Cold and snowy weather problem.

[MissTina]

My hens will not go outside of their coop where their food and water is during this snowy and cold weather. I am concerned they will dehydrate or starve to death. Let alone not getting any fresh air or sunshine!

 

[SueT]

I have 2 groups in 2 coops, and the older group is like yours. A flake of snow, and the sky is falling! If the snow accumulates, I spread shavings or hay over it, or sweep the ground bare, spread scratch feed and lure them out. Several times a day. Luckily here, the snow doesn’t usually last more than a day or 2.
Where do you live?

 

[nuthatched]

They'll leave eventually, don't worry.
Is there any special reason they aren't leaving their coop, like it's heated?
You can put a picnic table by the coop with food and water under it.
Or put it in the coop if there's room.

 

[Mrs. K]

I make mini hay stacks in the run, then flip it on top of the snow. They come right out. Later in the season, does not phase them. They just hate change.

 

[rosemarythyme]

A snow shovel is your best friend here. I have to shovel several times a day if it's continuously snowing, in order to give the birds some pathways to get to water, food stations, and sheltering spots.

 

[Yardmom]

I had a group of hens go about 3 days without water because they didn't like snow. Most of the flock was going out, but my Wyandottes refused. I now keep water in the coop if snow is on the ground. Snow here is measured in feet. Now that my water is inside so are all my chickens. If your coop is not suitable for food and water spread some sort of bedding on the ground so the chickens don't have to step on the lava I mean snow.

 

[Penpal]

My RIR never worried about the snow, but my Brahma hate it. I used a shovel to clear a path. It doesn't go all the way down to the ground, but it is a little more packed now and they are coming out. I began by putting their food dish and water just outside the coop, then lured them another foot away. They are coming out now, with the dishes about 6 feet from the coop. I've even seen them wandering around the coop itself. As Mrs. K wrote, they hate change.

 

[Debbie292d]

My hens will not go outside of their coop where their food and water is during this snowy and cold weather. I am concerned they will dehydrate or starve to death. Let alone not getting any fresh air or sunshine!

If you dig it, they will come.

Their food and water is IN the coop, but they choose to want to get out. It was about 20F this day. This past week I haven't let them out as it's been sub-zero temps.

 

[Evadig]

Mine refuse to come out, path or no path. I pick them up and put them at the end of the path and let them walk back to the coop - that’s the exercise for the day! (Their food and water is in the coop but I feel they need to get out in the sun for a bit).

 

[K0k0shka]

Dry leaves are the best. I bag and collect them in the fall and use them periodically in the run throughout the year, but especially in the winter after a snowfall. If it's a lot of snow (which we don't get much anymore), I shovel what I can and cover the rest with leaves. If it's a little, then I clear all of it and then spread a bag of leaves. No matter the temperature or how much snow there is all around, if their run floor is covered with a nice thick bed of dry leaves, they can't resist the temptation and always come out.