Rainy weather and storms

[Squeakermama1]

Hi. I have successfully let my hens out of their coop in the morning and they are returning at dusk. My question is: If I let them out free range during the day and some bad weather is expected should I just keep them in the coop or go ahead and let them out with the coop open so they can return is they need or want to?
I'm a chicken Fred.

 

[warren]

I think it depends on just how bad the weather is going to be. Where I am bad weather is wet in summer and freezing in winter and I let mine out all the time. If you live in an area expecting a blizzard or a tornado I would keep them in, If it would be safe for you to go out in it I am sure that they would be equally safe.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

I always make sure young chickens learn to go in the coup at night and do a head count every night. I also make sure that they go in the coop when storms come. After a couple of storms, I'm usually confident that they understand this. Sometimes they might take cover under something out in the yard when rain first starts. Then when it starts to really storm, they don't want to go out in the open, to get back to the coop. I've had young chickens get stranded by their first big snow, too. They have to learn things, just like puppies and children. After they learn, they're fine.

When we know a severe storm is coming and will hit fast, where there are storm and tornado warnings, with very high winds, we will often put them back in their run, so they don't get caught way out on the edge of the property when it hits. We wouldn't have to do this, but we like to do it just as a precaution. We only do this for really extreme weather. A little food bribe is all it took to train them to go back into the run.

 

[Chirpy]

I always let mine have the option of going out into their fenced run even if bad weather is coming. (Unless it's a blizzard - I leave them locked in the hen house during those.)

If I know that a bad storm (of any sort) is coming I don't let them free range that day. As someone else mentioned, some of mine tend to wait outside to see how bad it's going to get and then get stuck out there hiding under something. I can't tell you how many times we've run out in a downpour to 'help' them back inside the chicken coop. Oh, what we do for our chickens!

 

[Squeakermama1]

Well since there was only a chance of rain and no storms in the forecast I let them out of the coop. They seemed to have liked the wet weather. It was not raining very hard and maybe they were scoring some good bugs too ")
Thanks again for you guys help.