Locals brace outdoor animals for cold

LELAND, NC (WWAY)– As the cold weather moves into the Cape Fear, locals are making efforts to protect their outside farm animals.   

The Sawyer Family of Leland was out on their farm all afternoon getting their animals ready to brace tonight’s cold.   

The family says it is important to protect animals like chickens from below freezing temps.    

The cold puts stress on chickens, so the Sawyers say putting electrolytes and probiotics into their water is one thing you can do to help keep them calm.  

Although, the most important things you can do is add a heat lamp into their coop, lay pine shavings and hay inside, and drape tarps over the exposed pen. 

“We’re going to put shavings in there, and a heat lamp, so they don’t get cold,” said Blake Sawyer, local chicken owner.     

If you do use a lamp to help keep them warm, it must be a heat or brooder lamp. You cannot use a heat bulb in a work lamp, as it can start a fire.

If you have chickens, and they won’t go inside to their coop, make sure you go out and put them in. Although, it has to be dark, or else they will not stay in and will wander back out into the cold.