Tropical Storm prep Central FL seminole county

[gclarrot]

I currently have an OPEN air coop (3 walls, 60 sq ft coop, 8 chickens, and a 120 sq ft run). Everything is cemented down, hardware cloth is secure with washers and screws. Its roof is also anchored down. I'm not necessarily worried about the coop...just the ladies.

But, i have 8 ladies in my coop. 1 X-Large dog crate.

If this storm is headed toward us, it wouldn't be safe to keep the ladies in their open air coop with 50 - 60 MPH winds.

How should I handle this situation for prepping?
My husband and I have been slowly prepping for hurricane season since this year has been such a toxic dumpster fire. We have many jugs of water...due to being on a well system..so no power? we don't be able to drink.

it's arrival is showing about Sunday currently.

 

[swamphiker]

Hi there, I'm also in Florida and am watching this potential TS closely. If this one comes to Florida, it should move fairly quickly, so you may be able to put your ladies in some boxes somewhere dark and quiet and wait for the storm to pass since it should just be a few hours. It's good to have a plan, even if this one doesn't end up being much there's always the next one.

Here are my hurricane plans for the chickens:
-For a weak system, we will likely just move the coop next to the house and away from the direction of the wind (it's an A-frame chicken tractor with wheels so this isn't too difficult). We might also consider using ratchet straps to reinforce the roof.
-For a slightly more serious storm, we'll likely put the chickens in some boxes in a dark room.
-For a bigger or very slow-moving storm, we will prepare the bathroom or a section of a room as a chicken coop by lining the floor with pine shavings and providing food, water, and nesting boxes. Think Zoo Miami flamingos during Hurricane Andrew:

-It's also worth considering whether or not you would evacuate with your chickens or come up with a plan for your chickens in the event that you have to evacuate.

Good luck! If it helps, I saw plenty of chickens survive in the lower Fl Keys during/after Irma.

 

[gclarrot]

Hi there, I'm also in Florida and am watching this potential TS closely. If this one comes to Florida, it should move fairly quickly, so you may be able to put your ladies in some boxes somewhere dark and quiet and wait for the storm to pass since it should just be a few hours. It's good to have a plan, even if this one doesn't end up being much there's always the next one.

Here are my hurricane plans for the chickens:
-For a weak system, we will likely just move the coop next to the house and away from the direction of the wind (it's an A-frame chicken tractor with wheels so this isn't too difficult). We might also consider using ratchet straps to reinforce the roof.
-For a slightly more serious storm, we'll likely put the chickens in some boxes in a dark room.
-For a bigger or very slow-moving storm, we will prepare the bathroom or a section of a room as a chicken coop by lining the floor with pine shavings and providing food, water, and nesting boxes. Think Zoo Miami flamingos during Hurricane Andrew:
View attachment 2266361
-It's also worth considering whether or not you would evacuate with your chickens or come up with a plan for your chickens in the event that you have to evacuate.

Good luck! If it helps, I saw plenty of chickens survive in the lower Fl Keys during/after Irma.

That’s can’t comforting.

I’m a native so I have been through a lot of them. Just never having chickens. We just loaded up our dogs and bolted anything over cat 3.

I have some pretty vivid memories of Charlie and Frances. We lived in a cinderblock house house. I also live in one. Nothing is haunting as hearing wind cut through your house.

I assumed I’d place them in my bathroom if the storm Is slow moving
Vs the main hallway bathroom that has no exterior door (which we would be, and have been before) with the cats and dogs.

other than that I was thinking of placing them in the dog crate (4 ladies in 1 and the other 4 ladies in another one) in the garage with some pine flakes, water and food.

It isn’t avoidable u

For the best outcome for having evacuate we would be able to bring chickens - not just dogs and cats. I’d have to hope for the best of work we left them behind .

Thankfully we are not in a low lying area and just recently had our land surveyed.

 

[swamphiker]

Your plans sound great to me!

If someday you do need to evacuate, think about if you have any neighbors who won't evacuate who would be willing to look in on them.

 

[gclarrot]

Your plans sound great to me!

If someday you do need to evacuate, think about if you have any neighbors who won't evacuate who would be willing to look in on them.

Gosh, we all laugh and say no one would evacuate after Irma. We had the better side though. Just some down limbs.
I do have a neighbor who couldn’t leave since she works in a nursing home who loves my chickens. Thanks for that advice.

 

[swamphiker]

Yeah, the evacuate vs. shelter in place debate is tough. At the time of Irma we lived on Big Pine Key so evacuating was a no-brainer and I'm extremely glad we left, but it's always a tough call given the uncertainty of storms and evacuating is no picnic. I now live inland and well away from any flood areas, so evacuating is one less thing to think about.

One last thought: your open chicken coop might fare better than expected, at least in a TS. The wire sides should allow more wind to pass through, rather than catching the wind and blowing away.

 

[gclarrot]

Yeah, the evacuate vs. shelter in place debate is tough. At the time of Irma we lived on Big Pine Key so evacuating was a no-brainer and I'm extremely glad we left, but it's always a tough call given the uncertainty of storms and evacuating is no picnic. I now live inland and well away from any flood areas, so evacuating is one less thing to think about.

One last thought: your open chicken coop might fare better than expected, at least in a TS. The wire sides should allow more wind to pass through, rather than catching the wind and blowing away.

Thankfully you are all are safe after everything was over.

Being inland like myself make us feel safe but we’re certainly not unaware of the storms. I’m in Seminole county, incorporated near lake Mary.

My neighbor has 80 chickens and 20 ducks but he locks them and then they backyard range on 5 acres.
I only have 1/4 of an acre.

When Michael(?) came though in 2016 we evacuated since it was basically going to wipe Florida. It hooked the last minute.
We went all the way to Louisiana.

Then we came back. We had a beautiful vacation though!

 

[sourland]

Good luck to all facing the possibility of this storm.