I hope my chickens figure out how to get out of the rain!

[harriedhomemaker]

We're due to have rain for the first time since I've let my flock range outdoors during the day. This shouldn't be a problem. They can hide under the coop or get inside the coop at anytime, but I don't trust them to do so.

They've only just figured out that when the automatic popdoor opens, they can get out. I was having to catch them and put them out by hand! The majority of them won't go back inside before the door closes at night so I end up crawling through unspeakable horrors to try and catch them.

Needless to say, I'm worried that they will be cold and miserable in the big thunderstorms we have moving our direction today. Hope they don't get bonked by hail!

 

[sumi]

Whenever we get a rain storm most of my chickens go inside or hide somewhere sheltered, but there is usually on or two running around, getting soaked. I hope yours will be more intelligent! Maybe you should tempt them inside with a treat or something and close them up just before the rain starts. Save you running around and worrying about them.

 

[scratch'n'peck]

Hopefully they will at least get under the coop. But it can take chickens a while to figure these things out, so it is possible that they will huddle together and look a little pathetic, but they will dry off. Some day soon they will have the routine down and know what to do.

 

[chfite]

Some days, my chickens stay out in the rain. They look rather wretched afterwards. Other times, they get under the coop where it is dry or go back inside. I don't worry about them. They survived in the wild for millennia with no help from me.

Chris

 

[nurse_turtle]

If it's not cold out, my chickens seem to enjoy, or at least not mind, the rain. It won't hurt them at all.

 

[harriedhomemaker]

Thanks for the reassurance, all. Hopefully they will figure it out - if not, I guess they will be fine! I will be checking on them a lot since the wind is already wreaking havoc.

It has knocked over the lid on their waterer twice, allowing dirt to get blown in. It is this waterer: http://www.premier1supplies.com/detail.php?prod_id=83116&cat_id=141 Anyone have any ideas on how I can secure the lid? The lid is rounded or I would just put a rock on it. I ended up moving their waterer back inside the coop. Hope the little buggers don't get too thirsty because I'm sure they won't figure it out. I do like my chickens but they definitely aren't very sharp yet.

The wind has also knocked over the chicken ladder into their coop twice, but I think I can fix that.

 

[harriedhomemaker]

It has been dark and windy all day but no rain yet. Severe storms on the way, though. The chickens spent most of the afternoon huddled together in a miserable lump in the middle of their run. Why they didn't go somewhere out of the wind, I don't know.

I decided that I didn't want to worry about them any more, my best chicken catcher (6 year old daughter) and myself rounded up all the chickens and put them to bed three hours early.