Should I let my chickens free range when it is raining?

[mychickensneaky]

It's pretty muddy out, 50°, and raining. Will my chickens get sick if I let them out and they get soaked? They never come in till its dark so I don't know if they will come in out of the rain on their own or stay out in the rain and get sick?

 

[ChickensRDinos]

How could being in the rain make them sick?

As long as they have somewhere sheltered and dry to go as an option they will be fine. Mine usually choose to just stand in the rain.

 

[mychickensneaky]

How could being in the rain make them sick?

As long as they have somewhere sheltered and dry to go as an option they will be fine. Mine usually choose to just stand in the rain.

I don't know but I do know that when I get wet and it it chilly out I get sick. But I dont know if chickens are the same.

 

[DanEP]

50 degrees and rainy sounds like perfect weather for finding worms.Thats what mine are doing right now, I still can't get them to wipe their feet before going in but they'll be fine as long as they can get into a dry coop when they want to.

 

[donrae]

Give them the choice. Their feathers keep their skin from getting wet most of the time. Mine spend about 50/50 in the coop and out in the rain. I'm in the PNW, so if I kept them in when it rained they'd be in until July lol!

 

[ChickensRDinos]

I don't know but I do know that when I get wet and it it chilly out I get sick. But I dont know if chickens are the same.

Neither you nor your chickens can get sick from being cold or wet. You both could get hypothermia if cold enough for long enough but temperature can not cause illness like a cold or the flu or a chicken disease.

You get sick from exposure to viruses or bacteria, some of which happen to be seasonal, which makes people think they are getting sick from being cold.

Here is a good explanation if you are interested.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/126183

 

[Yaya1]

Neither you nor your chickens can get sick from being cold or wet. You both could get hypothermia if cold enough for long enough but temperature can not cause illness like a cold or the flu or a chicken disease.

You get sick from exposure to viruses or bacteria, some of which happen to be seasonal, which makes people think they are getting sick from being cold.

Here is a good explanation if you are interested.

http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/126183

Agreed. We free range everyday regardless of the weather and they are perfectly fine. They Usually make good choices.

 

[Coops Dad]

Mine have waded through flooded pastures in 2"-5" of water, hunting worms and other bugs, while rain poured down and lightning feathered across the sky. The lightning was right on top of us and I thought I'd be picking up crispy chicken carcasses after the storm. They did not care a bit.

Generally speaking, a little more than half of the flock are happy enough to be out roaming and wet while a little under half like to stay dry and eat all-flock in the tractor shed.

 

[Dinogrrl]

Mine go out in all weather. They hate being wet, and they have plenty of places to get out of the rain if they want, but they prefer to stand by my back door sopping wet giving me sad looks.

 

[HumbleAmerican]

Mine are pretty accepting of the rain. They are good judges. If the chickens are scratching about, then its not going to rain much harder for a bit.

Now we got 6-8" of snow for their first time (typically only see snow every couple years) I haven't had a single chicken track in the white stuff. They skirt around the coop opening and tip toe to the wood shed. They've been in there for 2 days and counting.