Chickens afraid of thunderstorms? especially wind...

[thndrdancr]

Well my red sex link went into a panic this evening when a thunderstorm was approaching. I ran to the pen to let them out, so they could come in, my EE ran straight up on the porch cuz the wind was buffeting around, and lil Red was just confused and scared. Usually I dont have a hard time catching her, but she was running from me in circles and crying. I finally got her in, and she kept talkin and talkin, so I picked her up and let mom stroke her while I had her head over my arm, which always soothes her and puts her to sleep. She was trembling so bad, the poor lil thing.
Usually she is the calm one...the wind just really freaks her out.

Jill

 

[Rafter 7 Paint Horses]

Are they young?

Mine will stay out until the last minute before a storm, then make a mad dash for cover all at once. It is funny to watch.

Just walking along...then running full out with wings flapping & squawking like crazy!


Jean

 

[thndrdancr]

Yea, they are just reaching laying age. They get a lil scared of storms, not been in them too much as of yet. Usually its my EE that goes bonkers, but she knows the house/porch is a safe haven now.

The other one just hasnt figured it out. Doubt she ever will. My EE thinks the house is "her" coop.

 

[barg]

I have heard that humans adrenaline production goes up in high winds. I'm not sure if thats true but I imagine theres something to it. Makes sence that chickens would have a similar responce.

Hope she is feeling better
I'm sure with a mom like you, she will be alright

 

[thndrdancr]

That may be true, I know my adrenaline was pumping, they said we had straight line winds last night of up to 85 mph. It WAS pretty bad, so its no wonder she was scared, I didnt manage to get her in before the wind started coming up.

The wind really freaks her tho, its strange. The thunder is what freaks the other chicken, wind not as much.

How am I ever gonna put them outside? Guess I am gonna have to rig somethin in the house for overnights so they dont jump out and grab mom's muumuu every morn. If they didnt mess all over, Mom would rather like having her muumuu pulled on.

Barg, on Day 6 of eggs in the bator. These are some of speckledhens beautiful Suede's get with the lite Brahma girl, and perhaps a couple of the blue orps (she had just started laying. They are huge so was hoping a few additions might keep them warm in the coop, but heck, they may be sharing OUR coop. My lil Red is soooo small, I can scoop her up and she really is no bigger than a football, I wonder if she will grow a bit. Worry bout her cuz she pumps out that egg every day, and started soooo young. I will have to get some pics up, I am pretty well finished with my desk coop too!

 

[ruth]

Mine must have really gotten used to storms and torrential downpours because it's all they've ever known. It's not unusual to have 20 inches of rain in one day (yes, I said one day) here in South Louisiana. During summer it storms every single day.

I used to worry too. When I first put them in their "Big Girl" coop and run and the first bad storm hit - branches were falling out of trees, moon turned to blood, fish swimming backwards - I ran outside defying death itself in an effort to "save" my chickens. What were they doing? Having a swimming party. The water in the run was ankle deep on me and I couldn't catch them. They wouldn't even get under the coop which is raised several feet off ground. I had to give up and come in. I kept looking outside at them and they were just running around the pen yard like it was a bright and sunny day.

Since then, I have noticed that they will come in from free-ranging if it gets too hot or starts to rain heavily and will get in their raised, well ventilated, wire-bottom coop to either cool off or stay dry. But during most light rains - they just stay outside.

Like I said, must be used to it.

 

[thndrdancr]

Yea, Ruth
This is only like the second storm they have experienced. We get all ours in the spring, and they were babies then and in the house all the time then.

I still have them in overnighting but they spend all day in the pen, even if its light rain, but last night WAS wild. They dont go in the warm dry coop tho, oh no, they stand at the pen door and wait for me to let them out to "find shelter" I guess.

 

[Amy Rakoczy]

Our little chicken farm is as urban as it gets, literally postage stamp of a back yard with 4 chickens. First strong thunderstorms here in Indiana since these girls were in their big house and they are doing the same, they won't go inside the sheltered coop just going nuts in the run with huge puddles, I felt so bad for them because they were crying out and found them soaking wet all pacing the run gate like they wanted out. I threw a tarp over the top and sides of the run because they just won't go in and left our back door light on for them hoping they would feel better. The coop is very close to our house so at least I can hear if something is wrong. I'm thinking of building a smaller indoor coop just for my garage so that if needed I could just put them in there in case of bad storms so they have a dryer more secure space? These girls are spoiled but I love them