Chicks having a hard time seeking shelter from rain

[5GodsDown]

Hello everyone

I have 3 chicks 8 weeks old now. They were outside permanently until it started to storm for an entire week. During the day everything was pretty ok, but at night we kept them inside again because some branches came down on top of the coop.

My chicks coincidentally haven't seen that much rain yet, but they don't seem to properly deal with it. I put them in their house a few times, because it has a little outside area which I covered for sun and rain, they also have a shelter right next to their house where I mostly put the food when it's rainy.

Still they prefer to run straight up to the house and stand in front of the door to be let in. A few evenings ago I locked them up in the coop and went to check on them when it was raining and all 3 of them would be standing as close as possible to one of the big corner poles... not really sheltered from the rain.

This has me worried for when it starts pouring when I'm still at work, which coincidentally hasn't happened yet since they're outside permanently...

 

[rosemarythyme]

At 8 weeks a little rain shouldn't hurt them. Mine usually opt to stay out unless it starts coming down hard, then they coop up until it stops.

Are your chicks returning to the coop on their own when it's not raining at night?

 

[5GodsDown]

At 8 weeks a little rain shouldn't hurt them. Mine usually opt to stay out unless it starts coming down hard, then they coop up until it stops.

Are your chicks returning to the coop on their own when it's not raining at night?

In general yes, they were a bit confused of course when they were sleeping inside again because of the stormy weather, but I only had to help them once.

I made a little temporary extra shelter adjacent to the pole they were leaning against for now