Four of my five are 22 weeks and one is 20 weeks. Three are laying eggs starting one at a time two weeks ago. We live in East Texas where this season's thunderstorms are more frequent and more severe. Two questions: 1) do chickens know to come out of the rain and what do free rangers do when the sky opens and lightning is seen and heard? 2) does such severe weather affect egg laying in any way?
I don't know for certain which of my hens are giving us an egg a day. They have an elevated safe dry henhouse and three nest boxes (the current layers are using the same nest). They have a 14' X 10' caged run covered with bird netting. They have the run all day with ample water. Access to the coop with dry protected feed station. I generally round them up out of the run when rain is threatening. If I'm not home, i can only hope the take the shelter I've made for them. So far this hasn't happened but I'm sure it will.
I don't know for certain which of my hens are giving us an egg a day. They have an elevated safe dry henhouse and three nest boxes (the current layers are using the same nest). They have a 14' X 10' caged run covered with bird netting. They have the run all day with ample water. Access to the coop with dry protected feed station. I generally round them up out of the run when rain is threatening. If I'm not home, i can only hope the take the shelter I've made for them. So far this hasn't happened but I'm sure it will.