They WILL go into the coop if it gets cold enough!!

[smalltownchicks]

I have stewed over this and spent many evenings/nights putting my ladies in the coop. We live in Nebraska so I really worried about them freezing. For the last month, I have just left them alone. Sometimes 3 or 4 of the 7 would be in the coop but never all of them. WELL....today, wind advisory, horrible weather and guess what? They were all in the coop tonight. I should not have doubted their instincts

 

[Terrik]

 

[daver]

 

[Billiam]

I finally had the same success with my girls this week! Conragts on the success. It is a great relief to finally have it happen.

 

[Mudpuddle]

I live in nebraska to and my roo has suffered from frost bite this winter but he is recovering. I put a heat lamp in the coop and make sure he is in every night... Weather he likes it or not he is my avatar, u can kinda tell where the black is falling off his comb

 

[the3ofus+oursixchicks]

I have stewed over this and spent many evenings/nights putting my ladies in the coop. We live in Nebraska so I really worried about them freezing. For the last month, I have just left them alone. Sometimes 3 or 4 of the 7 would be in the coop but never all of them. WELL....today, wind advisory, horrible weather and guess what? They were all in the coop tonight. I should not have doubted their instincts

i do the same thing. they go in the coop they free range, they go in the coop but they want to sleep on the top of it. since its been cold i have worried over them so i just put them in myself. they come over to me and want me to do it. i know i need to let them do it themselves but i cant hardly do it UGH

 

[Zootopia]

I like in west Texas, tonight it is 29, last night it was 40. Last year we had ONE week of horrible snow and below freezing weather. We have 10 or 12 hens and a Maran roo who started out roosting in the barn instead of the coop, no problem. Then since it was so nice they started sleeping outside under the overhang, ok. Then for that ONE week they stayed put, on the west side in the wind. Now we have a bald roo and 2 bald hens. Can't belive none died. I did force them off the outside fence to make them go into the barn after that, but this year the same chickens the same routine.I'll leave them alone unless we have storms again or the humidity goes way up.

 

[Zootopia]

How about I "Live" in west Texas. I like it too.

 

[Mattemma]

Mine often stay in the coop too. One day I encouraged them all out of the coop so I could clean,but they went right back in when I was done. I have a rubber mat over the door area to block wind,and it is funny to see them looking under the mat like," No way am I got out there!"

 

[theoldchick]

Years ago while living in LongCreek, SC I noticed my chickens going to roost at 12 noon. The day was cloudy and cold and all the usual wildlife was absent. Those tiny little sparrows that usually darted about were gone. The roosters were not crowing. Every chicken I owned had put themselves to bed. Many of them had tucked their heads under their wings and ignored me. The silence made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

My instincts came to play and I began to collect water in every jug, bucket or whatever didn't leak. I went to town to purchase supplies, feed, and food for humans. I collected firewood even though we didn't have a fireplace

Two days later there was 24 inches of snow on the ground and a 6 inch sheet of ice on any paved road. No power for 5 days. I remember chipping the ice off the water for the avians that lived inside with me. I made a bonfire outside to heat water for the birds and horse. My Subaru Brat car proved to do very well on ice and snowy roads but I couldn't get to work for over a week because of all the wreck vehicles on the road. This type of snowstorm was catastrophic in the South. Nobody was prepared for that kind of weather.

I didn't lose one chicken during that storm. They knew what to do.