What does it take to keep a chicken inside the coop?

[Happy Chooks]

A foot of snow. They'll stand out in rain, but they took one look at all the white and gave the "oh, hell no!" look on their faces. So I threw some scratch on the floor of the coop to give them something to do.

Oh and I took my brahma out this morning and decided to put her in the snow and see if she'd walk around. I didn't realize that the snow was super powdery, and she promptly sunk above her head. (WHOOPS) So I rescued her and put her back in the coop. She was NOT happy.

They will eat the snow off my hand though.

 

[write2caroline]

Ooooooh that must have been cooooooooollllllldddddd for her!
Cal
Jax FL

I am sorry - The image you described just made me giggle

 

[ging3rhoffman]

We kept our girls in their coop for about 3 weeks and then let them opened
their pop door to let them out into their run for another 3 weeks and then we
started letting them out after they had laid their eggs...around 3 pm each day
they are let out to free range and they all go back in at dusk. We just have to
go out and lock up tight. You have to let them know where home is for awhile
before letting them out. It works so well.

 

[chseeads]

Today we had our first little skiff of snow here, no more than an inch, the ground wasn't all completely covered.

For almost all of my mixed flock of birds this was their first snow. They usually come boiling out of the door when I open it in the morning.

This morning they started to run out and then were like, WHAT!!??!?!?!?

They piled in along the edge of the building where the roof overhang had kept a bare strip, and looked around like what in the world is this junk??? Ones that walked off into it tried to fly to keep out of it. It was comical.

The geese were the first ones to just go ahead and trudge on outside and really tromp around.

Almost everything is melted off now. But it slowed them down this morning.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Quote:
Yes, exactly. They are hanging out in the pop door, calling out, and wanting to come out. But then they turn around and go back in. This is my chickens first snow as well. (its been a really long time since we have had this much snow) I can see how a foot of snow would be intimidating to them though. And it's really not melting. We've had off and on snow showers all afternoon.

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

My flock personally blames ME. They give me terrible looks and bunch up on the snowless spots.