[BarnBrian]

Having only just got my first girls, do I need to provide shelter from the rain or will they go inside to stay dry?

Brian

[poultrygeist]

Hi again Brian.

I placed a large piece of plywood (5'x2') across a couple of piles of breeze blocks and they do use it to settle down out of the rain. They can also go under the coop where the food and water are.

Also, about a third of our run is covered by corugated plastic roofing and plastic sheeting to keep the run dry. This stops the mud building up and prevents it from fermenting and smellign bad.

They will, however still wander round in the rain and don;t seem to mind getting wet through.  

Rob

[ceri green]

mine dont seem to mind the rain, they have 3 "table style shelters in their run, plus numerous bushes etc, and the chickenn house door is left open all day so they can go inside if they want... anad they STILL stand out getting soaking wet!
However, they are very quick to use all these shelters to get out of the SUN, so i think this may be more important to them.
 

[orfy]

I came home to find mine on the decking under the tabel.
I hoped they'd use the coop but they don't.

[poultrygeist]

Ours only go into the coop to lay and sleep. Or to nose at another one laying.

They sit under the plywood quite a bit these days, as ceri said, sometimes to get out the sun or the wind, or just because they like it.  :roll:

Rob

[karlooben]

i am going to use the old fence panels that have just been renewed from the garden . will make 2 or 3 different shelters for them although the shed door will remain open all day i think .

am glad i left the sycamore tree up that gives some wonderfull shade when its hot .