New chickens and heavy rain

[2txmedics]

ITS FUNNY NOW, BUT NOT AT THE TIME, SO YOU ALL LAUGH YOUR HEADS OFF:

Ok, Ive had them now for 21wks. raised them from babies, let me explain: Im an animal lover, we have 3cats, 2 africian greys, 1 goffin cockatoo, 1blue/gold macaw, and 7 dogs, and our chickens 19 of them.

Not to long after we got them, in Arpil we had 3 days of HEAVY HEAVY RAIN, non stop. We tend to flood with that much rain. Honey goes outside and is gone like a good 40mins, Im making a cake *decorate on the side* I keep looking out the back, dont see honey. Ok maybe sitting in the hen house as its raining harder!!! I keep watching the clock.

Then kitchen door opens and honey says: We're going to lose our chickens, WHAT?~~~WHY??? its flooding pretty heavy and there out of the coop, didnt go in for shelter. ok, cake stuff down, we cant let them die!!! Grabbing my rain gear. honey says what are you doing? I said we're going out and try to catch them and put them in the coop.

We are both medics and work out in bad weather, no big deal..we still dont like to get wet.

Honey says put on your rain boots tuck your pants in so you dont get your sock wet, ok...here we go......POURING HARD AND I MEAN H.A.R.D!!!!

We get to the chicken coop and its flooded and at our ankles, the watering is rising steady, so here we are in the heavy rain, CHASING CHICKENS...they went under the coop, we cant get them out, grab a rake to slide it under and then they can come out...they were floating, sinking, jumping, everything. We couldnt grad them!!! Water is now almost to our mid legs. Ok, going in for the kill FORGET staying dry its not working anyway, and we're medics...we are use to working calls in bad weather.

water is now almost to my knees...I said you stand there, I will lay down in the water and move rake to the left, be ready to catch them...honey says BUT YOUR GONNA GET MORE WET...but my chickens will DIE~~~~get ready...those babies came out scared like crazy, and we went at it, grabbing them where we could...wings, legs, necks...whatever it took...counted as we did this, caught them, and shut the coop door.

This was our very first experience with our chickens, and we wont ever forget it...honey laughs...says Im crazy, there just chickens...no, they were scared, and wet...I just couldnt see us picking up dead chickens...it would have broken my heart to know I could have prevented it. Heck, I safe dumb drunks out in the streets...

HEN HOUSE:

Now we know it floods, so when we see heavy rain coming, we run out and put them in the coop...I have to find a way to train them to go in, dont know why they didnt if it was raining heavy and flooding...??? anyone???

 

[TipsyDog]

My chickens don't seem to mind the rain. My coop is raised up 2 feet so they go under for shelter, but they don't go in. We don't flood here, but this summer has been nothing but rain and every time those chickens stay outside!

 

[nwgirl]

I thought for sure my 12 week old chickens would run for the coop when it started raining yesterday (the first time they've experienced rain), but no such luck. They didn't seem to mind it as much as I thought they would.

I'm glad you two were home when this happened. I would like to think after that experience the chickens would make a bee line for the coop the next time it starts to rain. Maybe use a little scratch to lure them back inside the coop every time it rains and maybe eventually they'll learn to go back on their own. Maybe an afternoon rain drill would help. One of you direct the sprinkler to simulate rain and the other use the scratch to lure them back to the coop. Do this several times luring them with the scratch, then try it without luring them and see if they'll go back on their own.

 

[2txmedics]

Ok now my chickens are in the ARMY!!!!...like my kids...ARMY DRILLS...good idea, will have to try that....yes Im glad we were home, I cant imagine coming home and finding dead chickens and not know why they died if the waters had gone down. I never thought it would flood that bad back there!

It came up to under my knees, of course Im 4'11" but still that is alot of water, and I read somewhere in here that chickens dont swim??? I thought they could do like a duck and float and move there legs.

 

[007Dawn]

They will eventually do it on their own but at that age you have to force them. If they get to wet put them in a box with a towel over it and place a hairdryer to blow from the top on low heat and that will keep them warm and dry them. We have done it before with success.

 

[b.hromada]

Thats a cute story, albeit, annoying to you, huh?

My silly girls don't go inside either when it rains? I guess they don't mind it, especially if its really hot outside. I can just see it, your chickens are "floating" away!

 

[Sissy]

We have one of our coops almost the same set up as yours and with all the rain we have had i put 3 sticks all the same height in through the cyclone fence as roosts
so when the chx were out they hopped on the roosts and were safe from the water rising...untill it went down..