Should I Keep the Chickens in the Coop?

[theemerichfam]

My coop door is usually always open, the run door on the other hand gets closed right when the sun starts setting. I let the chickens decide what they want to do. I am sure that if it's too cold for them they will go to the warm coop and huddle up. Otherwise, they are the bosses.

 

[cheekiechickie]

Well, end of the day and the girls seemed fine. They spent most of the day inside the coop with their water and feed, but made it out to play in the hay and search for the scratch I tossed out, a few times. How did your chickens do today?

 

[MysteriaSdrassa]

I took this photo when it was 4 degrees above zero. I leave the pop door open and let them decide.



Chickens often don’t like change. If mine wake up to snow they may decide to not go out for a day or two. But this snow fell during the day while they were out so they just stayed out. I guess the change was gradual enough for them.

Mine will also need coaxing out if they wake up to first snow of the season, otherwise if it starts while they are out they don't seem to be bothered much the next day.

I would also like to point out Ridgerunner's water pan here. I also discovered these and I can't stress how awesome they are. I see so many people trying out heaters and all kinds of things to keep water from freezing when all you need is one of these. They naturally attract heat from the sun and keep water from freezing during the day when your birds need it. Even on days when temps are in the single digits they will still have liquid in them at nightfall. At night they will freeze but the flexible material they are made out of makes it easy to pop out the ice cake without cracking the pan. Something that is all to easy to do with a plastic pan on a cold day. Just an all around good investment.

 

[chadmen2013]

I open it every morning and let decide. I give the chicken scratch in the morning outside some hang out outside and some prefer to go back inside. if it gets too windy or too cold mine seem to wander inside on their own. If you have a heat lamp in your coop or if its heated chickens don't seem to go out as much they like to stay in. But if their acclimated to the cold temperatures they seem to wonder out more ofen throw the winter months.

 

[ChickenStacy]

Yeah, I let them out over the weekend. I set their water in the run in the sun in hopes of keeping it from freezing. They came out a little but spent a lot of time loafing around inside. I am so glad I decided to go to the deep litter method in the coop because it was the kind of cold that hurt one's skin and having to scoop poop would have been quite uncomfortable! LOL

 

[ChickenStacy]

What a beautiful rooster you have! What breed is he?