Chickens Hating Snow

[patman75]

Today check on my flock before going to work and brought out some veggies and scratch. I threw some of the veggies on the fresh 7 inches of snow in the run and they just looked at me from the pop door like I had horns growing out of my head. They did not even have a desire to go after the scratch and they usually come a running for it.

If I did not have to worry about predators I think I could leave the coop door open all day and they would not even take one step out. Anyone one else have wimpy chickens?

 

[Minniechickmama]

I leave the door open all day and mine don't come out if it is snow or really cloudy.

 

[newchickengirl]

Ive got about 26 and only 1 or 2 will come out with snow on the ground.....They hate it...

 

[teach1rusl]

Who can blame them??? I wouldn't want to go out in the snow barefoot!! At least dogs and cats have fur on their feet. Wonder if the heavily feather footed breeds fare better? Mine avoid snow too

I'm constantly clearing paths for them and throwing down straw for them to walk on.

 

[J3172]

My three OEGB hens hate the snow with a passion,

but I'm mean and make them go out side once a day while I'm watering the rest of the birds.

 

[gritsar]

I guess I'm the only one with snow loving chickens. We've had more snow this year than in the past five years and my chickens don't pay any attention to it at all. They just go about their foraging. Seen em do the same thing during an ice storm.

 

[tdgill]

mine do their best not to walk on it, but will. They eat it though, seem to really enjoy it.

 

[scooter147]

Mine will not come out in it at all. I do have a small patio I built along side the run with a wire patio table. I will shovel this little paito off as well as the table and then shovel a path from the coop to the patio. It's probable six-seven feet. There is still some snow on the shoveled path and mine will fly from the human coop door to this patio and spend a portion of their day (if it's sunny) on the patio and up on the table and sun themselves but that is as far as they will go until the snow melts.
Mine will eat snow the snow I drag into the coop on my shoes.

 

[newchickenmommy]

I'm in Minnesota and my gals will not come out at all. They just stand in the doorway and look at the snow. Some pick at it, and they like to eat it, but no walking on it. I can't wait for Spring. I think they are going stir crazy just like us humans! I know I am ready for the snow to melt! A couple of mine are very aggressive too. Boredom is setting in. Today I gave them a whole head of Romaine to pick at, and a handful of cat chow. Tomorrow they are getting live crickets for a treat. They will have so much fun chasing them (and eating them). I can't wait. I heard that they like to pick at a hanging suet ball for fun too. Keeping them occupied is getting harder, I wish for warmer weather.

 

[LilBizzy]

Most of mine do not like the snow. I left their pop door open, but they pretty much stayed indoors. Last year we had a few inches of snow, and they stood at the door and refused to come out. This year, we had 35 inches in 10 days time, so they had no choice. They just couldn't stay cooped up (pun intended) together that long. The braver ones realized they couldn't walk across the top of the snow:

I did make a path from the gate to their feeding area and pop door. Some of them dared walk onthe path, then huddled under their covered area.

But eventually, they all wandered out of the coop. Of course, they braved the snow for treats:

In the bantam pen, only the silkies were daring enough to put their little feathered feet in the scary white stuff. All the others stopped at the snow line and would not even let a little toenail touch the snow.