Hurricane Irene

[Lollipop]

Quote:
Nail the door shut, or a piece of plywood over it and pray for the best. Chances are, if the coop is damaged, the survivors will seek shelter somewhere and be in your yard after the storm......Pop

 

[Orange Ribbon]

I hope all of you on the coast will be safe from the storm.

For those mentioning putting their chickens in a basement or cellar, I was just wondering if there is flooding will your birds get drowned? Just wanted everyone to think about that just in case someone may have some in a cage and set them on the floor. I guess if you have something for them to get up on it won't be bad as long as the basement/cellar doesn't fill up.

Take care of yourselves, and don't take any unneeded chances!

 

[LittleRooster]

I was replying on the other post on the hurricane (under coops I think).

I am in the direct path (Delaware) so I am really worried. I have too many birds to bring in the house and we have no basement (live on a sandbar, would be flooded in no time anyway).

My coop/pen system is a 3 sided barn (rented property or I would have a different system). Two coops on the inside and two side pens. I am trying to make some kind of logical plan...started doing some work last night. I "think" this is my plan:

1 coop (half of barn) with attached pen is for my turkeys so I think I will lock them in the coop and hope the newly fixed pen makes it (but that least of my worries).

1 coop (other half of barn) is where my fancies are (Polish and Ameracauna)...I think I might bring them inside in dog crates.

The hens (RIR/Buff) run free range with Henry (Astrolorp) and roost in the barn in front of the coops (open in the front). Usually not an issue with the open front, it is big enough to have good shelter even from snow storms but with this wind...not so sure. I think I might lock them in the fancy coop.

Now the ducks/geese...they are in the pen on the other side of the barn (no access into it like the turkey part). They don't have much shelter (just a big old tree that shades the whole area). I am not sure the best thing for them. There are 6 ducks and 8 geese - nearly full grown and all very skittish. Bringing them in the house not an option, not enough room, especially with 3 humans and 3 dogs and 5 cats. It is an old farm house and I am just hoping that holds up.

I was thinking of putting together a shed for them tomorrow and putting tarps across pen but after reading comments here about blowing tarps and such...I am not sure that is a great idea.

Suggestions?

- Kitty

Little Rooster Croft

World Tree Rabbity (the rabbits are in the barn against a wall...should be as protected as anyone else....as long as barn holds)

 

[Capvin]

For those of you in NY (outside of NY City) and further North (like Vermont) I would not be in a panic yet. From the looks of the computer models the storm should decrease considerably by the time it hits NJ. Further North it may just be a rain event with very little wind to be concerned about. For right now if I lived in those areas and had a pretty substantial coop I would not be planning to move them. For those of you near the North Carolina coast and VA coast I think that you will have enough to be concerned about with your own houses and lives and your chickens may have to fend for themselves if you need to evacuate.

 

[sgtmom52]

I just came home yesterday from visiting with friends who live just outside of Orlando, Florida. While we were there we were closely watching Irene and were glad we were leaving before it hit there. Now it looks like we are going to get hit much harder here in PA than they are in Fla.

Looks like we might get heavy rain and some winds. Hopefully the winds won't be too bad as we live in the woods and there is always the concern of trees blowing onto the coop or the house!

 

[Capvin]

To Little Rooster in Delaware: I think that based on the computer models you stand a chance that the storm will pass a bit East of where you are. From how it looks now the storm will pass just off the coast of NJ which would put it some what East of you location. You will still get wind and rain but there is a chance that it could be reduced to a tropical storm or, at most, a Cat 1 when it passes you. From your decriptions I think that you can only make the existing coop as secure as possible. DO NOT put up tarps, plastic or the like unless you really want the coop to fly off in the wind. As for flooding if you have a raised coop that should be helpful. I think that I would not lock the chickens, ducks, etc. in their coops as if the coop begins to take destruction from the storm they will be trapped and stand no chance.

 

[Capvin]

Tp South central PA....I really think that you are pretty safe. Yes, you will get more wind and rain then Florida, but here in Florida we will not be touched at all while you will get a bit of rain with very little wind. I do not think you have anything to be concerned about.

 

[LittleRooster]

Quote:
Capvin, thank you. Some good points to think about. I grew up in southern Florida (half mile from Biscayne Bay)...I was used to hurricane prep but I was a kid and the house was built to withstand this kind of wind and rain. and we only had 1 cat to keep safe with us. Now I have all these animals and it is a bit daunting thinking of the possibilities of loss. So many around me lost so much during the big snowstorms a few years ago...we were lucky. Hopefully we will be again!

 

[Buff Hooligans]

I live on outer Cape Cod. I think we'll just get tropical storm type conditions. But I'm bringing my four chickens to the basement if it gets any worse than that.
Already planned a little pen down there for them. Just have to keep them away from my emergency chocolate-covered pretzels and gin and we'll all be fine.

 

[Capvin]

Buff....I was in Cape Cod last year around Labor Day when the entire Cape was in a panic about a storm that passed by them many miles out to sea. Just got some rain. This time every computer model shows the storm to pass by Cape Cod quite a bit West. I do not think that the Cape will get anything other then some rain and by the time it gets that far North it should be pretty well reduced in intensity.