Hurricane coming - opinions welcome for preps

[FunClucks]

Ok, I'm trying not to lose it - there's so much to do. I ran to the grocery store this morning and didn't have time to wait in the gas lines so there's still that to do - as I'm expecting to lose power. The last hurricane we were without power for 6 days in triple digit heat, as it is now, heat index is 99 right now.

The feed bag in the crate is a good idea. I'm going to spend the afternoon measuring spaces and moving furniture around to set up the dog pen. Geezo pete! We need a bigger house!!

I use gardening gloves that have the rubber grippy coating on them, and a razor blade knife/boxcutter to cut up the feedbags and punch holes in to put the zip ties through to tie them in place. So much easier than scissors and the rubber grippy coating is relatively puncture resistant. Also I use a foam pad for my knees when crawling around on the floor and inside the crate to attach the zip ties. If you don't have zip ties or the time to put them in, taping the cut open feed bags in place from the outside (making a sandwich of tape, wire crate, feed bag) works well depending on how sticky your tape is and the texture of your feedbags. You just need to keep the feed bag sides up, the plastic pan keeps the bottom in place.

We did that a few years back - 6 days no power, total devastation over about 30% of the city (the part I lived in), and I was 2 months pregnant. No fun at all. At least the chickens are already used to the heat. Let us know how it all works out.

 

[ChicNmom]

Ok, I'm trying not to lose it - there's so much to do. I ran to the grocery store this morning and didn't have time to wait in the gas lines so there's still that to do - as I'm expecting to lose power. The last hurricane we were without power for 6 days in triple digit heat, as it is now, heat index is 99 right now.

The feed bag in the crate is a good idea. I'm going to spend the afternoon measuring spaces and moving furniture around to set up the dog pen. Geezo pete! We need a bigger house!!

You still have a couple of days so hopefully the hurricane will shift and not be as bad.

After dealing with tornados hurricanes seem easier. So much advance notice!

After this one passes maybe get a few 5 gallon gas cans and a bottle of Stabil and start a box of emergency food so you don't have to be in the storm panic crowd. We don't have a lot of storage space here so we stack a lot of things vertically.

The also make hurricane tie downs for trailers so you might be able to do something like that for the future.

Hoping the storm fizzles out for you!!!

 

[Folly's place]

All good advice so far here. Will your house hold together in predicted winds? If it's questionable, load everyone in your car or cars and drive away from the storm! If you are staying, have everyone protected away from windows and places where trees might land on your building. Is there room for your outdoor stuff to move into your garage? definitely take those tarps in! And objects that can blow around will, you have time to secure stuff, and get your critters all inside.
Hoping for things to go better...
Mary

 

[SourRoses]

We're in an RV in Ocala area. My mom is all panicy, but I can't muster much concern this time.
Thinking of the chickens is a little more motivating though.
We have 27 at the moment. Storing them in the bathroom of the RV is not possible. Nor really helpful for their safety, lol.
We have a sedan, but it only fits 3 of the big chicken crates.
Oh, and I have all of $35 to make it to the end of the month (we tend to stock up on everything, all bills paid, etc.). Life is fun sometimes.

When it comes to the question of leaving doors open or closed, the rule of thumb is to always leave them open before natural events. Doesn't matter if it's poultry, horses, cows, etc. Avoid opening gates that lead to busy roads and things like that, but otherwise the animals should have the chance to save themselves. By flying or by running. Most animals that die in natural events are hampered by their caging / stabling.

For a living room enclosure, a tent works pretty well. We did that one year, with birds in a spare room, one flock in a tent and the other between the wall / tent / some boxes.

 

[Folly's place]

I agree about the problems with locking critters in coops or barns, really bad when the structure fails.
Mary

 

[nevrenufanimals]

In my area we have frequent Hurricanes every year. (Had a cat two several weeks ago) A Cat 2 (100 mph winds) would easily blow that pen away very quickly. If it comes in as a 3, kiss that cube goodbye! Of course this all does depend on how close to the coast you live where it makes landfall. I agree with those posters that suggest a temporary crate inside. 3-5 chickens will be just fine in a medium size dog crate for a few days or more. Way calmer than out in a storm. Make a waterer with horizontal nipples to keep water off the floor of crate and minimize mess. All they need is food and water. I had 2 crates with 4-5 birds each once due to severe flooding. I brought the crates inside and stacked up on tables and had to wade through water in my dining room to check their water and food. The water went down finally after 3 days and I was able to get them back outside to their coop (after a coop hosedown). The birds were fine.

