Chickens and rain

[cmclean]

Because my area (Houston,TX) has been in a severe drought for the last 9 mths, my hens have never seen rain. They went nuts yesterday when my area got 5 inches of rain in 4 hours!! (Praise the Lord, we needed it!) The hens just stood in the downpour. We ended up herding them into the coop, but they didn't want to go in. How silly they looked; drenched to the skin!!! What do "normal" chickens do when it rains?????

 

[BantamoftheOpera]

Mine are obsessed with the rain. The only one I try to keep out of it is my silkie, because I have to blow dry the poor thing every time it rains.

 

[Imp]

Run around in it. Scratch in the mud. etc

They will go under an overhang or bush if it is heavy rain.

Imp

 

[BooBear]

Yep, it was a much needed rainy day yesterday. My flock had a blast playing in it. You would almost think they were part duck! Atleast they did get under cover when the rain got heavy at times.

 

[cmclean]

So it is not odd that they "played" in the rain???

 

[Florida_country_boy]

My chickens do not mind the rain at all, they just go about doing their normal activities. Sometimes they will go under my deck when it is really heavy, but for the most part they just free-range in the pasture.

 

[BCchick]

Mine did the same thing. Just went about their business as if it were a normal day. They looked like drowned rats! I figure if they get cold or something they would go in the coop where it's dry.

 

[JerseyFresh]

Mine don't care or are too dumb to notice.

 

[BooBear]

Nope, not odd at all. Chickens are happy running about in it; however just be prepared to rescue the dingy ones that freeze in hard rain. I had younger ones do that before. Even had a hen that kept looking up at the hard rain. I thought she was gonna drown herself so I dashed out to put her in the coop.
The more normal chickens tend to go for cover when the rain gets heavy. They mainly prefer the softer kinda rain.

 

[pgpoultry]

We have lots of rain.

If the rain is 'regular' moderate rain the birds go about their normal lives.

I the rain is heavy, there is a lot of wind, or the rain turns to snow they stay in the coop then make a mad dash for the agricultural shed or the outhouse where they spend the day.