4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[*mummy_hen*]

could someone please let me know whether my new girls are allowed to get wet?? they are obviously not waterproof yet due to their lack of feathers. They also look really cold this morning and some are shivering a little. Should i put them back in their house today as they still cant make their ramp unaided.

 

thanks in advance

[kaylis1980]

im right here with you wondering the same

[Ziggy]

My ex-batts seem fine with the rain, though they were in not too bad a state when we got them home, so I guess it might depend on how many feathers they have...

I was really worried one night seeing them really soaked, and they went in their eglu and I wondered how they'd spend the night being so wet, but they came out the next morning looking like they had had a blow dry...

 

I guess if they don't have much feathers and can't negotiate the ramp very well by themselves, it might make sense to keep them in their house for a little while if they are shivering...

I'm sure someone will be along soon with more accurate advice than my ramble!!

[Rustyangel]

My ex batts are wandering around in the rain too. Even as adults they don't appear to be very waterproof and a couple of them look very bedraggled and daft! They are out in the garden with the run open and available to shelter in, but they seem to not mind getting wet and soon dry off once they get indoors.

 

However if yours are unfeathered and shiverring I would be inclined to put them inside till the rain stops. It won't do them any harm to be indoors for a while.

 

Debs

[theherd123]

The girls should be ok in the rain even without feathers but do keep an eye on them and if they look cold, miserable and shivery then pop them in and keep them warm

 

A sloppy bowl of layers porridge should keep them warm on the inside and give them that Ready Brek glow!

[Gallina]

If you are keeping them permanently in the run, I would throw something over it.

 

I can't believe that the incessant heavy rain we are getting at the moment is good for hens, even fit and well ones.

 

Even if I am wrong (I have never had an ex-batt, so what do I know?) a cover won't do any harm. With a Cube, I wouldn't bother, as they can shelter under the Cube.

[abwsco]

Wish we'd had some rain as the garden is like a giant dustbath! So far mine have only had 1 day with some rain but they just took shelter under shrubs. I think I'd just put some temporary covering on the run to give them some shelter.

[daj198]

My ex-batts didn't really understand the whole rain=wet and shelter=dry thing for quite some time. If they are in a run and you are worried about them getting cold you could put a cover over the whole thing, if it's only part of it they'll probably stand in the one place there is no shelter.

[frenchlayer]

I was going to ask the same thing, mine have cover as part of the run is covered but they insisted on getting absolutely soaking. We have had 3 days of rain here. BUt each morning like you say they came out looking like they had a blow dry. But as my camera wasnt working I couldnt take a pic to show you.

 

Lovely here today though!

[Stevie]

There are plenty of places for mine to hide from the rain,but no-they choose to look like drowned rats!

[*mummy_hen*]

Thanks everyone, we popped them inside in the end till it stopped raining. They still look a little cold and shivery but i guess they are still aclimatising! Think we are going to make some walls and a roof that just roll down when needed (like a tent door does) out of polythene or something for the future