My Roos Won't Go In During Rain

Barry Natchitoches

Songster
11 Years
Sep 4, 2008
649
47
194
Tennessee
I have two bachelors who live in their own little "cave," and have their own 4 foot by 15 foot run.


Their cave is not the greatest in the world, but it is built of plywood and concrete blocks with a heavy plywood roof and a sturdy roost inside. It provides protection from wind, some protection from cold (though it is not heated, at least not right now), stays dry during most rainstorms, and has a light inside that is hooked to the timer that controls the girls lighting system.


You would THINK they would go in their cave during a rain storm, or during windy/cold weather.


But they would rather stand out in the cold rain, wind and all.


I had to go outside at 4 am this morning in the cold, windy rain -- in order to lock the boys inside their cave. The light comes on automatically at 4 am, so that the girls will get their entire 14 hours of egglaying light. It was storming outside -- cold wind and heavy rain.


But the minute the lights came on, the boys left their protective "cave" and ventured out into the dark, cold, windy, wet chicken run. They crowed loudly enough to wake my wife and I -- no doubt complaining that they were wet and cold.


All they had to do was go back in to their protective cave, where they had plenty of food, fresh drinking water, a nice perch, plenty of light, and protection from the cold and the rain.


But did they do that?


NO!


Instead, they went out in the middle of the harsh wind, and cold, heavy rain to voice complaint as loud as they could.


I HATE going out into really cold, wet weather at 4 am in the morning, just to close up two wayward roos who will not stay in on their own.


What should I do to get these boys to stay in for bad weather?


BTW, we just rebuilt the boys area this past week. We made their cage larger, installed lights, and will soon install one of those infrared, ceramic heaters that screw into a regular chicken coop reflector (they sell these in the reptile section of the pet store. They are alot safer than heat lamps.)


But the boys never went in their older cave either -- the one they used to have before we tore it down and rebuilt it.
 
My chickens (rooster and his gals) do the same thing. Plenty of places for them to get in out of the weather but NO, they stand out in it and get soaked. Summer is fine, can't blame them. But cold/freezing weather is crazy. They're just stupid in that way I guess!
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In this case, the boys live without girls in a bachelor pad of their own.


I already have a roo for the gals, and they only need one roo. So I built a place for these other two roos in a fenced in area that is ajacent to the hen's pen (only some chicken wire separate these boys from the girls and their roo), but keeps them separate from the gals.


The main flock returns to their henhouse when it rains, but these two boys just stand right out in the middle of the storm and complain. LOUDLY!
 

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