*Pouring rain and chickens!!*

[Tripp16]

Hi everyone! Ok so I wake up this morning and it was raining so I run outside and put all the chickens up in their houses.

My friend is telling me to let them out! They are made for rain!! So I waited unil it was barely raining and let them back out. Well about an hour ago it started POURING! Should I lock them up? They hated it when I did it this morining!

What do you guys do?

 

[ladyride]

They will get in out of the rain either under the coop or in it.

 

[nurse_turtle]

It's been raining all day here in western NC too. My coop door stays open into the run. All the chickens were in the coop except my younger showgirl. I placed her into the coop and then everyone came out thinking I had treats. They were all a bit damp but I think they have enough survival instinct to know when it's ok to come into and out of the rain. I say, let them decide.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Give them their choice.
Mine usually go out rain or shine and when tired of being wet they go back in.

In much colder weather I get a little more concerned but not now.

 

[Tripp16]

Well thats what I was thinking! Man do I worry to much!!

Thanks for the replies!

Also Im in NC to!

 

[abercrombie575]

Rain brings out all kinds of good bugs from the soil... for a chicken a good bug is worth getting wet over!

 

[7L Farm]

If its a storm I lock them up. If its just rain I let them out.

 

[cassidy22]

I only get concerned about heavy rains if it is going to get so cold at night that I need to heat their water. We did have a really heavy storm this summer, the temps dropped (but not below freezing) it came down so fast that under their coop, they were in standing water 2 inches deep, and many of them were so wet, they struggled to get up into the coop (had to jump onto a truck tailgate) Their feathers were so wet, they couldn't get in. I locked them in, so they would be inside, NOT getting any more wet, and not with their feet in cold cold water. I figured even though they were already wet, together inside, they would keep each other warm.

If my husband had been home, he would have told me i was stupid, but I hate to lose a bird to the cold. So I chased every dang one of them, the last one was a doozy! but I finally got her, and THEN I could sleep sound that night!

If you feel they are unsafe, or might get too cold, do what you need to do. A day in the rain might not kill them, but either will a day in the coop!

 

[Tripp16]

Quote:
OMGSH that sounds EXACTLY what I just did!! Their feathers were HANGING off of them I mean drenched to the skin. When I picked each one up I could ring water out of them like a towel!! I felt so bad! They werre just standing in a big puddle (which was their whole run!!) Their run had literally flooded! They didnt fight to get out then!

Oh the things I do for my chickens....

 

[new chick 203]

I've only locked them inside during the day if it is a blizzard or crazy storm.