Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[gavclojak]

Ok so now after the mad hot weather it is absolutely chucking it down in SE London, my question is are they ok in the rain, they have loads of shelter but I have just gone to check them and they have gone inside the cube to bed and are quite wet.....not dripping but wet. Will they be ok?

[Egluntyne]

Yes. If they need to shelter, they will.

[gavclojak]

Ah thanks that's reassuring, as ex batts I think it took them a little longer to work out what shade is:) they decided about half an hour earlier than usual to go off to roost, think they had enough of the rain and thunder....thanks again

[Purplemaniacs]

Mine all went to bed early tonight too. We just have rain so far.

 

Chrissie

[merlina]

I have 2 groups of chickens - one that have always been here and one which came seperately.

 

The 'new' girls don't like rain and shelter from it - and went to bed early last night amidst the downpour.

 

The 'old' girls are impervious to rain. They regularly hang out in all weathers and get absolutely soaked through. They look very bedraggled but it doesn't seem to bother them at all. They got to bed all very soggy not infrequently and it doesn't seem to harm them

[Chickabee]

Mine dont even seem to notice getting wet. I spray them sometimes if they're fighting, they really don't care. They often fall in their water when being scatty too. Only thing I did read is not to let silkies go to be wet in the winter, but mine stays in the run when it's raining (some people blow dry them)!

[carrotspine]

Mine are always playing in the rain! Iwas really worried though like you and I posted a while ago about having filthy chickens as the bsrk was sodden and still they 'dust'bathed in it and looked a proper mess. They seem to dry out ok in the eglu though from what I've seen of mine. My run gets a puddle in it and this doesn't put them off. They must do some serious preening in the house when they go to bed to pop out looking fluffy in the morning! Not sure what happens when it snows though and they get wet, this is my first time keeping chickens I've not had a winter with the girls yet, I think they'll just play in the snow!

[Lulabellx1]

They're fine in the snow too! We had a lot of snow last year (about 3 foot) and it took days to melt away. We still let the hens out to free range and my partner dug them out a little path through the snow. They were happy as larry. You have to make sure they have extra bedding in the deep winter and that their water doesn't freeze up though