First 4th of July with Chickens

[redinator]

Do I need to do anything special to keep chickens calm for the fireworks? I'm thinking I might put them up early, but is it necessary? People around here tend to shoot them off starting around 6/7pm. Since the 4th lands on a Friday it could go all weekend. Should I just leave them in the open air run/coop and keep them fed in there for the duration?

 

[Debbie292d]

Assuming you're in more populated area where this will go on all night, I'd lock mine up early, but during the day, just see how they do. They could be oblivious to it after a while.

Here, we're in the boonies, and we'll do some. They all stop what they're doing and stare. I'd be afraid though if it kept up and was all around them, that they'd be afraid of them and would run.

 

[redinator]

I'd be afraid though if it kept up and was all around them, that they'd be afraid of them and would run.

That's the part I'm worried about. Some years it's on the quiet side others it's like all out warfare. They've weathered a few thunderstorms without incident, but that's a natural event and it moves through in a predictable pattern.

I'll pen them early the first night and set up a camera and see how they handle it.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Well, crap. I hadn’t even thought about this.

We only have one (the Buff Orp) who reacts to thunder. The others don’t react until the rain hits, when they go to the run.

And in our area, fireworks go on for easily a week. (The God-given right to blow your fingers off for any excuse.) I guess we’ll just work through it.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I've never done anything for them in particular when it comes to fireworks. If you're free ranging, maybe pen them up just so a bird doesn't run off somewhere in a panic, and see how they do and adjust from there.

 

[redinator]

Well, crap. I hadn’t even thought about this.

We only have one (the Buff Orp) who reacts to thunder. The others don’t react until the rain hits, when they go to the run.

And in our area, fireworks go on for easily a week. (The God-given right to blow your fingers off for any excuse.) I guess we’ll just work through it.

The only reason I thought about is my two dogs are scared of the fireworks, so I have to plan ahead so I can order their sedatives and occupy them with rawhides.

 

[theoldchick]

Mine don't seem to react to fireworks. They go in the coop at dark and everybody is fine in the am. The roosters seem to crow more. You can always put a game camera in the coop to see how they are doing.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I actually just got a digital reminder to adjust my auto door for the holiday weekend. Mine have been going to bed a bit earlier, so I'll schedule it to close sooner. The chickens will be upset about the noise, but they'll manage fine in the coop.

Two years ago, I put my chicks out full-time on July 7th, thinking the fireworks would be over for coop training. NOPE! As much as I like my neighbors, there are times when I could throttle them...

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I had chickens for ten years in a very firework oriented city. Never even crossed my mind to worry about the chickens. I can’t even tell you if they went in early because nothing interesting happened during our annual firework month for that whole time. Yes, all month. Sometimes even illegal fireworks a block over. Did not phase the chickens and I didn’t do anything special.

 

[redinator]

I actually just got a digital reminder to adjust my auto door for the holiday weekend. Mine have been going to bed a bit earlier, so I'll schedule it to close sooner. The chickens will be upset about the noise, but they'll manage fine in the coop.

Two years ago, I put my chicks out full-time on July 7th, thinking the fireworks would be over for coop training. NOPE! As much as I like my neighbors, there are times when I could throttle them...

Completely understand . . . there were a few times during integration, or when I was trying to get pictures, my neighbor would start mowing at exactly the wrong time, lol.