Do you let your Chickens in the Run when it rains out?

[Mikedero]

I have a 10X15 run and it is under trees so covered pretty well and under the coop which is 6X8 is covered as well. Today is my third day letting them in the run all day long. I am at work so I have no idea how they are doing. They are 6-7 weeks old and it is about 60 degrees out. they have not had a heat lamp in 2 weeks and they seem normal in the roasts at night not all huddled together but close.

today is the third day and this morning when I opened the door they ran out and seemed happy as can be.

 

[sourland]

Generally I have no problem allowing chickens to venture out in the rain. With partially feathered chicks I tend to be a bit more cautious and monitor the situation to see that they don't get chilled.

 

[Hawgon]

I agree with sourland, I find that as long as they have a dry place to go and they are old enough to go out, they enjoy the rain and the "goodies" it brings for them. Just watch em when they are young for signs of being chilled and they will be fine.

 

[bucky52]

my chicks are 9 weeks old and pay no attention to being in the rain.but it worries me ,i just attached a tarp on the run .and when the sun comes out i can just remove it.

 

[CorinneP]

My Chickens hate the rain and always run for shelter ... AS soon as it stops raining they have a field day looking for all the bugs..

 

[rikithemonk]

My runs are both covered with tarp material and I keep the coop open all the time so they have a place to go if the storm gets real bad. The sides of the runs are both uncovered, so they can get wet if they really want to. I dint cover the runs for protection from the rain, I initially decided to leave the runs both uncovered. Here in Florida sun can be very harsh, so I decided to give them some shade.

Riki

 

[Hinotori]

My chickens wont go out in downpours, but once it goes back to drizzle, they are back out free ranging. The brahmas didn't even care about the downpours. Raining cats and dogs and they were out looking for bugs. We will get more brahmas. Drizzles so much here during winter.

 

[Joe.G]

Poured here these last two days, Floods and all, My hens were out most of both days, and my ( wk old chicks were out about half as much. My Gunieas just ran around like a bunch of idiots all day like always.

 

[Samantha P]

no i dont

 

[Aschenfire]

Mine are technically *out* all the time since I have an open wire run and no "coop"... I have wooden roofs over sections of their runs and use reed fencing to create a windbreak on the sheltered ends. They are great about getting under that roof if it is raining very hard, so I don't worry about them in weather. I trust my chickens to be birds and to know when they need to take cover

Edited so that people are not freaking out with "OMG NO COOP! THEY"LL BE EATEN IN THE NIGHT!"

My chicken runs are inside my back yard which has a 6' fence around it. I have never seen anything more exciting than squirrels, the neighbors cats (which are afraid of the chickens), songbirds, and the pair of night herons which nest in my tree. I am not saying that I might not ever run the danger of having a raccoon or opossum climb the fence, but it would be unlikely.