I'm here in southern minnesota and this is my first year with chickens. We got 3" of rain today and it sounds like maybe 2" to 3" again tomorrow. My question is what to do just open the coop door and let them out if they want or keep in all day? I had to lock them in about 2 today so was thinking that all night and tomorrow to was and awful long time. I have 11 hens and two roosters. Been getting 10 to 11 eggs a day. Will this horse up there laying? Oh they are 5 months old now I got them April 5th this year. I have wood chips on the floor so they will get wet I think if I leave door open. Thanks for any help, Digger
I just leave their door open and let them come and go as they want. Unless it's a very windy, nasty storm they actually seem to enjoy the rain. When they get tired of it they come in and preen and dry out. On one coop I had we added a little roof over the door, like a porch, to keep the rain out.
It sounds like 2-3 inches is a lot! I usually leave mine in on a nasty day like that. One or two days inside won't hurt until the rain dries up. Bunny
It sure is allot of rain, don't ever remember a storm like this for a while. I have deep puddles every where. Boy it sure does not take long to get a answer on here. No Harley riding tomorrow, Thanks
Funny you should mention that, because it just rained a TON here in Colorado! I never lock the chickens up when it rains though: I just let them go in a out as usual, but make sure they have a warm dry place they can go back to. They get really cranky when they're locked up for too long! They were out about all day today, some of them out more than others, and looked pretty funny wet, but they didn't seem to mind at all. They would much rather be out there scratching around in the mud than be penned up all day.
I was curious of this also. The last time it rained here my oldest girls were about 8 or 9 weeks, too young to be out in the rain. It rained for the first time since then about 2 days ago and my youngest girls acted like it was raining bullets (LIGHT sprinkle) but they ran and dodged. It was funny. Everybody is old enough to make the choice whether to stay in or go out. They have lots of cover, and all stayed out of the coops. I will see what happens when it REALLY rains but I am glad they are ok to choose whether to go in the rain or stay in the coop. lol my mom joked that when she had chickens they were so dumb they would drown in the falling rain by just looking up. Old wives tale, but it scared me at first LOL!!
Mine range all the time, I'm in the lovely wet PNW. Sometimes they look pretty bad, like drowned rats, but they really are smart enough to go in when they've had enough. Plus, they love all the bugs/worms that come up from the rain! Actually, none of my animals mind the rain much, except the cats. Horses, dogs, chickens, they all go out in it. As long as they have shelter available, I think it's all good.
I always open up the door each morning rain or shine and let them decide if they want to go out..they usually choose to go out ;D
If I had to keep my chickens in everytime it rained really bad they would spend most of their time in the coop! Mine are let out every morning, rain, shine or snow and they just get on with it. I have forrestry at the back of the house which they like to go to keep out the rain but thats mostly the silkies that do that, the rest just roam about or hide in their favourite bush!
We get the quick torrent of rain here in Florida if I lockup the girls every time I would get a lot of exercise, they don't mind the rain its the feather foot bird you need to keep an eye on I think and watch if you have too much mud sitting for foot ailment.
