Sopping Wet Chickens...

[ParrotsNPullets]

Are what I walked out to when I discovered my 5 girls decided to stand in torrential rainfall instead of running under their make-shift porch or the most obvious answer- the dry coop!

We're having some crazy thunderstorms and flash flooding here in the Great Lakes region of the North East, last night the sky was lighting up several times a second for hours. I was worried about my girls but they did fine. So... I wasn't worried about bringing them into the coop this afternoon.

Why on earth would chickens stay out in rain like that? They are used to sleeping in their coop, they have only had 1 'mistake' night a few weeks ago where they got into their night-time snuggle ball out in the run instead of huddling in the coop as usual. Their pop-door was open... the ladder was secure... the run was wet and unpleasant even under the porch, and the coop has fresh water, food and more importantly is dry...

Any ideas as to what the problem might be? I was pretty confident that my girls could care for themselves in situations like this but now I am going to be worried every time it is storming and I am not home. The run is temporary and we can't cover it for now, and the new run will be chain link with netting... no cover either... so they need to get the hang of this.

 

[SproutGirl]

My chickens love to play in the rain. It seems to be a good time to look for worms, and wet grass must be tastier than dry grass, because that's when they eat it most. As for a big down pour, they sometimes just huddle under a bush rather than go into their coop. I'm guessing it's because they think of their coop as a place for sleeping and laying eggs. They won't even go in there if it's below zero--I have to lock them in and they complain. I don't think the rain will hurt your birds. Mine seem fine.

 

[ParrotsNPullets]

Thanks for the response.

I guess I just assumed it was a bad thing because they all looked distressed and uncomfortable... and it was raining hard! I got soaked through in the minute it took to shoo them up the ramp. I guess they can't drown or anything no matter how hard it rains here (on a hill) so I should relax and let them figure it out...

 

[chicknmania]

It's a chicken bird bath

Ours do it too, they love the rain, hose, puddles, anything water, when it's hot especially. It the storms get severe they do have enough sense to take shelter...we even had the tail end of a hurricane here once.. (yes, even in Ohio) and the chickens all ran into the barn and laid down on the floor before the storm hit. Mother Nature takes care of it's own..

 

[hypnochyck]

Mine haven't seen rain yet and they are afraid of the hose and run at first, but I noticed when I spray the dirt in their run or dump out their water, they immediately come over and scratch the dirt, peck at stuff, and even dig a hole in the moist earth to lay down in. They seem to love it!

 

[cmom]

Mine love the rain but hate when I put on the sprinkler.

 

[ParrotsNPullets]

Thanks everyone, I feel a lot better now... a bit silly but relieved.

It was very warm here before the storm so they must have been quite miffed at me when I shoved their little wet bums up the ladder during their nice cool bath!

 

[Metanoia]

Mine go in and out of the rain, but always back into the coop as it gets dark. They seem to do their things.