what's wrong with my chickens?

[Keene's coop]

my chickens are retarded. it snowed for the first time here last friday and it is my chickens first winter. the first day it snowed, they came down the ladder and stopped dead in their tracks. they pecked at the snow a few times and never came out again. i don't heat their coop, so it's not much warmer than outside. so i grabbed each one and put them in the snow (i only have 4), and they freaked out like they were being chased by a fox. it was pretty funny. i even threw their fave treat in to the snow and it's now covered in the new snow. will they ever come out into the snow, or are they just being chickens (

get it?)?

 

[canada-goose]

Chickens are kind of like people, they usually don't like walking in snow with bare feet. It's cold and wet, and even a cold coop is much more comfortable.

Don't worry, most chickens don't really like snow.

 

[ZombieChickens]

I've heard stories from both ends of the spectrum...girls that love the snow and stay out all day in it, and girls who act like they're going to die if they touch the stuff. This is my first winter too, and I'm excited to see what they do. My guess is that they'll love it. They're fans of rain and wind too.....

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

My 8 girls experienced snow for the first time the other day. I opened the pop door and they started to stampeed out the door and down the ramp.

Suddenly they stopped, looked at the snow, looked at me as if to say "Oh hell no!" and ran back inside.

I threw some goodies into their run to try and coax them out. Only two of the girls were brave enough to fly down under the tractor in an attempt to get the goodies.

I almost peed myself watching them trying to reach the goodies without touching the snow with their feet.

They flew back onto the ramp and ran inside. Everyone bawked at me like it was my fault the white stuff was there. I laughed all day long thinking about them.

Anyways, they have finally come out of their tractor and spent some time under it, where there is no snow. They still regard me with suspicion when I throw goodies into the snowy part.

 

[B'villechicken]

I have 8 Red Stars. This is their second winter and they still don't go out in the snow. Here in Syracuse, we average 120" of snow per year. So far we've had over 60" this month alone. It's going to be a long winter if they won't go out. Some hens just don't like the snow. I wouldn't worry about them but I agree that sometimes I wonder about their sanity!

 

[ryanhodapp]

My first winter too with chickens. My girls havent come out of the coop since the snow hit the ground. I had locked them in when it was negative temps with wind chill. The next day, they were all standing at the window and squawking. So I opened up. They didnt come out. The coop is in our detached garage, so some of them have figured out how to get out and into the rest of the garage. Ok with me except for poop.

And just to think, a few short months ago, I was freezing watermelon, soda bottles of ice, running fans, the whole time worried about them having heat stroke... those were the days...

 

[bgelber]

the snow doesn't seem to bother my girls. I think they believe it is more of a inconvenience than anything. They actually prefer the snow to rain.

..go figure

 

[Keene's coop]

THEY CAME OUT TODAY!!!

but wouldn't go in the snow. came 1/2 way down the ramp and hopped up the out door roost. i too put some treats in the snow this morning and the funniest thing happened. my rir tried to reach for the bread from the ramp and fell in the snow,

, face first

. she quick got up and back onto the ramp and looked at me with a look like she wanted to say "you bi*@#!!!"

and went back inside. i don't think i have ever laughed so hard before in my life. it was great. i wish i had my video camera with me. i think for now on i'll take it out to the coop with me and have it ready.