Topic of the Week - Chicken Keeping in Weather Extremes

[newchickfl]

Have you all seen this? Thought it was a great idea evacuating many chickens...

I thought it was a pretty good idea to help safely get them transported

 

[black_dove2]

EDITED to add
I realize that I may not have given any concrete advise and the video of extreme weather may be disturbing to some. I'm sorry it's just that so many people I've spoken with over the years do not think it will happen to them. Even with such a instant global news postings I still had a friend would always gave me the same answer.

I'm in Florida they never hit here. So now she's trying to keep her and her 90 year old father safe in his home. The woman that seemed to be prepared for pretty much anything at one time is suddenly caught alone putting up shutters etc.

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In the 80s my mom was a Red Cross Volunteer for Crisis Hotline in Corpus Christi Texas. When Hurricane Gilbert hit Monterey Mexico my mom's hometown and where all her family lived she volunteered to go with Red Cross as an aid in the aftermath.

My mom told me how frightening it was even though she had been through a few already because of the livestock floating along with debris in the rivers. That has always stayed with me me because she was such a tiny little quiet woman that I didn't think was afraid of anything.

No one knows how much I pray for all never to experience same disaster.

Hurricane Gilbert was an extremely powerful tropical cyclone that formed during the 1988 Atlantic hurricane season that peaked at Category 5 strength and brought widespread destruction to the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. It was the most intense hurricane ever observed in the Atlantic basin, until Hurricane Wilma surpassed it during 2005.

 

[aart]

Have you all seen this? Thought it was a great idea evacuating many chickens...

So, you wrap them in newspaper and then tape? It is unlikely we'd have to vacate our home, but if we did, we have a friend's wildlife refuse we could use for a bit. I'd like to take the hens with us and I idly wondered how we'd do that sort-of last minute.

I would be very careful with this......they could overheat being wrapped up like that, the tape if too tight could keep their ribs from expanding and greatly inhibit their ability to breathe.

 

[Pater est Pullis]

I know y'all are getting hammered in Florida, prayers out to you. I just prepped my coop for Irma, best I could, here in SC. To prepare, I added slide bolts to side shutters, temporarily covered back windows with plexiglass, and covered chicken doors with sheet metal. Going to eventually frame plexiglass, add hinges and lock, for storm shutters. internally, needs hurricane brackets, externally, ground anchorage.

 

[ChickNanny13]

I would be very careful with this......they could overheat being wrapped up like that, the tape if too tight could keep their ribs from expanding and greatly inhibit their ability to breathe.

This was just for transport, not to keep them, I hope. Someone needs to come up with a "transport" wrap for chickens! Wonder if a childs T Shirt would sort of work? I've got 4 pullets so I'd just stick them in a doggie crate but Roos are another story.

My daughter & grand girls helped move some horses (Valrico) to higher ground but that was when Irma was heading east to Miami. I hurt for those with livestock

 

[Ursuline Chick]

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I know y'all are getting hammered in Florida, prayers out to you. I just prepped my coop for Irma, best I could, here in SC. To prepare, I added slide bolts to side shutters, temporarily covered back windows with plexiglass, and covered chicken doors with sheet metal. Going to eventually frame plexiglass, add hinges and lock, for storm shutters. internally, needs hurricane brackets, externally, ground anchorage.

Excellent ideas, thank you

 

[aart]

This was just for transport, not to keep them, I hope.

I hope so too, but that's just it, we don't know. Even for transport, cautions remain.

 

[lazy gardener]

Most of our severe weather consists of:

Snow. Lots of it, sometimes making it very difficult to even get out the door. There have been times when residents have to climb out a window to get a shovel so they can free up access to their front door. For the chickens, I simply shovel a bit of a path, and keep the snow knocked off their sun room roof. This may require going out every couple of hours, even in the middle of the night in a thick and wet storm. Oh yeah... safety from falling snow: I have to block off 3/4 of my run during the winter due to the metal roof on coop.

Ice. Ice storms that can deposit up to 1/2" of ice at a time and knock out power for days at a time. Our record was 13 days without power. We bought a generator, so are somewhat protected. For the chickens: I keep ice creepers on my boots through most of the winter, and keep a pair of ski poles at front and back door. I use ice to an advantage by transporting their FF in a snow sled.

