chickens in the rain?

[one cool chick]

My pullets are a couple months old, fully feathered. We're building a totally enclosed coop and pen, but it's not ready yet, so they're in an open top pen during the day w/ a little house to go into in the rain. But they seem to rather huddle under a bush when it rains, but they still get wet. Should I put them in the little house and close them in and make them stay in their during rain, or let them do what they want. It almost seems like they have not figured out to go into the house on their own???

Can they get sick if they get wet? It's about 64 today, but some days when it rains it's colder than that.
Thank you!

 

[silkiechicken]

They'll be fine. Mine get wet all winter long in the Seattle WA area...

 

[one cool chick]

Thank you Silkiechicken! That's a relief!

 

[Pumpkinpup]

My little goobers seem to like the rain for the most part. It should not hurt them

 

[verycherry]

Mine stay out when it's drizzling or sprinkling, and head under the trees if it starts raining a little harder. Just don't let any young ones get soaked and chilled.

 

[ROC4K]

Mine are quite happy to be in the rain and cold. They may not know any better but when the sun goes down they all go back in. I was scared the first time they were out for the rain...that's when I said nature knew better than me when the chicken cracked out of the egg...besides I was wet cold and muddy. The only warmth I could find was on the little peepers I was catching.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

Chickens love the rain. Do not let them fool ya. I have a wide variety of species and every last one of them find their way out of the barn and into the rain. I am getting to the point were I am sorta embarrased because the are so dirty. I threw in some lilly white , white plymouth rock hens and they are now apolusa hens. I just gave up trying to keep them in.

They seem to dry fairly quickly even in colder weather.

 

[chickenchok]

Thanks for all of your replies. You guys are awesome! It's great to know how hardy they can be if we "let chickens be chickens", as someone mentioned on another thread. My pullets seem to prefer getting at least a little wet under a bush than being locked up in their house. It's really cute to watch them licking the raindrops off of the branches and leaves

 

[cmom]

My birds have a covered run. If it rains very hard they go into their run. They have a ladder in it and they like to get on their ladder.

 

[dturren]

Hello: I have 10 month old Wyandottes who are molting in December!!! If these girls get wet in the rain, will they be wet during the night? My coop is insulated and around 45-50 degrees during the night (even on 28 degree nights). Today was the first day it rained all day and I kept them inside their covered run. They did seem to stay in the coop most of the day, but they begged to go out whenever I went to check on them. I was concerned about them being wet at night and possibly catching cold. Judging from the previous posts, everyone seems not to worry. Should I???
Thanks for your thoughts. Donna