# Weather hardships!



## Kimquat (Oct 11, 2012)

This will probably make some of you laugh, but it's driving me insane and will probably keep me awake all night: my chickens were out today in the rain and when I put them away for the night, they were still somewhat wet. It's snowing outside and is about 34 degrees. I just went outside to check on them and a couple of them still have wet outer feathers, but the feather close to their skin (and their skin, as well) is warm and dry. The coop is dry and not damp inside.

Is this something to worry about? Should I bring them inside? :\


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## Lady_Alia (Jul 11, 2012)

They should be fine ;-)


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## Sundancers (Jun 20, 2012)

Lady_Alia said:


> They should be fine ;-)


I will agree and leave it at that ...


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## 7chicks (Jun 29, 2012)

Can always turn a light on to help them dry a bit faster if you'd like. I have 2 - 25 watt lights in their house (color bulbs) and I'll turn on one or two depending on the temp in their coop. That's what I do sometimes. Otherwise, they'll still be fine.


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## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

they will be fine. nothing to worry about.


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## Bluerooster (Jan 19, 2013)

As long as it's just the outer feathers that are wet, you have no worries. They're designed to get wet, yet stay warm and dry underneath. Kinda like a duck, but not quite.


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## Mamachickof14 (Aug 28, 2012)

Yours will be fine...now mine??? It's 5* here and dropping...I won't sleep either! Poor little babies...  Jen


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## toybarons (Nov 14, 2012)

They should be okay. As long as there are no drafts in the coop. 
With my own birds, I don't leave them out when it rains or snows.


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## rob (Jun 20, 2012)

mine love the rain, but wont come out in the snow.


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## stu-hens (Jul 18, 2012)

They will be fine, mine out all day sunday when it was pretty much snowing all day eventually scratched down through the snow to the grass and found the corn i threw out for them,kept checking on them but didnt show any sign of going in either to covered run or coop,they seem to enjoy eating snow too


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## kahiltna_flock (Sep 20, 2012)

Mine love to eat the snow. Today was warmer so they were out running around in the snow. They wouldn't stay out long before they would run back into their covered run.


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## Kimquat (Oct 11, 2012)

Thanks for the input, you guys. I did go outside to make sure they were all snug inside the coop and they were fine. The following day was really hilarious - they did not like the snow on the ground and I had to shovel a walkway for them. So, so funny. Here's a pic of my roo leading his favorite girls to safety:


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## TerryQui (Sep 10, 2012)

Mine will get soaked in the rain and not care at all, but when the snow comes, they stay in their coop, even if they can come out. So I try and kick out an area for them to come out in. They don't call em chickens for nothing, lol.


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## Bluerooster (Jan 19, 2013)

there was one year we had an ice storm. We had about 50 or 60 roos on strings. Th' poor guys had their tails frozen to the teepees, and when they came off the roost, left them behind. And their hackles had so much ice that they couldn't hold their heads up. 
Th' Ol' Lady got in a panic, (thought they had Merks or somethin') so we brought them in the house a few at a time and thawed them out with the hair drier. 
They were non-the-worse for wear, but their long streamer tailfeathers were gone 'till moult. I felt sorry for th' li'l guys.
But they went on to do great things. 
Also had trees so iced up that they fell over from the weight, and smashed a bunch of pens, Lucky that no chikins were hurt.
Snow is no problem, but ice is your enemy.


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