What do chickens do in the rain? Just curious? My girls are too little (5 weeks) to know to get up in their coop, but what do older chickens do? Silly question, I'm sure.
Chickens and Rain
- Thread starter Wizbop
- Start date
Mine go inside if the rain is hard but if it's raining light they stay out.
Mine normally go inside, but some of them like to stay out in the rain.
Mine also don't seem too bothered by gentle rain.
You may have heard horror stories about poultry drowning in the rain. That was from a time when poultry were raised intensively outdoors. Some large poultry production facilities nip off the tips of the upper beak on their birds to cut down on the birds pecking each other from being over crowded. That's how the rain was able to drown them. If your birds have full beaks its not an issue.
If being wet is your concern, don't worry. Their feathers protect them. The water just rolls off. The feathers are also great insulation. That's why we use feathers for insulation in coats and quilts.
You may have heard horror stories about poultry drowning in the rain. That was from a time when poultry were raised intensively outdoors. Some large poultry production facilities nip off the tips of the upper beak on their birds to cut down on the birds pecking each other from being over crowded. That's how the rain was able to drown them. If your birds have full beaks its not an issue.
If being wet is your concern, don't worry. Their feathers protect them. The water just rolls off. The feathers are also great insulation. That's why we use feathers for insulation in coats and quilts.
I have some hens that will not go out and others it doesn't bother a bit unless it's just pouring. They never seem any worse for wear.
Yours are young I'd keep them in.
Yours are young I'd keep them in.
Mine find the strong winds to be more stressful than rain. I'd take a reasonable rain to a day of strong winds anytime.
Quote:
mine too. Most arent bothered my light to medium rain, even when its on the chilly side outdoors.
mine too. Most arent bothered my light to medium rain, even when its on the chilly side outdoors.
Quote:
mine too. Most arent bothered my light to medium rain, even when its on the chilly side outdoors.
A tad off topic but the other day it was rather windy here and a co-worker came back from lunch and said "it's a quilt washing day out there". It almost brought a tear to my eye. My grandmother use to always say that on a windy day and she lived up to the saying. On nice windy day (especially the first one of the springg) all the bed linen were stripped, washed and hung out to flap and dry in the wind and sunshine.
mine too. Most arent bothered my light to medium rain, even when its on the chilly side outdoors.
A tad off topic but the other day it was rather windy here and a co-worker came back from lunch and said "it's a quilt washing day out there". It almost brought a tear to my eye. My grandmother use to always say that on a windy day and she lived up to the saying. On nice windy day (especially the first one of the springg) all the bed linen were stripped, washed and hung out to flap and dry in the wind and sunshine.
My crazy chickens stay out in the rain , I lost a few polish that way they wouldn't go in when the rain would come and stay a few days and I'd find them dead the next day so I eventually lost them all (5) and since we have so much rain here in east texas on the wet seasons I think I will stir clear of those dainty chickens from now on.
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