Wet chickens in the rain!

[Chickassan]

Chickens are lunatics surely you've suspected as much right?


FYI Your speckled sussex cannot be labeled as soggy day going out anyway instigator.
Insanity is autonomous no instigation needed
They choose being soaked to the bone,it confounds us in turn pleasing them.
We are adorable when we are confused apparently.



.

 

[Andresm]

Precious silky soaked

 

[Chickassan]

Let me be serious with you there are going to be times icy chickens are going to happen.
Could they avoid it?.
Oh absolutely, completely they're pretty smart .
Will they avoid it? Nope .
As a keeper you hav e to make the call to keep them sheltered on days you worry about them.
50mph sustained wind with softball sized hail is the one time iv'e "grounded' mine.

 

[lysmandor]

I let mine choose whether they want to be wet or not, however I also do open up their brooder to provide some shelter in the run from the rain. If your run is partially roofed, or you have large furniture like a patio table in there, that will provide similar protection, without them having to go inside the coop.

My run is roofed! They just prefer to stay out in the rain, I guess.

 

[lysmandor]

Chickens are lunatics surely you've suspected as much right?


FYI Your speckled sussex cannot be labeled as soggy day going out anyway instigator.
Insanity is autonomous no instigation needed
They choose being soaked to the bone,it confounds us in turn pleasing them.
We are adorable when we are confused apparently.



.

My speckled sussex is always the instigator - she's my escape chicken too. If I leave the gate open for too long, she is an acre away free ranging - everyone else stays in! She will also steal food out of the mouths of my dogs.

 

[lysmandor]

Let me be serious with you there are going to be times icy chickens are going to happen.
Could they avoid it?.
Oh absolutely, completely they're pretty smart .
Will they avoid it? Nope .
As a keeper you hav e to make the call to keep them sheltered on days you worry about them.
50mph sustained wind with softball sized hail is the one time iv'e "grounded' mine.

Lol that sounds fair. I was just wondering if others had issues under fairly normal weather conditions (ex a winter day) and the chickens getting frostbite or something because they just refused to stay under cover.

 

[aart]

First time my birds looked like 'drowned rat' on the roost at night, I was worried too as it was rather chilly out. But I stuck my hand underneath the wet feathers and they were nice an dry and warm next to the skin. Never worried about it again.

the chickens getting frostbite or something because they just refused to stay under cover.

I do everything I can to prevent wet combs and wattles to avoin frostbite.
But one of their favorite winter activities is to nosh on the snow banks,
causing mild frostbite of the wattles. SMH.

 

[DaisyG2317]

Mine like to be inside the house enjoying scratching around on the floor when it's a beautiful warm 75 degrees out, but raining sideways and cold? Gotta go outside and look for slugs. Weirdos.

 

[3KillerBs]

You should always let them decide. Locking them in can cause stress and possibly bullying if they want to be outside. It was 35 degrees today and it was raining and all were outside. You should not assume what is best for them because they know what is best for them. Sometimes it's 80 degrees and raining and they decide to go in the coop. Sometimes they will go outsidw. Let them make their own decisions.

With possible exceptions for the ornamental breeds who have been bred for feathers that lack the normal protection qualities of standard feathering, I figure that chickens know how to be chickens better than I know how to be a chicken.

I give them free access to the coop and pen/run.

I give them free access to sun, shade, open area (or roofed only with wire), and rain-proof cover.

I give them shelter from the wind and access to the breeze.

They choose what they like -- which may not be the same thing today as it was yesterday or will be tomorrow.

 

[Yogi Hollow Farm]

I read water is the enemy so to speak in winter because it raises concerns for frostbite. This is only my first year but I let them free range in nice weather. Inside for fog (predators in SD snatched one on a foggy day and I don’t want to lose anymore). And they have an inside run that has a door I can close to the outside run to make it warmer in brutally cold days. It has an opening at the top but it blocks wind. 10 degrees last night and they were fine. If no snow I let them free range.