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

[CackleBabies]

I picked a bunch of options.

If there's already snow on the ground when they wake up, they will not come out of the coop. I need to shovel some pathways or throw down some litter, and then kick them out for them to come out and stay out.

If there's not already snow but it starts snowing, some will stay out and huddle under cover, others will start making their way inside, depending on how heavy and how long it lasts. But their preference is to remain out whenever possible.

That’s just what mine are like. They free range and don’t like being locked in with their small run, but it snowed about 8 inches here in WV in early January and the temps were down in the teens and my girls didn’t leave their coop for four days even with paths for walking. I had to carry water at least twice a day to them.

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

That’s just what mine are like. They free range and don’t like being locked in with their small run, but it snowed about 8 inches here in WV in early January and the temps were down in the teens and my girls didn’t leave their coop for four days even with paths for walking. I had to carry water at least twice a day to them.

I carried the chickens to a little island where I shoveled the snow

 

[3KillerBs]

I carried the chickens to a little island where I shoveled the snow

That would be quite a hike for me and my 21-bird (currently), flock.

 

[Loveshorsesandglee]

My chickens will sometimes come out it depends on how deep the snow is. The ducks love it doesn’t bother them at all.

 

[stealthmayhem]

My chickens spend the majority of their day in the coop if it is snowing. The only time that they leave is during feeding times. I have plenty of things to get them to go outside (toys, treats, etc.), but they are spoiled and want to stay inside where it is nice and warm-ish-er(?!?).

 

[Liz Birdlover]

My 1 Barred Rock Roo, Marans, RIRs & ISA Browns seem to be tough, they don't care what the weather is, they're going out! They may not stay out long, but at least they go. They wanna know what's going on out there!

The rest of my flock, EEs, Buff Orpington, & Wyandotte will step into the doorway, poke head out, look both ways, then say to heck with this, I'm staying in, where it's warm & dry. Wimps!

 

[The Tiny Homestead]

My Australorps are in the run/dome when it's snowing. They ocassionally will go out in the snow esoecially if there are patches of dry ground and I've had to get them back in the run, being afraid it's too cold for their feet. I just got a couple of Buffs and an Auracana. Won't know how they will react till winter comes back

 

[Bella Dominique]

When it snowed this year there was also a heavy wind and temperatures in the teens so they stayed inside the enclosed run most of the time. For about an hour in the afternoons the wind would calm so they came out and ate snow. I put some pallets down so they would have some earth to scratch in, this also prevented the soil from freezing. One of my girls was in a heavy molt so she stayed inside most the time, which I was glad she did.

 

[Fallenone05]

My chickens are afraid of the snow. They won't go out in it at all. They'll party in the rain but snow is their worst enemy.

 

[HappyClucker7]

It kind of depends. My bantams always run right inside when it starts snowing. They absolutely hate any kind of bad weather. The standards will usually stay outside if it's just snowing a little, but if the snow is heavy, they'll go inside too. However, none of them will step on snow or ice. They absolutely refuse.