Who else have dumb chickens

[mstricer]

This morning running late for work, I left the run gate open. My chickens decide to run all over the yard like they were free ranging. Mind you I live in North Central Ohio and the snow has only melted once since Thanksgiving, We have drifts and most of the yard has snow that comes up above my ankles, but still it was like a chicken highway through the yard, they aren't just going a little way either some have gone out towards the woods to which is 250 ft from their coop. They must have been missing their buddies in the other coops. So who else have dumb chickens and can their little feet freeze off? Michele

 

[sheaviance1]

Is this what makes a chicken dumb, if so whew! Mine won't touch that evil white stuff, not even with your feet! They absolutely refuse to leave the coop if it snows.

 

[ScotianChick]

Mine try foolishly to fly over the snow. Eventually they resign themselves to the fact that they can't stay in the air forever and then they go about their daily routine in it. The first time this flying thing happened I could only think "Wow chickens... you are in the wrong country... this is how Canada looks for like five months at least..."

 

[Judy]

I think you'll find they take care of their feet, warm them up as needed. I'd be grateful they will go out in snow.

 

[Happy Chooks]

Mine won't come out of the coop if there's snow. Lucky for them, we don't get a lot of snow.


I do however have stupid chickens. I have one group that when I let them out to free range, there's a couple of dummies that can't find their way back in through the gate. They will pace back and forth about a foot from the gate.

 

[mstricer]

I cleaned some of the poo out yesterday and they all came running out into the garden like it was spring or something. I have one BLRW that insists on laying her eggs in my garage, she will fly out over the run into the snow and then run to the garage. On the way back, the dumb chicken walks over our frozen garden pond onto some big rocks for a rest then back to the run, which then she realizes the gate is shut and she forgets how she got out. I find her pacing around the run when I get home from work to let her in. Now thats a dumb chicken

 

[gotweim]

Mine hated the snow at first! I got a really cute picture of the first time I opened their door after the first big snowfall. They all can barreling at me like they were going to run out but then all stopped dead in their tracks.



"What is all this white stuff?!?! You go first, no you go, no you go first!!"

It took them a good few hours to venture out!

 

[19hhbelgian]

Well, last year my chickens HATED the snow. They did not want to go out for anything. This year they don't really care. Guess they figured out they either touch the snow or wait for spring... Touching the snow is apparently the lesser of the 2 evils

Now, I did have a pullet who was hatched over the summer totally freak out when she hit the snow. Poor girl! She left the coop that she is in, I heard a huge screeching, & ran over to find the little thing all the way up on top of the main coop - about 10 feet higher than her coop, and at least 30 feet away

She eventually came down, but went directly back into her snow-free coop

 

[mstricer]

Thats funny most of my girls are winter hardy and don't seem to mind. I leave the pop door open most of the time unless it gets into the teens in the night. Coops don't smell that good in the winter unless you are willing to clean out daily. Sorry I'm not, just poopy boards when I feed.

 

[Jesseschickens]

Only my BOs venture out into the evil cold white stuff and the rest say they are crazie