Rain. I feel like a bad mama.

[ChickenMamaC]

I read in numerous places to move chicks outside at 6 weeks. Mine were much too big for my brooder and the weather has been warm so I did exactly that.
Well yesterday, it rained a bunch and today I see something from the hatchery stating not to expose chicks to rain before 8 weeks.

Crap!! My girls are 6.5 weeks. I changed out all the bedding this morning so they would be totally dry amd their coop was dry when they slept in it last night. There’s more rain in the forecast. I totally took their brooder crate apart at this point.

Can anyone reassure me at this point, or did I really mess up? Chicken parenting is stressful!!

 

[annanicole18]

They will be fine. Some of my chicks are 5 weeks old and have been out in their own coop for over a week now. They come and go as they please from coop to run. My bloody hens take their chicks out from the time they can follow so I see no reason to worry about a little rain.

 

[redranger209]

I read in numerous places to move chicks outside at 6 weeks. Mine were much too big for my brooder and the weather has been warm so I did exactly that.
Well yesterday, it rained a bunch and today I see something from the hatchery stating not to expose chicks to rain before 8 weeks.

Crap!! My girls are 6.5 weeks. I changed out all the bedding this morning so they would be totally dry amd their coop was dry when they slept in it last night. There’s more rain in the forecast. I totally took their brooder crate apart at this point.

Can anyone reassure me at this point, or did I really mess up? Chicken parenting is stressful!!

They’ll be fine as long as their dry. Just cover their run.

 

[HuskerHens18]

Just make sure they have dry places to huddle in if they get cold. they will be fine, no worries.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Chicks don't spontaneously melt if exposed to water! Mine are about the same age as yours and it was raining this evening. Peeked out, saw no chickens in sight - they all went into the coop once they decided it was too wet out.

 

[Doc7]

My chicks have had free access to their run from the open coop door 24/7 since they were 3.5 weeks old (now 5 weeks old) we have had major gully washer rainstorms and they are fine. Don’t worry about this.

 

[birdmanmax]

The hatchery just gives you that estimate to attempt to eliminate any fatalities. Chicks can be exposed to rain sooner than most would think. As Long as the chicks have a dry place they are perfectly fine. Usually rain doesn’t kill unless the birds don’t have protection and the temperature is rather cold(below 60F). The hatchery just wants the chicks to live as long as possible from a business stand point so you’ll buy from them again(even if that means taking precautions that aren’t necessary).

 

[ChickenMamaC]

The hatchery just gives you that estimate to attempt to eliminate any fatalities. Chicks can be exposed to rain sooner than most would think. As Long as the chicks have a dry place they are perfectly fine. Usually rain doesn’t kill unless the birds don’t have protection and the temperature is rather cold(below 60F). The hatchery just wants the chicks to live as long as possible from a business stand point so you’ll buy from them again(even if that means taking precautions that aren’t necessary).

It’s well above 60 while raining— usually drops into the 70s. It does get to be about 55 overnight but they are roosting together in their coop at that point.
Thanks one & all for the reassurance!!

 

[Abriana]

They can be out as long as they have a dry place to huddle up to get warm or move out of the rain if they please. A rabbit hutch in or attached to the run works great. Put plywood on the sides that have wire to give them a medium, a place with sunshine, and they can see the outdoors, but nice and dry. The inside part fill with shavings for them when they need to huddle up.