Cold. A cold snap can keep temps below 0*F 24/7 for weeks at a time. I use a heated dog bowl to keep their water thawed. No heat in the coop UNLESS the birds are showing signs of hypothermia: Birds not moving well, and their appetite will actually be a bit depressed. In the worst of the cold snaps, I will provide a bit of supplemental heat: a heat lamp secured in 3 locations with red bulb at night. NO matter how cold it gets, good ventilation is crucial. My coop has eave and gable vents. 3 windows, and a floor level vent. I block the floor level vent for the winter, but leave one if not 2 windows open a bit, except in the bitter cold and during blizzards. Birds are encouraged to go out and play in their sun room any time day time temps are greater than 10*F.

Wind. A lot of dead trees on neighbor's property directly behind my coop. I've actually taken down a fair number of them, and paid a tree service to take down the 3 worst offenders. Aside from that, I pray! God is gracious and has always felled trees in a direction that is not harmful!

Heat. Yes, believe it or not, it can get hot enough here to cause harm to my flock. 2 summers ago, when checking on my juveniles in their grow out pen (I believe they were about 2 months old) I noticed first one, and then several others stumbling around. My mind started whirring: Mareck's disease? Some sort of poisoning? Then, I realized it was a hot day. I had just recovered from a bit of dizziness related to too much heat, too much outdoor work, and not enough water... so I came inside and did a quick google search, mixed up some home made Pedialyte and gave each flock a qt. of it. They slurped it down. Within 1/2 hour, the juveniles were restored to their perky selves.

 

[black_dove2]

Most of our severe weather consists of:

Snow. Lots of it, sometimes making it very difficult to even get out the door. There have been times when residents have to climb out a window to get a shovel so they can free up access to their front door. For the chickens, I simply shovel a bit of a path, and keep the snow knocked off their sun room roof. This may require going out every couple of hours, even in the middle of the night in a thick and wet storm. Oh yeah... safety from falling snow: I have to block off 3/4 of my run during the winter due to the metal roof on coop.

Ice. Ice storms that can deposit up to 1/2" of ice at a time and knock out power for days at a time. Our record was 13 days without power. We bought a generator, so are somewhat protected. For the chickens: I keep ice creepers on my boots through most of the winter, and keep a pair of ski poles at front and back door. I use ice to an advantage by transporting their FF in a snow sled.

Cold. A cold snap can keep temps below 0*F 24/7 for weeks at a time. I use a heated dog bowl to keep their water thawed. No heat in the coop UNLESS the birds are showing signs of hypothermia: Birds not moving well, and their appetite will actually be a bit depressed. In the worst of the cold snaps, I will provide a bit of supplemental heat: a heat lamp secured in 3 locations with red bulb at night. NO matter how cold it gets, good ventilation is crucial. My coop has eave and gable vents. 3 windows, and a floor level vent. I block the floor level vent for the winter, but leave one if not 2 windows open a bit, except in the bitter cold and during blizzards. Birds are encouraged to go out and play in their sun room any time day time temps are greater than 10*F.

Wind. A lot of dead trees on neighbor's property directly behind my coop. I've actually taken down a fair number of them, and paid a tree service to take down the 3 worst offenders. Aside from that, I pray! God is gracious and has always felled trees in a direction that is not harmful!

Heat. Yes, believe it or not, it can get hot enough here to cause harm to my flock. 2 summers ago, when checking on my juveniles in their grow out pen (I believe they were about 2 months old) I noticed first one, and then several others stumbling around. My mind started whirring: Mareck's disease? Some sort of poisoning? Then, I realized it was a hot day. I had just recovered from a bit of dizziness related to too much heat, too much outdoor work, and not enough water... so I came inside and did a quick google search, mixed up some home made Pedialyte and gave each flock a qt. of it. They slurped it down. Within 1/2 hour, the juveniles were restored to their perky selves.

Thank you!!! You should consider expanding to an article! If I could rate you now it'd be 5 star. Consise, clear, understanding and covers all types of weather

 

[Dawnclucks22]

I would be very careful with this......they could overheat being wrapped up like that, the tape if too tight could keep their ribs from expanding and greatly inhibit their ability to breathe.

Yea, I thought the same thing. It's clever, sure, but I'd also be worried about them rolling off the seats and everything. I'd rather put them in a cage or dog crate.