Many chickens don't mind get wet occasionally in the rain. Their feathers can repel water a bit just like a raincoat for us. (With the exception of silkies and frizzles, as their feathers are not as water resistant and can easily get soaked).
Chicken feathers are somewhat waterproof, so letting them out is fine. Letting your birds out prevents overcrowding, boredom and the diseases that go along with a wet chicken coop. Not all birds appreciate going out, but almost all will seek shelter and dry off before they get dangerously soaked.
A rainy day can be a good day for a chicken to forage more widely than normal. On overcast days, the extra cloud cover can provide a little additional camouflage from flying predators. To chickens, rain and fog are opportunities!
Wind and rain can cause a chicken's feathers to become waterlogged, causing the cold to penetrate to the skin and making it difficult to maintain body temperature (like wearing wet clothes on a cold day).
Do Chickens Like Getting In Water? No, chickens with access to bodies of water are not known for getting into it. They avoid it, and also avoid rain, seeking shelter under bushes, in pens, or other sheltered areas. The reason chickens avoid rain is that their feathers are not waterproof.
Install a roof to protect your chickens from the elements such as rain or snow. Always ensure the roof is high enough though to allow the chickens to get plenty of natural sunlight. The other obvious benefit of a roof is it will stop rain drenching the chicken run.
Chickens should always have access to fresh, clean, cool water, especially in the summer heat. Provide multiple water sources located in shady, cool areas if possible to encourage hens to drink. Add ice cubes, ice blocks, or frozen water bottles if needed to keep water cool.
Chicken feathers are somewhat waterproof and delay the birds from getting wet to the skin. But fluffy, loose-feathered chickens tend to get wet faster. Once a chicken's feathers are soaking wet, she is at risk of hypothermia. They cannot keep her body heat, and her temperature drops.
Depending on where you live in Australia, the climate can pose a threat to your chooks. It can be roasting in some parts of Australia, and freezing in others – frequently, chooks can experience both of these extremes within a pretty short space of time.
In fact, there doesn't seem to be much of a change in the number of eggs they lay regardless if the day is sunny, rainy, snowy, hot, or cold. The only time it usually drops off is when the chickens are molting.
Yep – your chickens can definitely eat bananas!
Bananas are a lovely treat for your flock and a great way to make use of the overripe ones. However, they are high in sugar, so moderation is key.
There is, however, plenty of evidence that chickens do respond to music. Studies on day-old chicks have found that they prefer music to random noise. A study was conducted by Bristol university in which they played pop, rock, classical or silence in nestboxes and monitored the laying chickens' preferences.
To dry a wet chicken, the fastest option is to use a hair blow dryer set on the lowest setting. If the weather is warm and not too humid, a thorough towel drying and time spent outside in the sunshine may do the trick for drying a wet chicken. Make sure there is no wind that could cause a wind chill factor.
Chickens need access to water in their waking hours and should always have fresh water within the coop run area, but they don't need it inside the coop while they're roosting at night.
Wet feathers are often related to an incorrect temperature during the late setter cycle or during the transfer period. Generally, 100.0°F (37.8°C) egg shell temperature is optimal for incubation.
A chicken's body temperature lowers when it loses more heat than it can produce. Huddling together, holding a foot up to their breast, or puffing their feathers are all signs that your chickens may be cold. Prolonged cold stress can reduce performance and lead to death.
Your chicken coop needs good ventilation and air flow year round, but in the colder months, closing any windows and covering them with wool blankets, shutters or some other type of covering at night can help to keep the chickens' body heat inside the coop.
Fluffing their Feathers
Their downy feathers trap tiny pockets of air next to the body, allowing the chicken to warm those pockets of air with its body heat and hold that warm air close to the body, preventing cold air from touching the skin. It works like insulation for them.
Neglecting to clean out your chicken coop regularly puts your flock at risk of infection. People who don't clean out their chicken coops regularly can lose chickens to diseases that could easily be prevented with regular cleaning.
Chicken lifespans vary widely, with most hens generally living between 3 and 7 years. However, with ideal care, they may live even longer. If a chicken is kept safe from predators (including dogs) and doesn't have genetic issues, they can certainly live 10 to 12 years old.
When water mixes with droppings, it creates an ammonia smell. In the coop, moisture control can be a constant challenge. Humidity, water from founts, spills, damp hay, piling bedding, tracked-in mud or even an egg break contributes to moisture in the coop triggering the smell. Regular cleaning is the best defense.
Misting Water
Humans of all ages love water misters when it's scorching outside. Chickens love to be lightly misted with water, too! You don't have to buy a fancy water mister like you see at restaurants or amusement parks. A simple water spray bottle (think hair salon style) is just fine.
Can chickens eat apples? Yes. Your girls can eat apples and apple sauce too. It's best to chop them to aid digestion although you may notice that they will peck at windfalls.
Examples of raw fruits and vegetables that can be fed include: vegetable peels, bananas, apple, berries, carrot, bok choy, silver beet, spinach, cabbage or broccoli. As a treat your hens can also have some cooked food such as rice, pasta, beans, or bread in small amounts [1].