Hurricane Matthew

[Intheswamp]

Well, if you're ok with having chickens in the house for an unknown number of days then go that route...leave plenty of food and water. Go ahead and buy some air freshener, too, for when you get back.

As for the chicken chicks webpage... Most of it is ok if you have the time to do those things....better to have already done them, though. Mobile home anchors for coops not built in the pole-barn style and hurricane clips for the roofs are things that are good to have regardless of approaching hurricane or not. They're good for regular high-wind thunderstorms, too.

I would leave the chickens in the runs. Wire all the doors open, rather than closing all the openings. When they sense the bad weather approaching they are most likely going to stay in the coops...they won't be out rubbernecking during the storm like some humans do...they've got better sense! I know that with honey bees you want to prop the top open so that if water rises too high the bees can exit the top (unless the hives have top entrances in which case they're already taken care of). I'm not sure chickens would know, or would have the ability, to escape a sinking ship, though. The open doors do give the chickens at least a chance to escape and find higher ground (which might be on top of the coop...or even the side) should they need to.

The part about storing feed "2 feet above ground in a dry flood-proof area"...huh? When a storm surge comes in all bets are off regarding "dry" and "flood-proof". I'd move the feed to an upper floor or on top of a chest of drawers or something...definitely higher than 2 feet. Something tells me, though, that if the surge gets that high chicken feed won't be a really important thing to you, there will be other priorities. The chickens will be able to forage the windblown landscape for all kinds of things to eat for a while...they will do what chickens are built to do...graze. But naturally, if you have some good dry feed then all the better for them.

But, the priority is human life. Prepare for evacuation if it's called for and prepare to hunker down with the proper foods, fuels, water, and medicines for your family if you have/take the option of staying at home. Above all....be safe.

Best wishes to all,
Ed

 

[Newmamabear]

Well, if you're ok with having chickens in the house for an unknown number of days then go that route...leave plenty of food and water.  Go ahead and buy some air freshener, too, for when you get back. :/

As for the chicken chicks webpage...  Most of it is ok if you have the time to do those things....better to have already done them, though.  Mobile home anchors for coops not built in the pole-barn style and hurricane clips for the roofs are things that are good to have regardless of approaching hurricane or not.  They're good for regular high-wind thunderstorms, too.

I would leave the chickens in the runs.  Wire all the doors open, rather than closing all the openings.  When they sense the bad weather approaching they are most likely going to stay in the coops...they won't be out rubbernecking during the storm like some humans do...they've got better sense!  I know that with honey bees you want to prop the top open so that if water rises too high the bees can exit the top (unless the hives have top entrances in which case they're already taken care of).  I'm not sure chickens would know, or would have the ability, to escape a sinking ship, though.  The open doors do give the chickens at least a chance to escape and find higher ground (which might be on top of the coop...or even the side) should they need to.

The part about storing feed "2 feet above ground in a dry flood-proof area"...huh?  When a storm surge comes in all bets are off regarding "dry" and "flood-proof".  I'd move the feed to an upper floor or on top of a chest of drawers or something...definitely higher than 2 feet.  Something tells me, though, that if the surge gets that high chicken feed won't be a really important thing to you, there will be other priorities.  The chickens will be able to forage the windblown landscape for all kinds of things to eat for a while...they will do what chickens are built to do...graze.  But naturally, if you have some good dry feed then all the better for them.

But, the priority is human life.  Prepare for evacuation if it's called for and prepare to hunker down with the proper foods, fuels, water, and medicines for your family if you have/take the option of staying at home.  Above all....be safe.

Best wishes to all,
Ed

X2 How are you all doing out there?

 

[michelle78]

Thanks yall. This is our yard from a storm we got a couple weeks ago. Chickens stay in the back yard but its actually worse for flooding then the front. Im just not ok with leaving them here. I have a friend thats offered to put my girls up for the storm. They are inland and have a barn. Im going to crate them so they dont get too comfortable with the fellas. I have two large crates I'm thinking 3 in each, that shouldnt cause a problem right? Being separated for about 24-30 hours?

I have somethings I'll be changing after the storm.

 

[Newmamabear]

Wow, best wishes to you all out there! They might be a little stressed with the separation but definitely the lesser of the two evils

Very best of luck to you all!

