Hens staying out in cold rain

[Rommy]

Hi Folks! My girls seem to not be bothered by the cold rain. Hubby put a door on my coop with a cut out for access to the run and I close the door when it is very cold, rainy and/or windy. However, my girls are not staying in the coop but remaining out in the cold rain. They did go in the coop when it was really windy the other day. Just wondering if they will be ok getting wet in the cold. It is not freezing but ranging in the low 40's to low 50's during the day ...even in the 30's last week they were staying in the run. Don't want sick girls and need to know if I should close off the access to the run or just let them be? Thanks! They are Rhode Island Reds and Marans if that helps.

 

[Skippersnh]

i would just let them be chickens dont seem to mind getting wet as long as its not below freezing

 

[Rommy]

Thanks, my thoughts exactly; just wanted to hear it from some of you who have more experience.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Let them have access to their run - they can decide for themselves when the weather is too bad for their liking.

 

[aart]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/do-you-let-your-chickens-out-in-the-cold-rain.1338232/

 

[HeatherKellyB]

While I was reading your post, I was thinking, wow, this is the exact weather I've been having. I checked your profile and sure enough, you're also in NC. My bachelor Flock goes out in it every day no matter what, and my girls act like it's nothing any different from any other day. Now, my baby flock which consists of a lot more bantam breeds/silkies, they are welcome to come and go between their run and/or henhouse and unless I'm hanging out with them, they tend to prefer to stay in the henhouse, especially if it's windy. So I agree, let them decide. Hopefully the sun will shine bright without the thick cover of clouds, for us in NC very soon.
@Rommy

 

[blackandtan]

I’d let them do their thing.
If you watch them long enough you’ll probably see that many of them will do chicken stuff only for awhile in the rain, then they’ll look for a sheltered hangout spot somewhere...even if it doesn’t look very sheltered to you, it might have a bit less breeze or fewer raindrops etc.
Try picking one up next time it rains, you’ll see they rarely get wet to the skin; they may not be fully waterproof like a duck, but their outer feathers mostly protect them from rain and the down is dry and so very warm!

 

[Henry&Friends]

They don’t want to waste their precious outside time

they’ll go in if it gets too wet or windy, but I have a patio table umbrella in my run that my birds hang out under if it’s too wet or cold for them

 

[aart]

Try picking one up next time it rains, you’ll see they rarely get wet to the skin; they may not be fully waterproof like a duck, but their outer feathers mostly protect them from rain and the down is dry and so very warm!

Yup!
First time mine got 'soaked'...looked like a bunch of 'drowned rats' on the roost...I stuck my hand underneath the hard outer feathers, nice and dry and warm next to skin.

 

[woodmort]

Rain, sleet or snow--as long as it's not building up on the ground it doesn't bother them. Whether this makes them smart or not isn't important to them but they'll survive.