FAST RESPONSE NEEDED: Chickens vs Rain

[speckledhen]

The main downside to letting them get soaked is that, when they return inside, the atmosphere in the coop becomes very damp as they dry off, leading to more ammonia buildup. So, if it's pouring rain, mine are locked inside unless it's stifling hot in the coop.

 

[JulieZ]

Once the rain lets up some ... I'm going with majority of the vote ... let the chickens get wet. They have 4 heat lamps in their house. I will lower one for the dummies who need a fast dry but yaw should hear this rain outside. No way am I taking a hair dryer out there.

Tomorrow I'm putting up a small piece of left over pool vinyl (that already has small holes on it so no rain collection) on top of the run cage about 2 feet out to keep rain from getting into the house. Two months ago I never thought I'd be worring about chickens. Great ... now I'm worrying about leveling of the ground. Am I the only one who frets over stuff like this or does this go with raising chickens? Will I get over it soon enough or does it stay? Am I allowed medication?

 

[JulieZ]

Scratch my last post ... I'm treating my chickens like my dog. I don't want any pnemonia, cough, sniffles or snot going on. I've read the sick postings & what some have gone through with their sick chickens. They are staying in their house like my dog has too. I let my dog out from time to time to go to the bathroom ... chickens drop it where they may. I feel good now.

Sorry everyone ... didn't mean to stress on yaw.

 

[txchickie]

At only 7 weeks I might keep them locked up and dry.

As for older chickens---mine love to stand out in the rain looking like drowned rats

 

[JulieZ]

drowned rats ... is that what I got to look forward WHEN they get older?

 

[karen71]

I agree with txchickie- 7 weeks they should probably remain dry - mine are older and LOOOVVVVVVEEEEE

the rain - if it's too hard they will stay under a bush or in the coop - the like lighter rain but hate the snow they will not come out if there is snow on the ground - I have to have DH snow blow the pen just to get them outside - spoiled they are

 

[Ridgerunner]

I'm not sure how fast Brahma's feather out. They do develop a little slower than a lot of others. I let mine out in the run at 8 weeks and never worried about it from then on. They played in the rain and I never lost one because of it.

Wet chicks means dead chicks. Wet chickens does not mean dead chickens. An important difference.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Ditto for me.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
Ditto for me.

Me too. My adult chickens are out in the rain all the time. This time of year, they'd never see the outside world if they weren't.
My dogs love to play in it too. I have to make the boneheads (the doggie boneheads, not the chix boneheads) come in out of it.
See all those wild birds outside? Whose house do you think they go to in the rain?

 

[Illia]

Uh, I live in the rainest place in the US, where we get 130 inches of rain a year. . . And my chickens are in a downpour all the time. It's their choice too - I have a huge coop for them to take shelter in, plus a barn, plus their extra building for laying eggs. . . But they usually stay out and eat the weeds, seeds, and bugs. It doesn't harm them so far. Now of course it harms the crests on my Polish, but the answer to that is tying them up or trimming them near the eyes.