 

[alwaystj9]

They do not need to have food or water in front of them 24/7. Some types of cage clip rabbit drink bottles will also work for water. I am in SE Louisiana, I actually turn my chickens out during storms/hurricanes/flooding. They usually leave the coop and the run entirely and hang out in the barn, pooping on the goats. Best wishes and after this one passes, start a thread about tie-downs for your coop.
Best wishes for a gentle storm and safety for y'all!

 

[Bawkbok]

All, Thank you so much for your suggestions and comments - all very much appreciated. Some good ideas for future events. Excellent point about why to leave doors open; I never thought about the quick escape necessity.

For this event, this is what I've done thus far --- spent the day moving junk around to pile it higher and wider along the walls in the spare bedroom that is not a bedroom, but a junk storage room since we have no closet space here.

Then I set up the 4x4 ft dog pen in the middle - this barely gives me enough room to squeeze in and open the door to the pen. It's really meant for outside, not really a chicken pen as the squares are 3"x4" and they can walk right through which I discovered after quarantine for the pullets when I picked them up from the post office!! So I wrapped the dog pen with Xpens around the outside of it and zippy tied the xpens to the dog pen. For some reason I bought a bag of zippy ties the last time we were at Wal-Mart just to have on hand for whatever - that was before we knew about this storm.

Then, I took straw like beach mats (think beach towel only you can shake the sand off) and wrapped those around the Xpens for a sense of security so they don't get freaked out by the sensory overload factor of all the junk piled up everywhere.
Been working on this since Noon and I'm plumb exhausted. So time for a break.

Tomorrow I will work on the "ground" of the pen by adding a tarp from the run, cover it with coastal hay I no longer use in the run, followed by a ton of pine shavings. I will add the canvas tarp to cover the entire dog pen so they can't fly out or perch on the top or injure themself by having access to the room. I will figure out the food and water thing but that is the least of my worries now. I'll also bring in their favorite stool from the run - it's familiar and will give them a place to perch. Space will be tight, but hey, they are chickens, right?

I still have all the outside work to do tomorrow securing stuff, which shouldn't take but an hour or two, removing all items from the run, further securing the coop somehow, remove all tarps and pluck the girls out from the coop at dusk as they roost and bring them inside. I think it will probably be raining by then so I will have to pluck them out and bring them earlier as necessary but I am feeling better that they will have a secure place indoors.

I have to be super careful because we have a crazy 100 lb nervous anxious dog - just the way he's made - and thunderstorms really wig him out so this will be interesting. The vet prescribed anxiety meds for him but they send him into orbit so they have the opposite effect they're supposed to.

Yes, I am grateful we only have 3 chickens.

I can't imagine dealing with forest fires. That's scary.

We used to live in the woods on 15 acres "back home" in tornado alley but we had a basement to run to, which I did often. I grew up with tornados and those too are scary.

Here is my biggest concern of all -- the orpington and astralorp - both 5 months old, sort of go at each other, the BO chases the BA who spends her time running away, which is my que they need to forage again, so I let them out for an hour or two, then back in - several times a day. They have me trained well. The Comet just avoids it all and stays out of the way.
I'm concerned with the extreme confinement, someone is really going to get hurt. I've never seen a chicken fight but I guess I'll take the actual dog crate for our dog away from him and isolate a chicken in it if needed. I wish there was a chicken anxiety drug I could give them to chill them out. I'll use this confinement as an opportunity to do health checks.

We should be ok in terms of flooding but we have a water run off drainage ditch right next to the house which turns into a raging river during heavy rain so as long as that doesn't flood over we should just have to deal with yard flooding. We are considered inland but only by about 3 miles as the crow flies. We are not required to evacuate and my heart goes out to those who must. We are also in a solid structure, not a mobile home, so I am grateful for that.

Once I'm done with the preps I'll post another pic for anyone who may have further suggestions. Thank you all again for your comments and ideas.

Here's to a good nights sleep ---- or not.

 

[Folly's place]

@Bawkbok , there are several mood altering drugs available for your dog! Hope your vet's office is open tomorrow, call first thing, explain, and get something else! They can script something to a pharmacy, and so could another vet clinic or pet ER if you can find someone. Your dog will thank you for it.
Mary

 

[alwaystj9]

A friend uses dog CBD oil for her storm anxious dog. It works better for her pit bull than the pills.