Why are my chickens in the rain?

[LynneP]

Is your coop cool enough for extended confinement? That would be my concern. I'll throw in an idea- feed them only indoors, so they associate the coop with reward...

 

[Fletcher]

I'm not sure about my coop being cool enough for an extended stay. The window is on the east and we take the glass out each morning. The chick door is on the west and our prevailing winds are from the south or southwest in the summer. They do have some air circulation and I can open the big door for them several times a day. I have to weigh their overall safety against a few days of discomfort. Whenever we open the big door to check on them, they all crowd around the chick door. They couldn't ask any plainer to be let outside.

We left them in today while we were gone and dd checked on them when we came home; they were a little warm in the coop, but it's humid here ahead of the storms. She kept the big door open for a while to talk to them and I gave them fresh water. We're not letting them out today because we're supposed to get BAD BAD storms popping up any old time. I don't want to be worried about the chicks in a lightening storm.
I just don't trust them to go back in the coop on their own while everyone else is gone. I'll probably let them out once dh comes home so at least he can be here with me if they won't behave.

We're learning and my fellow backyard chicken keepers are helping more than you know. I'm so grateful to everyone for calming my fears and easing my frustrations. Thank you all, again!