Chickens and snow

[CricketR4]

Anyone else have chickens that refuse to come out of the coop when it's snowing? I live in central NC and today is only the second day it's snowed this winter (at least in my area), and my chickens will stay in the coop or at the very least in the barn. I have an old horse barn (3 stalls and a tack room with doors opening to the center aisle) and we converted one of the stalls into the coop. So we open the door for them, but last time it snowed and so far today, they stay inside. Is it just that they're not used to snow, and therefore don't like it? Or are a lot of chickens like this?

Side note: my ducks don't seem to care. They're out in the wind, rain, snow...you name it. If they can be outside, they're outside.

 

[americana-lover]

I sometimes have the same problem. My 5 girls have a small coop, and usually they get to free range for most of the day, they love it! But when winter came, they refused to come out of their coop. I knew they couldnt stay in the coop the entire day. I just took each chicken and placed them in the snow, which was about up to their knees. They soon learned that they could eat the snow, and enjoyed pecking at it. I did enfact have to leave their coop door open, because their feet would get cold really fast.
If your chickens dont like they snow, its not a big deal this year, because they will soon learn that it will not hurt them. Just try to introduce them to it slowly, so they dont get scared by it. Good luck!

 

[CricketR4]

The funny thing is, they'll go outside after it's done snowing, but while it's snowing, they stay inside. I honestly think, maybe they just don't like the "big white stuff" that falls from the sky, as it seems they have no problem going out in the rain. Once it stops falling, they'll venture out.