Fall has arrived, and with it, the first few weeks of cold and drizzly weather. Concerned and slightly silly chicken questions have blown in with the chill.
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The first few times it happened, I thought folks were joshing us. Then a neighbor stopped by in person to chat. She asked me when we’d be bringing the girls inside for the winter! I chuckled, then immediately felt like a jerk once I realized people have very very serious, albeit very silly chicken questions.
She told me that our birds are the first chickens she’s ever seen in real life and that she wanted to make sure they’d be alright before it got too cold. I assured her they would be fine, explained the basics of how we winterized the coop, and she went along her merry way.
Our conversation got me thinking about all the seemingly silly questions that folks ask us about chickens. There really are no bad questions, regardless of how silly they sound. Most folks don’t know a lot about chickens and let’s be honest – Chickens are silly creatures!
In the spirit of silliness, I’ve compiled a list of the silliest-sounding chicken questions that we’ve been asked and the slightly less-than-silly answers.
As always, if you have a different question contact us here or shoot us a message on Facebook!
Silly Chicken Questions
1. Do you have to bring them inside during bad weather?
Nope! Although countless chicken breeds exist, most feed stores will carry only breeds that are tolerant in the climate their store is located in. Since Nebraska receives both extreme heat and cold, we made sure to double-check the breeds we selected before purchasing.
As of my 2023 updates to this post, we haven’t had any weather-related chicken issues or losses. We do provide a few accommodations to make sure they stay comfortable, but the birds are mainly able to regulate their temperatures and weather the elements themselves.
To bring them inside or provide supplemental heating and cooling would actually decrease their ability to regulate their own temperatures, in addition to being a major fire hazard.
Summer Routine:
- Check on them at least twice daily, providing cool, fresh water each time.
- Spray the grass in the run with cool water and/or let the girls run through the hose occasionally.
- On particularly hot days, provide frozen fruit or electrolyte ice cubes as a treat
Winter Routine:
- Put a tarp over the open parts of the run to shield it from wind and snow, leaving small gaps for ventilation.
- Be extra vigilant about keeping the run clean and filled with fresh, dry pine shavings.
- Check on them at least twice daily, providing fresh water whenever it freezes or gets muddy.
2. Are chickens smart?
Yes, but also no. They’re not smart like a dog or cat would be considered, but they’re fairly independent and don’t require much attention.
They know when it’s time to come out in the morning, and will also return to their coop around the same time each night. They forage around the lawn for buggos and other goodies – they had a blast cleaning out the garden beds! They certainly know when we come bearing treats from the scrap bucket. They also know that Bean almost always has a snack in hand. They get very excited to see him!
The chickies learned very early on that Bean is a snack dispenser. They patiently tolerate his pets because they know they’ll get a snacko!
They do not know their names, nor do they respond to any commands.
Overall, I’d say their “intelligence” is mostly instinct. They can do enough to stay alive with very little help, and that’s about it.
3. Do you get chicks out of your eggs?
This is not possible, as we do not have a rooster. Like any other egg, chicken eggs need to be fertilized to produce offspring, so our eggs will never have chicks inside them.
4. Do they ever run away?
This certainly doesn’t seem like a silly question if you’ve never watched one of our chickens come to the realization that she’s out of the run. They do not like it.
If we intentionally let them out because we’re outside, they’re totally content to hang out with us in the garden. If the door blows open on its own, though? They’ll come out and then panic when they realize they can’t get back in. Then they run around and around the coop until someone herds them back in through the doorway.
It’s truly a sight to see!
2023 update: The OG ladies have gotten a little bit braver so there’s less panic and more vibing under the neighbor’s tree when they get out. They’re still too stupid to go more than about 10 feet from the coop.
5. Does Lenny know that he’s not a chicken?
Lenny is a chicken. Don’t argue with him on this. We’ve tried.
Lenny is a chicken.
