Rain, Rain and More Rain

[gauthierpeeps]

Now I have a question about, you guessed it Rain. I don't understand why my girls won't go inside during a thunderstorm. They will stand or lie under one of their bushes and not move. I have put on my rain gear and put them in their coop, just to turn around and watch them marching right back out. Why do they do this? Can they catch colds from being in a cold hard rain? What do I do?
Thanks,
GG
:|

 

[justusnak]

How old are they? Maybe they just like to play in the rain? What sort of roof is on the coop? If its metal, maybe the noise bothers them. Is the coop hot inside? Maybe they just like the cool rain. I dont think they will get sick, if they are older hens. Mine will stand or play in the rain sometimes..they are about 5 months old.

 

[gauthierpeeps]

My big girls that are in their fenced area and coop are 3 1/2 months old. The coop does have a metal roof. I don't think it is hot inside; they are in the shade almost all day. The coop has nice ventilation. When the sun is out they lay under one of the bushes. But they go in and out all day. But not in the rain and it was a bad thunderstorm last night and they just stood under their favorite bush. We call it their Jacuzzi because they take their dust baths and generally lay under it a lot. I posted a question about their bushes in their fenced area. Do you know if an Azalea bush is toxic to chickens?
Thanks,
GG

 

[FamilyOfChickens]

My chickens do this sometimes, too, and we don't have a metal roof or anything.

Just the other day a big thunderstorm was coming. I could see the dark clouds coming closer, and a wind was picking up. All our chick/ens were running around, and I was freakin' out because they WOULDN'T GO IN THE STUPID COOP. After I got the chicks in their coop, I finally picked up the big girls and brought them to their coop. I spent like 45 minutes just chasing the darn birds. I swear, I think some of them were laughing at me.

(By the way, it didn't even rain.

Just loud thunder and wind. )

 

[gauthierpeeps]

Well, we had another bad rain last night and sure enough the big girls were standing under their bush (the jacuzzi). They just will not go in their coop in the rain. The very first time I put my rubber muck boots and a raincoat on to get them in and no sooner that I got in the house they were out again. That's why I posted the question. They must like the rain, or looking like a drowned rat.

Thanks for the post!
GG