chicks and rain/wet ground

[mamarosa]

new egg: my chicks will be 4 weeks tomorrow, they were just put in the new coop a few days ago, loving being outside. My questions are:
if it rains outside will they go in the coop themselves or do I have to shoo them inside?
do they like rain?
can they "catch a cold" or become chilled if they get wet?
what about the ground being wet?
also I live in michigan, what about snow and being outside in the snow?
thanks to all

 

[ibpboo]

I would watch what they do. My chickens are in the rain sometimes and other times they stay under stuff. I don't think a summer rain will get them chilled. In the snow? Whats that? (just kidding, I live in CA) Others on here can advise for snow.

Also, for the winter when the ground is wet, the mud is ok but I also have stuff they can stand on. Rocks, really low perches, stumps etc.

 

[xanaxnation]

in the heat.. will watering the ground theyre on help keep them cooler? or just make a hot, steamy mess?

 

[FarmGirlNC]

I lost 30 babies a few years ago to a rain and cool morning (60 degrees). My older chickens stay out in all weather but I keep the babies dry. The babies I lost had gotten into the habit of sleeping on top of the shelter I built for them and did not move inside for the rain, and the rain was a bucketing down kind of rain overnight- by morning it was grim. I think those were at 7 weeks. I have had other chicks who survived the rain just fine in warmer temps, but I now keep an outdoor lamp on and at chick drying level under an overhang if it is going to rain.

 

[ozark hen]

make sure they return to the coop during rains. They are too young to have sense enough to get out of the rain...most of them anyway. When they get older they know enough to take shelter, till then you must train them.
I don't know where you are located but hopefully, they will have grown up by the time the snow flies and they seem to know what to do then. We keep a large round bale of hay unrolled in the run. Keeps them off the direct ground and give them plenty of seeds to scratch for and then in the spring we have very good composted ground. What seeds fall through grow and give the chickens some fresh greens early in the spring to pick at if they are kept in the run.

 

[BamaChicken]

They are really to young to be getting wet. They don't have a momma hen to show them what to do or protect them and they won't automatically know at that age. The wet ground would not be good for them as young as they are.

 

[JennsPeeps]

You didn't say where you are or the general temp. My girls went out in a light, on & off mist (they were about 5 wks old) and were fine until later in the day. Then they got a little chilly & all showed up in my kitchen. It was ~65-70 degrees that day.

 

[Beanbag]

We have 4 chicks and my Frizzle is the oldest at 3 weeks of age, we were first thinking of putting them outside with their special incubator we made and we set it all up outside and made it real nice and dry and protected from the rain and then we heard a bad storm was coming so we got scared and worried for the little chicks so we brought them inside and decided to keep them inside in their incubator for a few more weeks until all their feathers or most of them grow in and or they get too big. We already lost two chicks because they just didn't adjust well to the change of where they came from as opposed to their incubator we made them. We want to make sure no others perish.

 

[jenjen]

I don't know if this is ok or not but we have had heatwave temps this week of 108 degrees. The only way I have kept the girls alive is to go out there every couple of hours and mist them down with the hose. It's a small coop with dirt floors and shavings in it. It has made a muddy stinky mess in the coop but I figure I can clean it out this weekend and let it dry out. I wondered too if it would help or make it steamy, but it stopped the panting. They kind of dig down in it and I believe it is what has kept them alive.

 

[speckledhen]

Quote:
I agree with Julie. Also, wet ground that stays wet is a breeding ground for cocci, so watch their poop. There seems to be a rash of cocci outbreaks, even among people whose chicks are on medicated starter.