Lock them in during rain?

[RockyToggRanch]

I let my chickens free range all day, but they can go into their little coop anytime they want. They seem to prefer to stand in the cold rain or wander around until they're soaked to the bone. Should I insist that they stay inside during cold rainy days? Is it bad for them too get wet and cold? I've never lost a chicken and am worried they'll catch cold.

 

[kinnip]

I open the coop door. Some of them stay inside, some like the rain. Who am I to judge? No one has gotten ill.

 

[BearSwampChick]

Mine stayed out in the rain most of the day yesterday. They looked like drowned rats, but it didn't seem to have any ill effects on them.

 

[gritsar]

Ditto what kinnip and bearswampchick said. Sometimes mine used their shared brain cell to figure out they need to go in out of the rain. Other times they stand out in it with no ill effects.

 

[RockyToggRanch]

Good. Thank you. I just want to make little raincoats for them, ya know?

 

[kinnip]

It's the white ones you gotta look out for. My Delawares look like they've been dragged through a mile of mud. I tell folks they're just working on their "tan".

 

[RockyToggRanch]

My beautiful black sumatra loses long tail feathers every time it rains. They drag on the ground and must get heavy from the rain...he has one long feather left today. It's kind of funny.

 

[Mojo Chick'n]

the Guineas are my "barometer" .

Guineas are pretty stoopid birds - they will stay outside in all weather. If the guineas are hiding in the barn - I leave the chickens in the coop

Meri

 

[schmije]

We let ours out when it rains and let them choose. They typically clear out of the coop, but if it's raining very hard we'll find them underneath the porch or one of our cars. If it's not raining very hard they'll be out in the middle of it soaking wet. It's hard to tell who is who when they're wet - they look so different!

 

[AngieChick]

I did cover my run for rain protection. But, I wasn't so much protecting the birds as trying to avoid wet bird poo smells (urban chickens). I think that most birds are fine getting wet, except for maybe silkies (though I could be wrong on this?).