal Care

What social media rarely captures is the mental load of winter livestock care.

In cold weather, every decision feels heavier:

• Is the coop dry enough?
• Is the ventilation balanced correctly?
• Are they warm without being sealed in?
• Did everyone make it onto the roost last night?
• What if the power goes out?

Winter amplifies worry. You listen to the wind at night. You check the weather obsessively. You replay past storms and lessons learned. You carry the quiet pressure of knowing that living creatures depend entirely on you to get it right.

That responsibility doesn’t end when you’re tired, discouraged, or overwhelmed.

Chickens Are Easier Than People Say—Until They Aren’t

It’s true that chickens are relatively hardy animals. With proper housing, nutrition, and care, they handle cold better than heat. But “hardy” does not mean “hands-off.”

Winter requires:

• Extra monitoring
• More frequent water checks
• Supplemental calories
• Storm preparation
• Constant adjustments

It means showing up when conditions are uncomfortable or downright miserable. It means choosing responsibility over comfort—again and again.

This Life Requires Commitment, Not Convenience

Before getting chickens—or any livestock—it’s essential to ask yourself hard questions:

Are you willing to go outside when it’s freezing rain?
Can you commit to care every single day, no matter the weather?
Are you prepared for inconvenience, discomfort, and unpredictability?

Because homesteading is not about convenience. It is about commitment.

You don’t get to opt out when it’s cold. You don’t get to skip a feeding because it’s snowing. And you don’t get to romanticize the work without honoring the effort behind it.

Why We Still Choose This Life

And yet—despite all of it—we keep going.

Because this life, while hard, is deeply meaningful.

There is purpose in responsibility.
There is fulfillment in caring well for something outside yourself.
There is pride in doing the hard things quietly, without applause.

Winter strips away the aesthetic and leaves only the truth: this is real work, done out of intention and care.

Raising chickens through winter isn’t glamorous. It’s cold mornings, sore muscles, and constant vigilance. But it’s also stewardship, resilience, and a deeper connection to the rhythms of life.

If you’re considering livestock, don’t just look at the sunny photos. Look honestly at the storms, the cold, and the early mornings. Understand what will be required of you in the hardest moments.

Because while this life may never be convenient—it is, without question, a life of purpose.

Please see this morning’s Instagram post where I discuss some of the harsh realities of owning chickens and ducks in the winter:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUDVbJpEcdS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==