They're not going to stand in the snow til their legs freeze off??

[PortageGirl]

Well? Have they figured it out?

 

[Rustywreck]

We had our first snow yesterday. Today when I let the chickens out, one flew to a snow covered pile of sand and stayed there. The others gather at the door and look out, but would not step out.
They are going to have a long, boring winter if they won't brave the snow.
A little snow and they won't go outside, what a bunch of chickens.

 

[klf73]

Quote:
lol , I lost all confidence they will do what is best for them. It was single digits tonight and they still weren't in the coop. I shoved them in at 9 pm. I really think they would have froze to death

 

[pookiethebear]

Mine must be prissy hens then - I have to sweep out the run before they will set foot outside the coop! They will not come out if there is snow on the ramp or in the run.

 

[Portia]

All of my older chicks and adult birds typically head out of the coop for the entire day, regardless of the weather. A couple days ago the weather was in the low teens with a brutal wind. I have a hen with 6 week and a half old chicks in the coop, so I tacked a stripped piece of canvas over the door to at least provide some barrier to the wind. That night, all the chickens went in through the door with the canvas up & the next morning piled out as usual when the door opened. Later that day when I went to gather eggs I noticed 3-4 hens relaxing up on the roosts. I knew they were able to go in and out 'cause they were all out in the morning and 3 of them were teens that aren't laying yet. When I checked again later it was a different set hanging out on the roost in the coop. I guess the introduction of a wind break appealed to them b/c now some of them go back into the coop to preen & roost vs. staying outside the entire day. I certainly didn't anticipate that, but whatever makes them happy