Auntie Em, i think my chicken coop just flew by!

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Man oh man, Southern California is being hammered with these horrible Santa Ana winds! The top of the fountain in my front yard blew over, the cover to our gazebo is in shreds, and our poor chicken coop is under seige. The tarp i have strapped down on the north facing wall kept ripping off yesterday. i had it tied down with those twisty tie things. Finally had to use 18 gauge wire and that seems to be holding.

i put my teeny frizzle bantams in the garage in a large bird cage, so now my silkies have access to their section of the outdoor pen and coop, which is a bit more protected than their own side. i'm not so worried about my two EEs, as they have the chick-n-barn to hide in if they want out of the wind. But i still feel terrible that they have to be outside in these conditions. Now thinking again about cutting doors from their pens into the front of the garage and making a coop for them inside. i really need to put a solid roof on the entire outdoor pen, but honestly do not think we can get that done until spring. Ah, why didn't i think about all these things while i was building their coops and pens during our lovely summer months?

 

[ivan3]

Airheart43, I've begun to think of our poultry digs as slow sculpture: Forever tweaking and improvising (probably why it appeals to me).

Grew up in San Berdoo. Would sit out on our front porch steps with my dad and watch the St. Elmo's fire play down the power lines before the transformers would pop during the Santa Annas. Worst experience was catching a flight out of Ontario a few years ago (weaving down the runway - never so glad to get to cruising altitude).

Good Luck with your battening down. I guess you're lucky you're not outside of Indio having the poor chooks sandblasted!

Take care,

John

 

[okiechick57]

Sure been praying for you all out there.......the winds.those horrible fires.....hope your coop holds up !

 

[CarriBrown]

I know what you mean, airheart. We are getting pounded right now! My beautiful plumerias are looking ratted and half of the neighbor's tree is in my pool. I thought I was going to body clip the horses this week, but no go!
The chickens are hanging out in the coop. They have the right idea. Well, it could be worse... my neighbor's roof flew off!

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Yes, it is scary windy here! i still have the frizzle bantams in the garage, but Mr. Frizzle is making those warning noises, like he knows something is not right. Poor little guy. i battened down another extra stregnth tarp with wire and metal clamps to protect more of the outside pen from the wind. All the rest of the clan went to bed early. i gave them lots of greens and mealworms during the day as a distraction.

We're lucky we are not in an area on fire. But they are all around. i lost everything but my cat and the robe on my back in a fire in 1993. i would prefer not to go through that again. Seems like every year Los Angeles goes through a nasty wind and fire season. News is suggesting that many fires might be due to arson.

ivan3, a good friend of mine grew up in San Berdo. Man does it get hot there in the summer! i've driven through Indio, and it looked pretty desolate, but perhaps just my view from the freeway.

CarriBrown, wow, a whole roof blowing off!

Hope it blew away from your house.

i hope these winds die down soon.

 

[arlee453]

Boy, what a mess! Hunker down, batten down the hatches and don't light any fires!

Hope you guys get some relief soon!

 

[CarriBrown]

Airheart- They are down the street from me!

I don't have anything to worry about, as far as I know...
Well, you know how it goes. The wind knocks over a powerline which starts a fire, then the crazys come out and light more fires.

There are two or three now out my way. I called my parents in Thousand Oaks and they're fine but can't see 10 feet in front of them. What a mess.
Thousands of people in San Diego were evacuated today and there are animals and pets running loose in the Malibu/Santa Monica mountains.
These people need our good thoughts and prayers. :aww

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Well tonight i saw on the news that they are evacuating livestock to the Ventura County Fairgrounds. i'm worried about the pets. i would sure like to volunteer to help if it's needed. i wouldn't mind loading up my garage with some homeless chickens. i don't have much room, but better safe in a garage than out in the woods facing predators and fire.

i remember when i lived up in Sacramento. One year they had horrible floods. Horses were stranded and there was one guy going out and saving them. He got arrested for going into flood zones. But everyone else called him a hero. i volunteered to help at the county fairgrounds, and it brought tears to my eyes one night when an old man was reunited with his pet pig, Petey. He was going pen to pen, calling Petey's name. Then up popped a pig snout out of the hay, and they were in each others arms, squeeling and crying. i'm crying now just thinking about it.

 

[yearofthedog]

Quote:
I'm crying too...that's a sweet story!