Chickens left in coop all day!

[ehoneybee]

I forgot to open the door to my hens' coop today and didn't realise until just now when I put my other hens in . They had no food and water all day. Will they be ok?

 

[aart]

Probably.....but they need food and especially water now tho.
Probably already dark there but special circumstances so make sure they get something tonite.

 

[Mrs. K]

There is a difference between starving and hungry. They will be fine. Just feed and water them tomorrow. Might get a stink eye!

 

[Aunt Angus]

Thry will be ok. It happened to me, too.

This is exactly why I have water in my coop. I don't have a pop door, so I just open the people door to let them out. One time, the wind blew it shut (broke the tether I had to keep it open). My poor pullets were so thirsty! They can go a while without food, but it scared me so bad that I added a fourth waterer inside the coop.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

When I was young I had a neighbor in Oregon who had a medical emergency and was in the hospital for 3 days before they could tell someone in the neighborhood to go let their chickens out of the coop (this is pre-cell phones!). Once they were made aware, my friend's parents opened up the coop on day 4 and everyone was expecting a bunch of dead chickens- but all of them made it. This was in the late fall so the temperatures were in the 40's-50's, so I imagine that had a lot to do with them not succumbing to dehydration. Since I was a kid I didn't follow up to see if they made it long term but I do recall her having chickens after that.

 

[Mrs. K]

That is what I am thinking, water is important, no doubt about that, but it is crucial in high heat. Very hot days, running out of water, and one could loose a weaker bird. In the late fall and winter, they can go a bit longer.