In severe storms, how to keep the girls in the garage??

[Dhkoenig]

Hi - I have been reading up on what to do to take care of my chickens in severe weather. I was thinking ahead for winter with severe winter storms, several feet of snow, wind/ice storms etc..but also in the spring summer when there are hurricanes. We are building a new coop that will probably be really strong and great. (I will attach a picture of the plans we are following as a side note for you pros to weigh in on) but in the worst of storms, I would be able to take the ladies into my garage. We have lots of big trees also that could fall etc.. surrounding their coop. The question I have, that I can't seem to find online answers to, is when I get them in to the garage for a really bad storm, what is the best way to have them in there? A pack-n-play? How do you corral them, and give them room to lay their eggs, and walk around, without giving them free reign in a roomy 2 car garage and keep them out of danger in there? Also if I do bring them in for a really severe winter storm, will they stay warm enough if the garage isn't heated? Without the cozy coop to harness their body heat? Sorry so long, but I am new to this and don't want to make any mistakes.

 

[sourland]

I would be seriously tempted to leave them in their coop unless there is a severe possibility of trees falling on it.

 

[Hanathehappyhen]

I have to do this during summer when nit gets too hot too. I would take a large corner, and block it off, with a baby corral or something like that, fill the inside of the pen with straw/woodshavings to make them more comfortable and give them something to do. For nesting boxes a cardboard box with some straw in it should be fine. If you don't want any poops to fall through and get your garage floor gross, take a couple plastic mats/picnic blankets you don't want, and they can be as messy as they want. I hope your new coop turns out great!

 

[Acre4Me]

I was thinking ahead for winter with severe winter storms, several feet of snow, wind/ice storms etc..but also in the spring summer when there are hurricanes.

curiosity piqued - where (in general) do you live that you would be particularly concerned with BOTH hurricanes and severe winter storms?

A pack-n-play? How do you corral them, and give them room to lay their eggs, and walk around, without giving them free reign in a roomy 2 car garage and keep them out of danger in there? Also if I do bring them in for a really severe winter storm, will they stay warm enough if the garage isn't heated?

I agree with blocking off a corner, if possible. You might need to put a cover on it - I've used a simple roll light fabric or extra metal shelving, or some plastic fencing at various times to make a cover...one time even used a broken shade umbrella. If using any fabric anywhere, make sure that there are not any loose strings or threads - they may try to eat them, and can cause problems. A playpen can be fine if you are talking about 2-4 birds or for a short time (like overnight) for more birds. Even if you don't provide an actual nest, they will make their own in the shavings and lay there, but a bin/box will be fine. Staying warm - that should not be a problem, as the garage will be warmer than outside, and considerably less drafty in a storm.