# My flock got caught in a downpour



## frogmama (May 17, 2014)

I got stuck in traffic and couldn't get home in time to get my hens out of a sudden downpour. They were in a pen in my garden "working" for me and didn't have anything to protect them from the rain. When I finally got back (it was still raining) I got them all in the coop. About half didn't seem to mind the rain, though they were drenched. The other half ran to the coop as soon as I got them out of the pen.

Is there anything I can do now that they are soaked to the bone? The coop has nice dry shavings in it. ...or should I get my hairdryer, lol? I feel bad for them... Thanks


Rookie chicken keeper of 5 EEs and 5 ISA Browns, in Central MN


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Even where you live the temps are still high enough that they should be fine. 

Believe it or not, its hard to blow dry a chicken completely. They actually make a stand to hold the dryer it takes so long to accomplish.


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## frogmama (May 17, 2014)

Well, thats good to know . Its still 61 right now. It is actually unusually warm this week here in MN. I thought of letting them out in the evening sun now that the rain stopped, but it would be difficult to coop them up again in 45 min. for the night.

I am brainstorming how to make a chicken-tunnel to the garden from the coop. Would be about 70 feet. 


Rookie chicken keeper of 5 EEs and 5 ISA Browns, in Central MN


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

A hoop tunnel would probably be the easiest thing. What I would be thinking about now is predators. Fall is one of those times of years that they become very active and we're liable to suffer losses because of them. I had something outside of my pen a couple of nights ago, made a heck of mess out there. But I have hot wire going around the base of the pen so getting in is a challenge

BTW, since your flock is hard feathered chances are they did not get wet to the skin.


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## frogmama (May 17, 2014)

Thanks for the input. I have seen a hawk flying in the area, not sure they can take a full sized chicken or not. We just started free-ranging them when we removed the run from their coop to make the garden pen. But they had plenty of pine trees to hide under while they were free-ranging, not like in the garden :/. I want to rig up some moveable hiding places or a field coop for them if they feel threatened. At night they will be secured back in the big coop. 

I'll have to look into hoop tunnels too. Our long-term plan is to pasture them, so we need something flexible in terms of size/terrain. If they "escape" from the pasture, its not a big deal, I just would like to confine their free-ranging a bit. 

Just checked on them. They felt dry, just maybe not as warm as usual. I turned on their low-heat light for some warmth just in case. 


Rookie chicken keeper of 5 EEs and 5 ISA Browns, in Central MN


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