Hurricane - Florence REPORT -
For us it's been high winds and today POUNDING, straight down rain - all day. It's filled a 600# capacity wagon to the brim and it's overflowing, all 100 gallon water tanks in pony pastures are full and overflowing today as are all the black barrels we put around to use if we should lose power (we haven't gotten a generator yet, and no water from well if out of power). Thankfully, our power has only been out a little over 1 hour and was right back on. We still have cell service (Verizon) and internet (Windstream) as well.
The critters are alive, though they are all certainly feeling this weather. Most of our "coops" have been tarped, hooped structures and several tarps haven't survived. In today's continuing wind and rain, we didn't attempt to put new tarps up to replace the old one(s)... We'll do that when the rain/wind subside. We have new tarps to put up in several areas, but will need a few more as well. We've lost tin on two outbuildings as well (the tin was on the ground and can be reused, though maybe not on the same buildings) - we don't know how old those structures are but they survived Mathew before this. We'd moved into this property in 2015.
There is flooding all around us, but we are good. We do have standing water (last check didn't show it to be flowing across our property yet - it's sinking in - which is good). The "coops" are all DLM and I didn't even think about layering any new materials into them before the storm. They are doing OK, but would have been better w/ added material(s) before rather than after. Oh, well. Will do what we can. All will get layered sheet cardboard, shredded paper, pine straw (long & short) and leaves/branches to raise the ponded areas so that the birds aren't walking thru a lot of water. I'm very pleased overall - we shall see how it goes...
We have a lot of chickens as I wanted to try out new "actual" breeds (from breeders) this year and I'm putting together breeding flocks. Have already decided will probably disperse some and concentrate on the auto-sexing birds I am very quickly coming to love (have 4 different breeds - 55 Flowery Hens, CLBs - both production and JR lines, Bielefelders and Rhodebars). We also have Ameraucana (Blue & Splash, lost black roo; Lavender), Australorps (blue), Orpingtons (Lavender), Bantam RIRs and barnyard bantamXs (Ameraucana - coming from lines we've had since got started in 2011). Our egg laying girls are a nice mix of color egg producers - BA, Delaware, EE, Leghorn, NH, , PR & RO. Most are 3 yrs old and as I figure out who isn't laying they will be replaced with newbies from new flocks that are being started. Since a lot of our birds had been raised in just loose pens on our front lawn, I did a lot of combining to get them to all fit in small areas/coops before Florence hit. Right now, none is totally happy even w/o all the rain/getting wet. They'll survive.
OUr dogs are happy and our cats have been in/out today w/ no problems. Bunnies are wet from blow thru but hutches are good. Ponies - they all seem to be doing fine out in their pastures and both yesterday and this AM in between rain bands different groups were running, bucking and kiting about.
Of our 3 adult age daughters - one chose to go down to Lumberton to spend time with her boyfriend during the storm. They are now cut off, and have been w/o power for 2 days. They do have food, their home isn't flooded (yet? - he rents with 3 other single "flatmates"), so they are doing OK. The oldest, with her hubby and our 2 grand daughters are just down the road from us in a mobile home. They chose to stay in their home, but could come here if necessary. The road should be clear of serious flooding between us/them (4 miles). The middle daughter with her husband, grand daughter, grand son and new baby grand son (well 6months old) are all doing great on the property they live at just before Fuquay-Varina off of 401. 401 has been closed between Lillington and them, and parts of Fuquay are closed due to flooding there. But last check, they also still had power and the pond they are next to hasn't risen too much to affect their home, so they too, are good...
Here's a link to a photo album I have set with pics from yesterday. DIdn't get any pics today, but plan on getting some tomorrow and in the days to come as we repair and restore our coops to their pre-storm apearances...
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GQ9dDGS32UohuFsA8
