Rainy day makes me ask...

[2DogsFarm]

Are you getting tired of my incessant newbie questions yet?

Today is a drizzly, chilly (40s) Spring day and it made me want to ask:
1-Would my (future) chickens be okay if I left their coop open to the weather today?
They'd be able to either shelter under the overhang or go back in the coop through the smallish door that leads to the run.
Door is in the center of the wall, so roosts and nestboxes would still be somewhat sheltered.

2-Would wood shavings bedding provide enough comfort if they chose to stay in?

TIA

 

[babymakes6]

They should be fine, as long as they are fully feathered. Some breeds are more cold-hardy than others, but as long as they have shelter, they should be fine. Shavings work well as bedding.

 

[Marlinchaser]

Quote:
No thats what this forum is all about, I know someone will say use the search thing, but that isnt as fun as getting your own question answered, but remember when your no longer a newbie, its your turn to answer the same questions.

1 Yes they will be fine. Its rainy here, and mine all choose to be out in the rain. They have been out everyday even when there was snow on the ground.

2. Wood shavings will be fine, they dont usuaully nestle down into the shavings to get warm anyway. You might find that they track in extra water and shavings closest to the door get wet, but just turn them over, and they will dry out when the rain stops.

 

[me&thegals]

No, yes and yes

I don't think 26 posts qualifies as incessant! (unless they were all in the last hour

)

Wood shavings are all we've raised our babies on. The chickens will let you know what they're okay with. If they're huddled inside on a rainy day, then I guess they don't want to be outside. Sometimes, though, ours will be out in weather I would have thought they wouldn't like. Of course, they need to be old enough to be away from the heat lamp or other heat source before they can handle chilling in the rain.

Good luck!

 

[Judy]

What marlinchaser said. Mine are out every day. They will go under shelter only during really heavy rain. But then we don't get snow.

 

[Chicken Fruit]

Chickens are really quite weather proof- those that arent are show birds or strange breeds. The chickens that are too stupid to come in out of the weather shouldnt be in the breeding population to begin with. While today's chickens are quite heavy and inbred and far from wild fowl, remember they once were. They started in the wild wind rain and weather.

They'd be fine.

 

[genabeana]

I left mine out yesterday in heavy rain. They were fine. If I were them, I would have gone upstairs to the dry part of the coop, but they hung out all day on the wet ground underneath a roofed area.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Yes, your chickens should be fine. Mine were out yesterday and today. Everytime it started raining they would head into the coop and covered run. I have a broody w/5wk old chicks and she would have them all go out for 10-15 minute forays then the chicks would all run back inside and get under the heat lamp for a bit. It was so cute!

they were in and out of the shed all day long. I'm leaving the heat lamp on just for that purpose since it has gotten cold again. With the warm up coming later this week, I'll turn the lamp off.

 

[Chickenmaven]

Like Keeper said, until they are big, they need Mama or a lamp or both. Otherwise, full grown chickens are super-hardy. Save your worries for something else!
I leave my coop open a smidge, with access to the run, unless the temps are 10F or lower. Right now, it is 40F, windy and rainy, brrrrr.... My chickens are scratching around in the run. The Polish look like drowned ragdolls. Their poofs are soaked and floppy!

 

[gritsar]

My chickens go out in the rain and out in the ice (snow is rare here).
If it starts to rain hard they find cover, usually under the carport.
Only one of my chickens doesn't like to be out in the weather. She uses it as an excuse to take a good long nap in the nest box without the other chickens bothering her.