Rainstorm Rescue: Helpful or Unnecessary?

[Anon112]

I've already done this, so this is more a discussion about your particular approach and for my own thoughts in the future.

My chickens have a coop with an attached run. I have a roost inside the coop and also a large branch in the run itself. When the weather is warm/nice, the chickens seem to prefer the branch in the run. The ceiling to the run is only wire, so it does not shield them from rain/wind.

Tonight about an hour and a half after dark a huge thunderstorm rolled in. It's still going strong, well over 20 minutes after starting. It occurred to me that the chickens might not have been able to navigate inside because it is so dark outside (I'm not in a street-light type area, so at night my yard is very dark). Sure enough they were still on their branch and getting soaked to the bone. I would describe the look on their faces as stoic, lol. After being outside to check on them for just about 2 minutes, the clothing I was wearing, including a coat, was completely soaked through. I went back outside (with a more water-resistant jacket!) and moved them to the inside coop.

What say you all? Is it okay leaving chickens out in a heavy rainstorm? Did I just upset them for nothing by moving them? If it were light outside, I'd have left it to their discretion. Will chickens relocate themselves at night in the pitch dark? I know that the biggest risk with getting wet is also getting cold, and the temperature currently is about 75 degrees and not at all windy, so them getting super wet was my only real concern.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

I've already done this, so this is more a discussion about your particular approach and for my own thoughts in the future.

My chickens have a coop with an attached run. I have a roost inside the coop and also a large branch in the run itself. When the weather is warm/nice, the chickens seem to prefer the branch in the run. The ceiling to the run is only wire, so it does not shield them from rain/wind.

Tonight about an hour and a half after dark a huge thunderstorm rolled in. It's still going strong, well over 20 minutes after starting. It occurred to me that the chickens might not have been able to navigate inside because it is so dark outside (I'm not in a street-light type area, so at night my yard is very dark). Sure enough they were still on their branch and getting soaked to the bone. I would describe the look on their faces as stoic, lol. After being outside to check on them for just about 2 minutes, the clothing I was wearing, including a coat, was completely soaked through. I went back outside (with a more water-resistant jacket!) and moved them to the inside coop.

What say you all? Is it okay leaving chickens out in a heavy rainstorm? Did I just upset them for nothing by moving them? If it were light outside, I'd have left it to their discretion. Will chickens relocate themselves at night in the pitch dark? I know that the biggest risk with getting wet is also getting cold, and the temperature currently is about 75 degrees and not at all windy, so them getting super wet was my only real concern.

Lots of good questions, to which I have no answers.

But one question: do you have a light in your coop, or at least the option for one? (battery-powered, etc.)

Preferably not very bright, but chickens will often balk at going into a pitch-black coop at night, while maybe one with a light dimly shining out will attract them if the weather turns nasty.

 

[Anon112]

But one question: do you have a light in your coop, or at least the option for one? (battery-powered, etc.)

Preferably not very bright, but chickens will often balk at going into a pitch-black coop at night, while maybe one with a light dimly shining out will attract them if the weather turns nasty.

I have a motion sensor light near their coop, but nothing in the coop itself. I'm not opposed to the idea, but I've generally stayed away from "always on" lights because of the negative impact they have on insects. Maybe I'll hunt around for something dim but light enough that they can see by it.

 

[saysfaa]

... Is it okay leaving chickens out in a heavy rainstorm?

No

Did I just upset them for nothing by moving them?

No

If it were light outside, I'd have left it to their discretion.

I agree in general but in such a sudden and heavy storm, I would check on them. Or just put them in before it came.

Will chickens relocate themselves at night in the pitch dark?

No.

I wouldn't get a light. Such storms happen but not very often. Well, I suppose I might if someone wasn't here nearly every night.

I would think about whether I could make the coop more attractive so they wanted to sleep in there every night.

 

[Anon112]

I would think about whether I could make the coop more attractive so they wanted to sleep in there every night.

Thank you for the reply!

The coop is an old pre-fab. They actually roost in the "run" part of it, as the "coop" part of it does not seem to appeal to them at all.

My emergency fund is currently drained (due to chicken medical costs!), but one of my goals this summer is to build them a new coop with plenty of space and nice roosting bars. The one they like roosting on is a big tree branch that I ran across their run. When I first put it up they seemingly ignored it for several days, and now they are obsessed with it.

If I'd realized such a severe storm was on the way, I'd have herded them inside when I put them to bed for sure!

 

[Mrs. K]

Well, I would not have done that. At 75 degrees, being wet is not going to do anything to them. More than likely, down under, they were dry. And even if not dry, the moment it stops raining, they will begin to dry off.

Think of similar birds - wild turkeys, sharp tail grouse, prairie chickens - yeah they get wet, and live to tell about it.

I give my birds the option, and assume that if they were being blowed off the roost, they would head to the coop.

Mrs K