Anyone else's chickens afraid of snow.

[chickiechickiebawkbawk]

I'm in Vermont and 2021 has been really snowy so far. My chickens are chicken! So I spend most of my day shoveling paths. Luckily I'm unemployed.
I was supposed to have a roof built over part of the enclosed run but the carpenter bailed on me So a tarp works, but then I have to remove the snow pile at the bottom of the tarp!
I got the snowblower into the run yesterday when it was a random sunny warm day, but the snow removal has been a full time job. The birds stay under the coops while it's snowing and are happy when it stops and they see me. I also use a Makita electric hand held blower in the early hours before I let them out. That things is awesome because it has been snowing almost every night!

 

[Chickle2014]

Our older chickens won’t step foot in the snow, they stay in the covered run. The sides are wrapped
in plastic. The babies (2 Cream Legbar pullets) don’t mind the snow at all - first chickens we have ever had that will venture out into the evil white stuff lol!

 

[writerskramp]

Today was the first significant snow we've had since we got our Buff Orpingtons last spring. They didn't even want to stay in the covered run for too long. Spent all morning in the coop. We had a lull in the storm this afternoon. I opened up the run door, to let them out, and they freaked out and ran into the coop. . My rooster pecked at the snow that blew into the run, but that's it. I guess the term "chicken" is justified. Does anyone have chickens that are scared of the snow?

 

[writerskramp]

Fresh snowfall they disappear.. One might look out the door.. as time moves on. So do they, till it snows again. Lather, rinse, repeat.. Thought it was just my chickens. Good to know all chickens are chicken.. We have now hit the single digit to negative temp portion of winter and were dumped on.. Weighing down the net over the run.. Snowblower won't start.. of course. Need a larger hole net.. lost four or five wooden fence post a few years ago.. snap! The house is stout. Covered the broken window with plywood, quick fix. Now they'd rather stay in then go out even for scratch.. We will survive as we have for nearly a decade. Have seen snow to the eaves of a ranch house, five foot snow drifts in the streets and six to eight feet on the flats.. and forty too fifty below. Not recently thank god.. and no thank you, again. Tried living in Florida.. It's no place for this Yankee. Keep your bedding dry, like your powder. Good luck.

 

[Exiragirls]

My chickens act like it’s hot lava! They did not approve of their snow chicken sister I made them and ate her lol. Some times they will fly over the drifts. And I have to shovel a path because the snow is too deep!

 

[deidreg]

One of my Salmon Faverolles, too timid to step on the snow, decided to fly over it. Of course, she didn't get far and landed in a foot of snow about 10' from the coop/run.

She looked at the top of the coop (about 4' high) and tried to fly to the top---then slid off the back side, landing in the snow AGAIN!

I finally took pity on her, picked her up and let her flap her wings so she could "fly" back inside. She hasn't been out since.

 

[CIuck]

Today was the first significant snow we've had since we got our Buff Orpingtons last spring. They didn't even want to stay in the covered run for too long. Spent all morning in the coop. We had a lull in the storm this afternoon. I opened up the run door, to let them out, and they freaked out and ran into the coop. . My rooster pecked at the snow that blew into the run, but that's it. I guess the term "chicken" is justified. Does anyone have chickens that are scared of the snow?

Mine can’t stand it!

 

[CIuck]

After the first big snowfall I decided to cover my run with a tarp and a piece of wood, there was very little snow even though we got 16 inches!

 

[AntiqueB]

This was our second big-ish snow storm. When I opened the pop door, one took a step onto the ramp, saw the snow, and turned right around. She had to get pushed out by the other wanting her breakfast! (And that was just into the covered run!)

They will not walk on a shoveled path, unless it gets right down to the snow-free ground, which doesn't happen easily, since our walkways are made of small, uneven slate pieces. I do shovel off the pavers patio under their coop/run, and they will deign to walk there, in circles, waiting for the snow to melt.

They would never think of eating such evil stuff!

 

[Chicken Heel]

I've had chickens for over 50 years and have never had any that were enthralled with getting out in fallen snow. Like others have mentioned, they do love pecking it off my boots though. And through the years, I have noticed how things such as sheeting ice hanging off the roof of coops/pens can spook them from going outside their coops. They don't like things out of the normal. I guess that is why my current ones don't care for my three sister-in-laws, one in particular.