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

[saracook31]

I've had chickens less than a year, is there anything I should do in a downpour & thunderstorm?

We have one right now & my chooks aren't happy about it! But seem to be a bit dim & are soaking wet outside!

[atsw]

They will be fine. We've had three lots of chickens over the last few years, all different breeds, and all stay out in the wet if it rains while they were free ranging . They will dry off once they get back to their sleeping quarters at dusk. They will be none the worse for wear and look good as new in the morning.

 

Andrew

[Redwing]

Are they in a run? could you rig up a tarpaulin over part of the run?

 

If they are free ranging perhaps you could rig up a shelter? A tarp(or a shower curtain) over two garden chairs would do would do or if you have a cover on your garden table hook one side up to make a cool den, at least they can get out of the rain if they want to then

[keyhole kate]

They will be fine, mine just go in the run and stand until any heavy rain or thunder passes

and then tootle back out

[saracook31]

Thank you. Its a very open run, so thinking about putting a shelter over part of it soon.

They've gone to bed at last so I can stop worrying! hehe

[The Dogmother]

You need to have a clear tarpaulin over the run so that they have somewhere to shelter when it rains. It also prevents the litter from getting damp and unhygienic.

 

I have one stupid chicken, who just loves running around in the rain though!

[attenbhp]

Mine don't mind the rain.

Doesn't seem to matter how hard the rain is, they look bedraggled for a while, then fluff up nicely when they dry out.

 

What they really didn't like the other night was the thunder. We had a large storm in the middle of the night - very dramatic. They stopped eating properly for a couple of days, then 3 days after the storm, no eggs or soft-shelled eggs. They're back to normal now, though.

[chickencam]

We got our girls in the summer of 2007 so they are well used to rain. On the day when we had 6 inches of rain that summer they did get very wet but came to no harm.

 

We had clear corrugated sheeting over the run last winter and still have one sheet on there for them to shelter under, it is a good idea to stop the run getting too wet.