Concerns Over Coop Location During Sandy!

[DeniseL]

Need a little help settling a debate: better to move the chickens onto gravel/rock under the porch or tuck the tractor in next to a tall stone wall to the north of the tractor (where we understand prevailing winds will come from). The tractor is an a-frame - base is 4 x 8. One of us is worried the tractor will blow over, the other is worried about the chickens on stone (standard 1"ish rocks - not great for barefoot walking for humans). We're right outside Philly so going to get hit pretty hard later today.

Any reasons to stay off rocks for a couple days or avoid high winds?

Thanks in advance and hoping everyone else hit by this storm weathers it safely.

 

[cknkids]

OK I live on the west coast so not up on your type of storms but since no one else weighed in... Is there any room in the garage? You could layer plywood, tarp and bedding with the tractor on it to protect any surface. Last summer, be for we built our coop, our young chickens lived in our family room at night in a less sturdy tractor, until we had a predator proof coop outside. It work well. Seems it would translate to the garage or any other inside protected space. I'm guessing you only have a few chickens and they may be more pet then livestock. Go luck, stay safe and please post how it goes.

 

[amenfarm]

I would roll it under the porch, I'm assuming your cars will be in the garage. they will either stay off the rocks, or pick they way through looking for bugs, maybe a piece of left over wood could be slide in to give options? Really the most important thing is the protection from the storm--they will be fine for a few days on rocky ground, so long as they are not jumping down from the roost onto the rocks--which might cause bumblefoot. If they can't walk on to the graveI, add a a board or carpet scraps and a 3+ inches of bedding now, I would be more worried about the winds changing directions and tipping over the coop next to the wall. Which spot is on higher ground? do you have a problem with raising water when you get tons of rain?

 

[cubbysan]

I would put them in the garage or basement first choice ( as long as you don't think the basement will flood ). Second choice under the porch, someplace where is will be hard to blow away. Do you have any plywood or scrap linoleum that you can put under the tractor?

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

The chiCkens will easily survive the Stone floor, the Tractor overturning, less easily.

 

[EOAC]

I would leave them in the tractor, my chickens survived just fine for Isaac on the LA coast, they were in a tractor as well.

Edit: I have a 4x8 A-Frame coop as well and it did fine.

 

[amenfarm]

what did you decide and how is the storm damage in your area??

 

[DeniseL]

Thanks all for your suggestions. We went with the rock wall and everything turned out fine. Actually kept the rain off the food in the lower part of the coop so no soggy yucky mess either. The girls stayed in the tractor on Monday but were back to their daily "outings" on Tuesday. Hope everyone weathered the storm okay.

 

[cubbysan]

Glad to hear everything worked out fine!

 

[amenfarm]

ya!

Glad to hear everything is fine with you.