Official BYC Poll: Do Your Chickens Go Inside Their Coop When It Snows?

[The Tiny Homestead]

It's winter - meaning it's snowing in some areas. Although the common expectation is for all your chickens to hurry on inside the coop you might get a few rebels since each chicken has its own personality, just like us humans. So: Do Your Chickens Go Inside When It Snows?

Place your vote above, and please elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

View attachment 2950671

Further Reading:

• Caring For Chickens in the Winter
• Top 10 Favorite Backyard Chicken Breeds
• Top 5 Ways Of Keeping Your Flock Warm In Winter

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

Early on when there wasn't much snow and temperatures were warmer, they would go out and still scatch, and eat stuff that was sticking above the snow. Lately, we've had many nights in the 5 to 15 below zero range and single digits to teens in the day. They go back and forth between the run, which can be 10 degrees or more above the outside temp.and the coop.

 

[Hensintexas]

Since this is their first winter, I have no idea what they’ll do if it snows! Last year, we had the Texas Deep Freeze. Really hoping it doesn’t happen again.
The colder weather doesn’t bother them, but most of them do NOT like wind, and will beat a retreat into the hen house if their feathers get ruffled.

Okay! Addendum to this post:
Freezing rain, temperatures around 25 (which is cold for this part of Texas). All of the chickens but a few were happy to explore the piles of sleet and see how it tasted. They were also extra hungry. I had half a pot of homemade vegetable soup that we got tired of eating, so I heated it up and gave it to them. They absolutely dove in headfirst - you’d have thought they had a gourmet meal! So far, so good. We even had two more hens start laying during the ice storm.
Some of our pipes froze, but none burst! A vast improvement over last year! Y’all stay warm!

 

[Bella Dominique]

This year we had just under a foot in two days, temps went down to 17 degrees (cold for Pacific NW). Our property gets heavy winds coming off the water. One of my girls was in a heavy molt, so on the worst days they stayed inside the enclosed run pretty much all day. Times when sun peaked thru and wind calmed they would come out and scratch. Luckily I laid a pallet down to have area without snow and it also prevented the soil from freezing so they could do a little digging. ( I did throw some dried worms there so they’d have something to find

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

It's winter - meaning it's snowing in some areas. Although the common expectation is for all your chickens to hurry on inside the coop you might get a few rebels since each chicken has its own personality, just like us humans. So: Do Your Chickens Go Inside When It Snows?

Place your vote above, and please elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

View attachment 2950671

Further Reading:

• Caring For Chickens in the Winter
• Top 10 Favorite Backyard Chicken Breeds
• Top 5 Ways Of Keeping Your Flock Warm In Winter

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

In CT and its been a cold winter. My 6 GLW’s are out of the henhouse as soon as that door opens! They stay

It's winter - meaning it's snowing in some areas. Although the common expectation is for all your chickens to hurry on inside the coop you might get a few rebels since each chicken has its own personality, just like us humans. So: Do Your Chickens Go Inside When It Snows?

Place your vote above, and please elaborate in a reply below if you chose "Other".

View attachment 2950671

Further Reading:

• Caring For Chickens in the Winter
• Top 10 Favorite Backyard Chicken Breeds
• Top 5 Ways Of Keeping Your Flock Warm In Winter

(Check out more exciting Official BYC Polls HERE!)

Here in CT, a cold winter! my 6 GLW’s leave the hen house as soon as that auto door opens with the new day. Their run has a roof and the walls are hardware cloth i wrapped in tarps for the winter. They stay outside all day never returning to henhouse unless they go to lay an egg, and for roost time. I think they stay out because they are comfortable enough in the run as long as weather and wind dont hit them.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

They stay in the doorway or under their Canopy and blame me for the inclement weather.

Exactly! The guilt is unbearable! My 6 girls are petrified of the snow slidding off the roof. They run for cover when it happens and they stay very cautious for the remainder of the day. Its unnerving! Makes me feel bad for them, all huddled and scared waiting for the next big pile of snow slidding off roof. I rake it off now and tell them what I’m doing so they sont get scared. They still get scared. Lol

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

My chickens also hold me responsible for the weather.

So funny! Today i was thinking that exactly! Like, they really think this weather is all your fault! Well yesterday was 54 degrees here in CT and we were out free ranging and scratching all around the yard. Today we woke up to snow and 2 inches. They stayed huddled all day in the run running from cover everytime the snow slide off the run roof. Hopefully tomorrow i can clear a path for them to go outside. I hate when they cant do scratchy doo to china in the grass.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Yes they do! I've gotten those dirty looks, too...it's our fault the sun isn't shining & there aren't tons of bugs to peck at. Lol
My Barred Rock in particular is always giving me stink eye for Whatever is not right in his world!View attachment 2955129

So glad i checked this thread after the day we had today in CT. Yesterday was 54 and you would think it was summer! We ran, we flew, we scratched, all of it! Today….., not so much. 2inches and they hated me today. Glad to know this is common chicken behavior.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

Mine won't come out of the coop with snow on the ground!

Love your roost set up.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

To answer the question: With a dusting of snow, my younger birds will leave their nice 8x10 coop and fly over the snow towards our older coop. (Wait until they see the 6" we should be getting later today )The older girls will refuse to leave their coop so the younger birds will join them. Even though I spread hay over the offending snow, I now have 14 chickens crammed into a 4x6 coop and no chickens in the large coop
As soon as my toes thaw, I'm going to hand carry everyone back over to the old coop so we don't have to deal with frostbite and poopy feathers.View attachment 2967545View attachment 2967546

Not impressed! Lmao

 

[AngelinaThePekin8]

We had this hen Fur foot/Baggy pants that would stay outside all night practically no matter the weather. She was a black chicken with feathery feet... And then when it is just snow and no wind and depending on the tempt most of the chickens will stay out, and the ducks don't really care no matter the weather as long as they can stay out of the wind they usually do just fine.