My chickens roost in the rain even though I've made them a roost in a covered dry area. They grew up roosting on my chain link fence and I can't break the habit. The weather recently turned cold and wet. I thought that might change their minds but they spent the last few nights in the rain. They are stubborn birds. This summer I even hooked up a motion sprinkler to suggest they find another spot, but they just let the water shoot at them while they roosted. Should I be concerned that they are out in the elements? Thanks
I have a polish that is a strong-willed-hen. She refuses to roost in the coop with the flock and goes to the tree above to roost for the night whether it be freezing rain or not. She did decide to roost with the flock in the coop during that bizarre snow storm that came through a couple weeks ago. So I guess she knows when it's to cold out for her.
If you don't catch them and put them in the coop for a few days and nights, they'll stay outside roosting all winter. Depending on how bad your winters get, they'll survive. The guinea's we used to have never went in a coop and I could come out and see them on a tree covered in ice and snow from overnight. Once it warmed up enough for them to shake it off, they'd come down and be none the worse for wear...and still noisy and useless...but alive and happy. <grumble>
I'd go out after dark, and put them on the roost for a few nights. Maybe they'll get a clue that it's more comfortable out of the rain.
With my old coop and pen setup a few years ago, my chickens used to roost on the top of the coop which was in the pen. It could be below freezing outside with 30+ MPH winds and snow, and they would be handing on to the boards on top of the coop - they all survived the winter just fine. When it got too cold for them they would go inside, but normally they were outside. With my new coop and pen, my new chickens like to stay inside most of the time when it is damp and cold, venturing out only when they are hungry - maybe I got smarter chickens this time around .
I'd be more worried about the critters getting them than the weather. But I don't think it would be a pleasant winter outside where they can't shelter themselves from the wind. I'd move them to the coop roosts every night until they get the picture.
