Crazy chickens and the cold...

[Hatrick]

My three girls are wandering around outside in the snow, it's cold and I'm wondering should I keep them in their run or do I just let them decide when it's too cold for them? I thought I had heard that if it was too cold they would just go in the coop but they're walking around with their little snowy feet and I don't want them to get frostbite. Do I just leave them be?

 

[The Chicken People]

I say leave em be..I let mine out a few minutes a day when we are snow covered!

 

[Hatrick]

Yeah, but they're outside all day! I let them out in the morning and the don't go back in (willingly) until it gets dark. They spent yesterday sitting on the back porch tapping on the back door.

 

[taylorgirl6]

Their feet should be fine in the snow, and they will indeed go in if they get chilly. The only issue you may have is frostbite on their combs. Combs that stand up are particularly susceptible to frostbite, and you should keep them coated in vaseline if they start to show signs of frostbite damage. Frostbite to a chicken's comb will look like slightly dried out white patches on the tips of the comb.

 

[azygous]

Snow won't hurt their feet. But I'd worry if it's below freezing and the wind is blowing. You could have a problem then. A few days ago on this forum I saw a photo of a poor chicken with frost bitten feet, so it can happen.

Your girls are tough little souls. I have a SLW rooster Stan who absolutely refuses to step foot out of the coop if it's below freezing and cloudy or windy. His hens are a different matter - they love all weather. But they usually return to the sheltered pen and coop after about an hour is it's real nasty freezing cold out.

 

[RL]

Mine stay out all day no matter the weather. The temp was almost 80 on the 23rd and on the 24th it started to rain and the temp went down to 29 with snow and the wind blowing at 40mph at times. All the chickens were out in that all day. They were soaked from the rain and then that turned to ice on their backs and then the snow started to pile up on them; they looked like walking snowballs. They would not go back into the coop until the sun went down. As soon as the sun was up they were out of the coop running through the snow and eating ice. Crazy birds.

It's in the low 30's here today with rain and just started to snow again. I know them dumb birds were out in that all day digging in the mud.

 

[Hatrick]

Thank you. I feel better about my crazy ladies now.

Silly birds. Although I did find them hiding in the shed this afternoon so they know better than to stay out too long.

 

[teach1rusl]

I was thrilled that mine came out today. The sun came out, the wind was gone, and it reached a balmy 35F!!! I wish mine wanted to be outside a little more...

...less poop to scoop in the coop!