Readers ask: Will Rain Hurt My Chickens?

Sporadic exposure to the rain should be fine for most chickens. If you have a day or two of rain, your chickens will most likely be ok, as long as they are drying off for a while in a warm area.

Is it OK for chickens to get wet in the rain?

Besides making your chickens damp and cold, rainstorms may pose another, more subtle danger—puddles. While these may not pose much of an immediate physical threat to your hens—after all, they can probably avoid or wade right through a small puddle without harm—chickens tend to enjoy drinking puddle water.

What happens if you leave chickens in the rain?

Chickens get sick after rain because it causes wet, muddy conditions. Add warmish temperatures, and you get these problems: Mould and fungi breed, producing illness through contaminated feed and irritating your chickens’ sensitive respiratory tract.

Do chickens like to stand in the rain?

It is raining. They are both traveling at 121 miles per hour. The rain will eventually get through, but your chickens’ water repellent feathers do give them a bit of a grace period. Their plumage protects them for a time from actually getting wet to the skin in the rain, like an oilcloth slicker, but for chickens.

Can chickens be out in cold rain?

Yes, they can, and most of them like it a lot, especially the cold-hardy breeds. Chickens are created to regulate their body’s temperature with their undercoat of feathers, and they increase food intake during cold weather. Sometimes though, during extreme weather conditions, they might need shelter during the day.

Can chickens stay outside in the winter?

Yes! Your chickens can stay outside in the winter and most prefer it that way. This is especially true if you raise cold-hardy chicken breeds. Despite the cold temperatures, chickens regulate their body temperatures with the help of their undercoat of feathers and increased food intake.

Do chickens get scared of thunder?

Yes! chickens will get scared of thunder and lightning because it is still new to them. Loud noises easily startle them. But, over time, when they get used to it, especially if you live in a place that’s prone to thunderstorms.

Does rain affect chickens laying eggs?

Our overall flock may lay an egg or two fewer than normal on cloudy, rainy days. And it may take a few days to see a return to normal production levels – or as many days as it’s darker than usual. But sometimes, rainy weather has zero effect on their egg production levels.

Where do chickens go when raining?

Chickens Will Find Shelter from the Rain if Needed In any case, chickens will almost always seek shelter from the rain when they need to. So make sure they’ve got access to a shelter – and they should be just fine to enjoy being outside in the wet weather.

Can chickens eat fresh cut grass?

No, grass clippings would be bad for your flock. However, when chickens eat grass, they nip off of the tip of the blade; they eat tiny pieces, a little at a time. Putting a big pile of lawn clippings will give them longer pieces that they’ll eat too much of, all at once.

Does it hurt chickens to lay eggs?

Yes, egg-laying can be painful to some hens, but not to a severe degree. Younger hens are said to have a more challenging time laying eggs than the older and experienced ones.

Can chickens sleep outside in the rain?

Most chickens will be fine to sleep in the rain, as they will seek shelter when they’ve had enough. If you notice the rain getting too hard and they haven’t gone into the shelter, you may want to go outside and get them inside so they won’t get too wet.