Hen Getting Ready to Lay??

[New Chicken Lady]

Is anyone else getting worried about Irma? I live in the metro Atlanta area. School has been closed for tomorrow and Tuesday, all counties are under a tropical storm warning, and a state of emergency has been declared for the whole state. I only have three hens and they have one of those pre-fab, put-it-together coops. I am wondering if I should bring them in the garage. Any thoughts?

 

[black_dove2]

One of the featured articles is about extreme weather and questions you brought up.

One person brought them inside with dog crates.

This makes sense. They don't really have the ability to fly away from this weather. Dangers from wind blown debris is as bad maybe worse than the flooding.

Do you have garage you can move them into?

 

[aart]

I am wondering if I should bring them in the garage.

That would be a very good idea.
Could probably bring the whole coop/run into garage if possible.

Check out some of these threads:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/search/6289616/?q=hurricane&t=post&o=date&c[title_only]=1

 

[Patty724]

Yesterday I added a golf ball to a nesting box and just now I found this!!!

 

[New Chicken Lady]

Not really feasible to bring coop indoors. However, was able to relocate the girls to the garage. Was quite interesting and wish I'd had someone to take video of the hilarious situation and my inept attempts at moving them. LOL!! They are in the garage nonetheless, and I feel much more at ease about their safety. They did look at me like "WTC are you doing, woman?" Oh the lengths we go to for our girls. Never in a million years did I think I would be catching chickens and putting them in my garage to keep them safe.

 

[ScottKelly1974]

Not really feasible to bring coop indoors. However, was able to relocate the girls to the garage. Was quite interesting and wish I'd had someone to take video of the hilarious situation and my inept attempts at moving them. LOL!! They are in the garage nonetheless, and I feel much more at ease about their safety. They did look at me like "WTC are you doing, woman?" Oh the lengths we go to for our girls. Never in a million years did I think I would be catching chickens and putting them in my garage to keep them safe.

I can relate. My first chick I kept in a pet store bird cage until she got bigger. Then I used a larger cage. My hens did not want to use the provided shelter and would sleep in the snow and rain. So I often kept bringing them inside depending one weather.
I think it would be fine to bring them in for a few days. This can also be a time to see how your setup stand against the weather.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Not really feasible to bring coop indoors. However, was able to relocate the girls to the garage. Was quite interesting and wish I'd had someone to take video of the hilarious situation and my inept attempts at moving them. LOL!! They are in the garage nonetheless, and I feel much more at ease about their safety. They did look at me like "WTC are you doing, woman?" Oh the lengths we go to for our girls. Never in a million years did I think I would be catching chickens and putting them in my garage to keep them safe.

I hope you and the chickens are faring well in the storm. Please check in when you're able.

I got my first eggs this week too. Found one small brown egg on Saturday in an upper nest box along with the fake "dino" egg I put in there. There was a small hole in one end, but the membrane was intact so I had the egg on my BLT No egg on Sunday or Monday unless it's out in the bushes, but I kind of doubt it. Today I was trying to work on the coop and my Barred Rock hen Raven got in the nest box. She spent a good 1/2 hour nesting and changing position. I wandered around in and out of the coop and she laid her 2nd egg - same nest box with the same fake egg. I congratulated her on a job well done.

1st egg w/hole

2nd egg with fake dinosaur egg

I keep thinking my chickens are older than they are. I got them May 5th at approximately 2 days old. So on Sept. 9th, when 1st egg was laid, they would have been 19 weeks old. That's pretty early isn't it?

 

[black_dove2]

I hope you and the chickens are faring well in the storm. Please check in when you're able.

I got my first eggs this week too. Found one small brown egg on Saturday in an upper nest box along with the fake "dino" egg I put in there. There was a small hole in one end, but the membrane was intact so I had the egg on my BLT No egg on Sunday or Monday unless it's out in the bushes, but I kind of doubt it. Today I was trying to work on the coop and my Barred Rock hen Raven got in the nest box. She spent a good 1/2 hour nesting and changing position. I wandered around in and out of the coop and she laid her 2nd egg - same nest box with the same fake egg. I congratulated her on a job well done.

1st egg w/holeView attachment 1135092
2nd egg with fake dinosaur egg
View attachment 1135094
I keep thinking my chickens are older than they are. I got them May 5th at approximately 2 days old. So on Sept. 9th, when 1st egg was laid, they would have been 19 weeks old. That's pretty early isn't it?

My RIR's sister my friend has starting laying about 4 weeks before mine. Mine was 23 weeks old but my Danish Brown has been laying much longer than both. Breed and individual I think makes a difference.

My chicks were pretty much as free range as you can get in a coop whereas my friends was most of the time in a much smaller cage. Because the feed store is very far away I ran out of feed and was feeding everything else for a couple of weeks or so.

My friend hen grew really fast and really big,but no eggs. Mine caught up eventually and are very healthy. The eggs taste great!

 

[aart]

So on Sept. 9th, when 1st egg was laid, they would have been 19 weeks old. That's pretty early isn't it?

Not really...average for most breeds is 16-28 weeks.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

My RIR's sister my friend has starting laying about 4 weeks before mine. Mine was 23 weeks old but my Danish Brown has been laying much longer than both. Breed and individual I think makes a difference.

My chicks were pretty much as free range as you can get in a coop whereas my friends was most of the time in a much smaller cage. Because the feed store is very far away I ran out of feed and was feeding everything else for a couple of weeks or so.

My friend hen grew really fast and really big,but no eggs. Mine caught up eventually and are very healthy. The eggs taste great!

Yes, my girls all seem to be maturing at different rates. Raven (barred plymouth rock), the one that laid, was the first to mature. I have to BPR, 3 RIR, 2 BO and 2 EE -- all at various stages of maturity even though all basically same age. The 2 EE gals want nothing to do with the mating rituals as yet and often run off to get away from the guys.

Not really...average for most breeds is 16-28 weeks.

Thanks! I don't know where I gotit was 21 weeks or more.