Too dumb to come out of the rain?

[Lyssa]

Quote:

What... we're starting a bigger coop this weekend, if I'm reading correctly the chickens won't be helping?

 

[carladababe]

The rain we've had over the last few days has been really nasty, I make up their little minds for them and shoo them in the coop. The wind whips up the rain and makes for a mess through the entrance. During one nasty storm, it started to rain so hard I sprinted for the coop to close in my girls, just about blew out out a knee, it wasn't pretty. Those chickens just stared at me as if I had lost my mind. Everybody comes in from a storm, all my pets for safety. We live 3 hours away from Joplin, Missouri.

 

[benjoycei]

I think that's where the phrase 'bird brained' came from...being too dumb to come out of the rain.

 

[Meara]

 

[waitin on eggs]

Rain,Sleet ,Snow and hail My girls love it all ! They however do not like the wind, even on a beautiful summer day...

 

[CowgirlPenny]

Had some really hard rain today and everyone was just sitting under their coop instead of going inside it. Wind was blowing crazy ruffling their feathers around and they were perfectly happy to just sit under there and preen. When it would let up (but still be raining, even lightning!) they would go out and look for bugs...then go back under. Nobody ever went in except the Rooster. He's no dummy! lol

 

[NYRIR]

Quote:
I know most probably won't agree...but here's my experience with younger chickens and rain...I had to shoo them under a table I had purposely put out for "cover" because I knew it was going to storm and the older chickens wouldn't share the space under the coop

I had one that was out in a downpour at about 10 weeks old.Sure enough,he got sick

I kept him in the house by himself with Duramycin in his water.It must have took this poor guy a week to get over it.By the time he did...I couldn't re-integrate him into his flock.He ended up hanging out with a flock of smaller ones...so my DH dubbed him..."the big dumb kid"!

I usually try to be home if any smaller chicks are out so i can teach them to get out of the rain.New York is a cooler climate and the rain does do damage to younger chicks.My older chickens will range if it's sprinkling but HATE it when the rain comes down too hard.In fact,the only ones who like it...are my ducks

I make sure to be home if the chicks are out in the playpen so until they learn to get out of heavy rain...I am there to teach them.So far it has only taken roughly two-three times for each group of young 'uns to figure it out.
I think it depends on climate but up here the rain can be cold...just my experience