Official BYC Poll: Do Your Chickens Go Inside Their Coop When It Snows?

[Liz Birdlover]

My chickens also hold me responsible for the weather.

Yes they do! I've gotten those dirty looks, too...it's our fault the sun isn't shining & there aren't tons of bugs to peck at. Lol
My Barred Rock in particular is always giving me stink eye for Whatever is not right in his world!

 

[Thunder344]

Most of mine usually stay in, but I have some that will brave the elements and come out. Once I shoveled their run all of them came out, and usually stay out for the rest of the day. The older girls prefer inside though, while the younger ones like to stay outside lol

 

[K0k0shka]

They are stunning! What breeds are they?
Edit: I'm guessing Cochins, barnevelders, Orps and Wyandottes?

Are those silver laced barnevelder?

Thanks! No Cochins or Wyandottes though. The yellow ones are Lemon Cuckoo Orpingtons, the black ones with white pencilling are Double Silver Laced Barnevelders, the ones on the left are Red Partridge Orpingtons, and the one on the right that looks like a Wyandotte is a Silver Laced Orpington.

 

[BReeder!]

Our chickens (9 hens currently) have kept a patch of ground outside of their pop door clear of snow all by themselves. The patch the keep clear is roughly 6'x6'. I believe they scratch through the snow to get down to the layer of leaves that we use as outdoor bedding in the run. They love to forage in the leaves for bugs and any other goodies they find. I believe this natural scratching/foraging behavior is what keeps the patch clear.

 

[Dusty Chicken]

This current flock is particulary paranoid about snow. Last week the whole flock was crowding out the door when the ones in front realized that it has snowed over night. The ones in back were oblivious and pressed forward to go outside while the ones in front held their ground. It reminded me of a concert that I attended in the 80s!

 

[Ascholten]

They will stay out in the rain. It could be a typhoon blowing 100 mph and they'll be out in it, so Id assume that if I ever got snow, they'd probably be out in that too.

FUnny thing, they'll stand out in the rain all day, soaking wet, NO problem !! Turn the garden hose on them once, and they have a fit... go figure !!

 

[3KillerBs]

They will stay out in the rain. It could be a typhoon blowing 100 mph and they'll be out in it, so Id assume that if I ever got snow, they'd probably be out in that too.

FUnny thing, they'll stand out in the rain all day, soaking wet, NO problem !! Turn the garden hose on them once, and they have a fit... go figure !!

I haven't seen mine outside *during* a tropical storm, but I have seen them out foraging between the rain bands.

 

[Ascholten]

oh mine were out in it, i was worried about them blowing away, fixing up the bathroom in case they have to spend the night inside, so they don'tblow away, wind howling and they are right out in it like nothing is the matter. At which point I decided that unless it's a cat 3 or higher, they can hide under the boat, or wherever, if it's a cat 3 or higher the place is screwed anyways so if they didn't blow away, they'll probably end up a meal for those of us stranded

Big gust of wind came up and popped their nesting box door open and they all hopped out there. I opened the coop up the regular way so they could go back in but they wanted no part of that. Ok fine, stay outside then.

Aaron

 

[Deezchix]

This is the first winter for my girls. We had a light snow awhile back, didn't stop them at all, they even sunbathed and dirtbathed on any spot without snow lol. Last week though, everything was covered so when door opened they stopped in their tracks and started screaming. I shoveled a few paths for them and shooed them out, shut the door, and they complained all day. Got better each day passing. Today they were extremely happy to see the snow gone, quiet all day.

 

[Wolfie2]

Been in this area for 50 yrs./ It's snowed 3 times. Can't remember!