 

[Intheswamp]

Your area is definitely lying low...I take it that ya'll (along with your chickens) are going to stay with your friends during the storm? Depends on what type of storm surge you get. Katrina was a monster storm and NOLA got most of the media attention, but folks down on the Mississippi coast will tell you quickly that the storm surge is the killer....they had a 28' one....wiped out entire towns.

How far inland is your friends' barn? Just curious. I once made the wrong joke to a friend of mine...he was down in Milton, Florida, and a hurricane was approaching. We are located 90 miles inland. I asked him if he knew how to build a hurricane-proof building...he said no. I told him to build it 90 miles from the coast. The hurricane came in and made a beeline for us....lots of timber damage and lost the roof on half of a large warehouse....other people had lots of damage, too. I don't make jokes about hurricanes anymore...none whatsoever. All depends on the weather system in the area prior to hurricane arrival and the power of the hurricane as it moves inland. If your friend is on higher ground than where you are then that will definitely be good in regards to flooding, though wind may still be a factor.

It appears that the storm is going to bust Haiti wide open (and the DR, but there infrastructure is much better than Haiti's). The storm is supposed to be a major hurricane when it passes through that area...I'm afraid it will be bad there. Once it gets pass them it will be in a bit of cooler water and appears that the forecasters believe that it will lose a good bit of energy, but that is relative....a hurricane is a hurricane and can be disastrous, or not....hopefully not.

I wish you and yours (including your chickens) and all the people in the storm path a safe and sound outcome,
Ed

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Thanks yall. This is our yard from a storm we got a couple weeks ago. Chickens stay in the back yard but its actually worse for flooding then the front. Im just not ok with leaving them here. I have a friend thats offered to put my girls up for the storm. They are inland and have a barn. Im going to crate them so they dont get too comfortable with the fellas. I have two large crates I'm thinking 3 in each, that shouldnt cause a problem right? Being separated for about 24-30 hours?

I have somethings I'll be changing after the storm.

That sounds like a good solution. They should do ok being crated. Try to put the ones that get along with each other together. Sometime it's hard to tell who are buddies

If you have real hater in the group, maybe put her in a large cardboard box by herself.

Plenty of water is the main thing, moving will be a little stressful, but since they will be together they should be fine.

I wish you well.

 

[HennyPenny2]

I'm on here figuring out what to do too. My coop is also part of a long shed that is tied and cemented with hurricane straps but there are huge pines and other trees right beside it and one huge pine in the run. I don't know if I ought to lock up my 6 chickens and 2 ducks in the coop or let them loose in my fenced in yard. The coop gets super dark all closed up and I'm worried the trees falling on it.

 

[Intheswamp]

HennyPenny2, my personal opinion, as stated previously, would be to leave the door to the coop open, especially if the coop is in the confines of your yard. The negative here is blowing rain which could soak things inside the coop. I think once the storm approaches that the chickens will most likely hunker down where they feel the safest...in their coop. But, on the outside chance that something happens and they need to get out the door will be open for them. But, whichever way you feel the most comfortable with is what you need to do. Btw, it sounds like your coop is about as secure as one could be.

As for your big trees, there is nothing you can do to really prevent them from damaging things. If they fall they will fall where the winds blow them. Whether the chickens are locked up or not makes no difference...a tree could fall on the coop or fall on a piece of plywood that they're hiding under out in the yard....or the tree could completely miss everything and fall "harmlessly"...if one falls at all.

Prepare the best you can for your family, say a prayer, and wait. After the storm passes then we come out and see what condition things are in and go forward from there. That's about all we can do as somethings are out of our control.

Best wishes,
Ed

 

[Newmamabear]

I'm on here figuring out what to do too. My coop is also part of a long shed that is tied and cemented with hurricane straps but there are huge pines and other trees right beside it and one huge pine in the run. I don't know if I ought to lock up my 6 chickens and 2 ducks in the coop or let them loose in my fenced in yard. The coop gets super dark all closed up and I'm worried the trees falling on it.

I have never been in a hurricane either but I believe the structures strength is less compromised if there is a way for the wind to move through. I don't know much more than that but maybe someone with more experience can chime in, take care over there you all!!

 

[HennyPenny2]

I have never been in a hurricane either but I believe the structures strength is less compromised if there is a way for the wind to move through. I don't know much more than that but maybe someone with more experience can chime in, take care over there you all!!

Well I have been through hurricanes Andrew and Gloria and they will pick up anything not tied down. They will pick up a trailer (mobile home) and flip it. There is also the possibility of it spawning tornadoes too.