Is This Safe????

[4 Georgia Hens]

Okay, so I live in GA and right now it's raining and about 75 degrees outside. 2 of my four chickens are "singing in the rain" (lol!)! They are soaked to the bone, and I'm wondering if it's okay for them when they go into their coop. I just don't want a draft to find them a give 'em a cold/respiratory illness. Should I bring them inside and blow dry them?? The rain isn't letting up and I pretty sure their gonna be going into their coop, wet. Is that okay??!

 

[MageofMist]

Okay, so I live in GA and right now it's raining and about 75 degrees outside. 2 of my four chickens are "singing in the rain" (lol!)! They are soaked to the bone, and I'm wondering if it's okay for them when they go into their coop. I just don't want a draft to find them a give 'em a cold/respiratory illness. Should I bring them inside and blow dry them?? The rain isn't letting up and I pretty sure their gonna be going into their coop, wet. Is that okay??!

My silkies were once caught in a sudden hard downpour outside and the silly things hid under a blackberry bush that didn't offer much protection from the heavy rain. The poor things were all soaked to the bone, so I rushed out and brought them all inside and stuck them in their indoor pen. Other than the usual house heat, they had no extra heat and quickly dried off on their own, and silkies are less rain-hardy due to their feather structure.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Should I bring the girls inside??

 

[MageofMist]

Should I bring the girls inside??

Probably best to ensure you can keep an eye on them and they dry off properly, but you shouldn't need to blow dry them.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Okay. Do u suggest drying them off with warm towels??

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

It's night time here and they're in th coop.....

 

[MageofMist]

Okay. Do u suggest drying them off with warm towels??

Mine dried off by themselves after a while of of preening, but warm towels will speed the process up.

A hair drier would be better since it is night though.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

I dried them off. Now I won't be up all night worrying lol!!

 

[aart]

Okay, so I live in GA and right now it's raining and about 75 degrees outside. 2 of my four chickens are "singing in the rain" (lol!)! They are soaked to the bone, and I'm wondering if it's okay for them when they go into their coop. I just don't want a draft to find them a give 'em a cold/respiratory illness. Should I bring them inside and blow dry them?? The rain isn't letting up and I pretty sure their gonna be going into their coop, wet. Is that okay??!

Are you sure they are 'soaked to the bone'??
First time my birds got good and wet in the rain I thought the same,
(tho used the term 'drowned rats')
but when I stuck my hand under the feathers and next to the skin they were dry and warm under there.
I'd not worry about it......
....and respiratory illnesses are caused by germs, not getting wet and cold.

 

[MageofMist]

Are you sure they are 'soaked to the bone'??
First time my birds got good and wet in the rain I thought the same,
(tho used the term 'drowned rats')
but when I stuck my hand under the feathers and next to the skin they were dry and warm under there.
I'd not worry about it......
....and respiratory illnesses are caused by germs, not getting wet and cold.

Though getting wet and cold can compromise the immune system a little, but it is still unlikely they'll get ill that easily as chickens are robust little things. My Silkies were completely soaked all the way through the feathers to the skin, but were still warm and after a little while preening and huddling in their pen, they dried off and were completely fine.

These were 3 month old chicks and one 1 year, 8 month old roo, and silkies don't have much water resistance in their floofy feathers, but were completely fine.