NEED CHICKEN ADVICE PLEASE!

[chix196]

I'm from michigan, and currently it is 46 degrees and raining. I normally work evenings and during the day I open the door because my chickens love to run around in just about any weather. I got off work late but went down to see if they were alright because I had a gut feeling something was wrong. All 6 off my chickens (3 barred Plymouth rocks, 1gold laced wyodotte, 1 gold star, and 1 coocoo Maran) were locked out of their coop, muddy, in the dark and soaking wet all the way to the tips of their feathers. I was so stressed out when I saw all my babies huddled up and muddy I picked them all up and got them inside. And they started trying to shake their feathers loose and pick at them selves.

They seem to be doing fine but Im worried they might get sick.

MY QUESTION: is there anything I should do? Or can do to help them? Do I need to get antibiotics so they don't get sick? Please help

 

[ChickNanny13]

Not sure about meds, assuming their coop is enclosed with lots of shavings/hay/straw, think they'll be ok & warm each other up with their body hear. Need to make sure the door to their coop don't shut on them again. Main thing they don't catch the draft, someone with more experience will be peeping in.

 

[chix196]

Not sure about meds, assuming their coop is enclosed with lots of shavings/hay/straw, think they'll be ok & warm each other up with their body hear.  Need to make sure the door to their coop don't shut on them again.  Main thing they don't catch the draft, someone with more experience will be peeping in.  

Thank you for your help. And I understand the draft part but what do you mean by the last sentence?

 

[Lil Peeps]

I'm from michigan, and currently it is 46 degrees and raining. I normally work evenings and during the day I open the door because my chickens love to run around in just about any weather. I got off work late but went down to see if they were alright because I had a gut feeling something was wrong. All 6 off my chickens (3 barred Plymouth rocks, 1gold laced wyodotte, 1 gold star, and 1 coocoo Maran) were locked out of their coop, muddy, in the dark and soaking wet all the way to the tips of their feathers. I was so stressed out when I saw all my babies huddled up and muddy I picked them all up and got them inside. And they started trying to shake their feathers loose and pick at them selves.

They seem to be doing fine but Im worried they might get sick.

MY QUESTION: is there anything I should do? Or can do to help them? Do I need to get antibiotics so they don't get sick? Please help

I second chix196 on keeping them in a draft-free environment. If they are really soaked you can actually blow dry them with a hair dryer. I've done it before in a similar situation and it worked pretty well. They are most likely just sorting through and preening their feathers, by separating them and fixing them they are actually helping them dry out a little bit. As long as they are not viciously pecking on each other they should be okay. If you notice them sneezing or if they have discharge from their eyes or nose you could pick them up some meds too help. Not sure which one right now.

 

[ChickNanny13]

Thank you for your help. And I understand the draft part but what do you mean by the last sentence?

Oh, meaning to say other will "peep" in with their help.

 

[aart]

I'm from michigan, and currently it is 46 degrees and raining. I normally work evenings and during the day I open the door because my chickens love to run around in just about any weather. I got off work late but went down to see if they were alright because I had a gut feeling something was wrong. All 6 off my chickens (3 barred Plymouth rocks, 1gold laced wyodotte, 1 gold star, and 1 coocoo Maran) were locked out of their coop, muddy, in the dark and soaking wet all the way to the tips of their feathers. I was so stressed out when I saw all my babies huddled up and muddy I picked them all up and got them inside. And they started trying to shake their feathers loose and pick at them selves.

They seem to be doing fine but Im worried they might get sick.

MY QUESTION: is there anything I should do? Or can do to help them? Do I need to get antibiotics so they don't get sick? Please help

No, do not give antibiotics. they won't keep a bird(or anything else) from getting sick.

Just let them dry out and preen themselves clean.
You probably could have just put them in the coop.
Did you check that they were in fact soaked literally 'to the skin'?
I have some who love to be out in the rain and often looked soaked,
but if you check down deep in the feathers they are dry at the skin.

How did they get 'locked out'? Automatic door?
They don't always work....or birds don't always get inside in a timely fashion.
Best make a weather proof shelter in your run for if(when) it happens again.