Rain

[WhatsUpDuck]

Why do chickens like sitting in the rain? I know it's not just mine! I worry because it is cooler at night about 40 right now at night. I don't want them catching a cold. They don't seem the least bit worried about it..they'll go hang under a little playhouse we have in their run, but they don't want to go into the coop unless it's windy or really stormy!

 

[BeanieBabies]

They don't go into their coop at night at all? Might there be pests in there bothering them, or they don't like their roost?

If they are going in at night and just not sheltering from the rain, haha yeah, honestly my girls do that too. I thought that hens didn't like getting wet but at least two of my girls simply do not care until it's pelting down with rain.

 

[Debbie292d]

Our silkies are out in the rain right now. They'll all go back to their coops though, fuzzy and wet, then come out tomorrow and do it all again.

We have trouble with a pen of 9 around 4-month-olds that used to sleep in a huddle in their grow-out pen instead of going into their hutch at night when they were put in there a couple of months ago. We put a night light in there, and that worked. It's plugged into an extension cord that goes to the garage, so we just unplug it after a few minutes. Yep, we're still doing that for them. As soon as we quit, they went back to their old ways. Big babies!

 

[Mrs. K]

Really rain mostly slides off. And they are heat machines. They dry out fast.

Give chickens choice, they know more about being a chicken than we do. If they have a choice of in or out, that is different than either trapped in or trapped out. Either of those could cause problems

 

[WhatsUpDuck]

Oh no they 100 percent go in at night! They panic if they are not on their roost at night! I have not seen any evidence of rodents in the coop or pen..but we have six cats so... They have multiple shelters they could use to get out of the rain/weather!

 

[BeanieBabies]

Yeah then they're just silly girls, nothing to worry about, my theory is that they like having the opportunity to cool down. They're little heaters.

Even with clear skies I have one girl who likes to stand in her drinking water bowls to cool off, I think that's pretty clever of her, even if it means I have to change the water more often from her dirty feet

 

[Ridgerunner]

My chickens do not like a cold wind but seem to enjoy being in the run when it is raining as long as it is not severe. I think they know when they are comfortable and when they are not. My theory of why they like to be outside in the rain is that they want to get any worms or other critters that the rain brings to the surface.

 

[BoundlessLove]

My chickens do not like a cold wind but seem to enjoy being in the run when it is raining as long as it is not severe. I think they know when they are comfortable and when they are not. My theory of why they like to be outside in the rain is that they want to get any worms or other critters that the rain brings to the surface.

Same here.
My chickens and ducks love rooting around under the wet leaves searching for bugs and worms.

 

[WhatsUpDuck]

Yep I can put dry bedding down in the run and yet here they are digging it all up getting back down to the dirt

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Yep I can put dry bedding down in the run and yet here they are digging it all up getting back down to the dirt

Yup, the dirt is where the bugs are!