Getting out of the rain!!!

[rskellenger54]

My girls are almost 3 months old.....been outside for 6 weeks or so....and it's been the dry season here in S. Florida, no rain, mild temps....so a big cold front comes thru with cold rain and lots of wind....and they're running around the pen just a complaining...my dd ran out there and put them in their coop and now they're eating and under the lamp.....please tell me they'll figure it out the next time it rains??? We love our girls, but were a little distressed at their lack of common sense, LOL

 

[dichotomymom]

It won't hurt them. It's snowing here and mine are grazing away.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Mine stay out in the rain. If it rains heavily they seek shelter though.

 

[gritsar]

They'll be fine. I've had chicks that were alot younger (I'm talking weeks, not months) out in the rain and they have done just fine.

I do have a question for you though. Why the light? Heat or light for lights sake?

 

[rskellenger54]

Thank you for your responses....I still use a heat light on them at night....and had it on when the front went thru....They are @8weeks old, probably ok without one, they are just my first chicks and I'm sure I'm overprotecting....as soon as it slowed up they came down and were fine.....

 

[rskellenger54]

My first post was incorrect on their age...they are 2 months old.....

 

[aggie9296]

A heat lamp on in South Florida? Wow. That may be a bit much. I'm in the panhandle and I didn't have a lamp on my 3 month old Red Stars even when it got down in the upper 20's in Feb. They stay out in the rain now unless it is pouring, then they go under the coop. The older hens are out in the rain all the time and seem to do fine. They have cover if they want it.

 

[HorseFeatherz NV]

It takes the babies a bit to learn what to do when they encounter something new.


Rain - now they know they can go into the coop to "escape"


Snow - (if you should ever get it) also new and there will be no venturing from the safe coop into the great white unknown until they feel safe

I shovel paths and gathering area for my birds when it snows here.

 

[gritsar]

Honestly? They'd do better if you could go ahead and wean them off that heat lamp. Allowed to acclimate naturally they'll be ready to handle anything Mother Nature throws at them.