# Wet Chickens



## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

Today is the 3rd day of almost-nonstop drizzle. The girls are notg pleased about it, since they have gotten quite wet on the exterior. Some are doing better than others, and now they have discovered that it is dry under the old datsun pickup sitting in their range. I think they thought I would have the power to turn it off, so when I came out in the rain to check on them, of course they came out of their shelters to follow me around and complain. It's now up to 70, though they predicted in the 80's. It's not going to make it there, but the rain has almost let up and it feels _steamy_ out there. So far still getting eggs, and I think this is getting the girls a little tougher. Just to keep their little fires fueled and burning, I've been giving them scratch every am during almost lulls, and stocking their dry-food feeder. Still have some FF out there. I'm trying to treat them a little like wild, and if they can't make it through this, they wouldn't make it through winter. So far hale and hearty and a little ticked off. (You know, you can't get much madder than a wet hen)


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Chickens are pretty tough when it comes to cold weather. Temps in the 70's is warm even if rainy out. They just need a dry place to hang out when they've had enough of the weather. Even when we have long rain spells here in Upper Michigan, mine will still prefer to play outside all day than hang out inside until bed time.


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## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

Glorius! Clouds have broken, sun is shining, temp is 75F, chickens are dry and all is right with the world!


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## Chippets (Jun 8, 2013)

Wet here too. Had a week if 90 or nearly 90 degree days, and then wham we can't get out if the 50's and rain, rain, rain. So weird! Would be more normal to have snow!!


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## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

Chippets said:


> Wet here too. Had a week if 90 or nearly 90 degree days, and then wham we can't get out if the 50's and rain, rain, rain. So weird! Would be more normal to have snow!!


Aren't you in Colorado too?


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## Chippets (Jun 8, 2013)

kjohnstone said:


> Aren't you in Colorado too?


Almost. About 10 miles north of the Colorado border. What a mess down there.  We've been in a drought for so long and now we get it all at once! I can't remember ever having so many days in a row of rain since I moved here 20+ years ago. We've been watching the water level rise in our gardening wheelbarrow. I'd say we've got a foot of water in there.


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## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

Ahh, northern neighbor. Right now I'm so glad that I live on the western slope, not the front range. Although we had a bit during the night, nothing like east of here. Fortunately, I live on a thousand-year flood plain, and have a semicircle of houses with lower yards than mine that all drain away from my house, so I feel secure. (probably foolish, but lets me be peaceful)


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## Chippets (Jun 8, 2013)

kjohnstone said:


> Ahh, northern neighbor. Right now I'm so glad that I live on the western slope, not the front range. Although we had a bit during the night, nothing like east of here. Fortunately, I live on a thousand-year flood plain, and have a semicircle of houses with lower yards than mine that all drain away from my house, so I feel secure. (probably foolish, but lets me be peaceful)


Good to hear you're not in any of that mess down there. The interstate is closed at the border, so it seems EVERYONE has stopped in Cheyenne tonight. Went to dinner and had to wait a while to be seated and the crowd waiting just kept growing. Traffic is heavy too. We have a flood warning right now, and I have a moat along the front of my property, about to wash over my driveway, but all things considered we are blessed to only have a moat - and wet grumpy chickens, of course!


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## gavin5756 (Sep 14, 2013)

Hey I'm new to chickens I have to got a hen and roaster and the hen layed to eggs!


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## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

roaster or rooster???? (might not be much difference, but inquiring minds want to know!)


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## kjohnstone (Mar 30, 2013)

Aaagh. Started raining again last night, drizzled all night and still this am.


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## puppidoodle (Jul 14, 2013)

I am on the front range and we had 6 days of heavy run and flooding. We re pretty much stranded with the highways washed out. Hope you are doing ok over there


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## expertnewbie (Mar 11, 2013)

My sl cochin died from being soaked in the rain.


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## Bee (Jun 20, 2013)

Very rarely does a chicken die from being wet, cold or hot...underlying health problems, poor immune systems, age, etc. can be triggered or exacerbated by these conditions but chickens have been out in all weathers since the beginning of time without dying from it.

If it's going to rain all day, my chickens stay out in it all day foraging. If it's just going to be scattered showers, they will run for shelter each time it rains. That's the way I know if it's going to be an all day rain or sporadic. The point being, many chickens all over the world get soaked by rain and do not die.


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