May Storm

[Delaneygraces]

Yikes!! Just got a thunderstorm with some 70 mike per hour wind gusts! Nothing to badly damaged, thankfully! We have a missing hen, but for now I’m not too worried, she probally found a place to hide until it was over. I was working in the coop, to suddenly be hammered with sudden wind and rain. I got soaked trying to shoo some chicks new to free range inside the coop. I was stranded there for about 10 minutes, watching the wind destroy some flower trees, and steal some of my items!! I had a bucket on the hydrant that is now in the field, a blue barrel across the road, most likely in the creek, and a dog house out by the barn. We had 2 large limbs fall onto the house, no damage though! A few other larger limbs landed harmlessly In the yard. We also have a mini coop that is now garbage, as the wind picked it up and threw it a few feet, destroying the cheap (actually not so...) store bought pen. Thankfully the only chicken in there was a pullet that couldn’t figure out practically anything. Like how to run away when she was being attacked, or how to eat when there are other chickens around. She is quite weird. She is now safely drying off inside. The sky is now orange, getting darker as the clouds come back (see photo below) The only animals seeming to like this storm we’re the ducks, who loved the rain, and use the wind to pretend they were flying! I’ve included a few pictures down below!


A full rainbow!!

It started to double up! (And yes, somehow, this little pot with a handful of soil in it didn’t blow away...figures)

So...that wind was blowing east, then changed to south... well it has now changed directions AGAIN...and is blowing this all RIGHT back at us...Thanks Mother Nature!!

Finally, the bald spot, showing where the pen had been. The wind was behind it, and just flipped it up.

 

[Ducksandchickens]

Yikes! Glad you’re ok tho

 

[Delaneygraces]

Update:round two of the storm left us powerless for about 20 seconds, thank God it wasn’t longer!! Otherwise we’d have an incubator of dead chicks! Incubators are all reset, and running fine. Our log pile was knocked over by a fallen tree limb, but nothing more. Missing hen is still missing. Still not too worried about her! One of the broody hens has been off the nest due to the storm, she wasn’t very happy about her nest shaking with everywomf gust. Watching her closely, hopefully she’ll go back on, otherwise I’ll have to steal her eggs and finish incubating them.

 

[Delaneygraces]

Update: Hen is still missing. Any ideas? She was seen half an hour before the storm, in the run when I was feeding. She went to free tange by the garden shed, but is not in there. When should I give up hope of her coming back?

 

[drumstick diva]

Do you call your birds or shake a treat can to get their attention? Maybe your hen will hear it and respond. I hope she didn't get blown around or have anything fall on her.
Please update if she turns up.

 

[Delaneygraces]

Yes, I put a little bit of feed in an old metal bud light bucket and rattle it like crazy, and they’ll come running from the barn. I also open a window and call really loudly they will ALL swarm the window. (They get house scraps from here so they always show up). I tried both ways, still no hen. Her sister isn’t acting bad though...one time I took her with me to a show, and left we Sister at home. She was freaking out calling for her all day, and her sister was when I got home. They heard each other and the sister was very anxious to see her again! But since she’s not acting up, I’m not sure what it means...Fingers crossed as well!

 

[Delaneygraces]

Wow. Illinois weather is...something else. Another storm. But instead of pouring rain, it is now a DUST storm. Both within the same week... just wow. My Moderns were in drop pens, and my 5 chicks running free. I saw the cloud about a half a mile away at the neighbors, and yelled “Sh*t” taking off across the yard to ferry my birds inside. I don’t believe ive ever ran so fast in my life!! Then I started shaking, making it even harder to catch the little chicks, who were terrified, running for each other, towards me, away from me when I jabbed my hand in their direction to catch them, plus being tossed around by the wind. Thankfully I got them just as my fision started failing due to the dust and dirt in my eyes. Everything’s all good now!