What do you do...

[Uzuri]

...when it's storming like the end of the world, looks to continue to storm for a good long while, and your chickens need locking up?

Last night I ran out before the storm got here and threw them in their house and barred the door. I don't get that option today, since they're at home and I'm at work

So what do you do? Hope that the coons stay in out of the rain? Go out at 3 in the morning when the lightning is past and hit the door? Give the rooster a key and tell him to lock up after himself?

 

[Camelot Farms]

Yikes. My experience is that coons are generally a late evening, after dark predator so as long as you are home to get them in at normal time, they should be fine.

A little water wont hurt older birds as long as they can get dry eventually. My girls enjoy a shower now and then. LOL

 

[wombat]

Hmm ... if ours are in the run, they go under the awning or in the coop.

If they are out free ranging, they get under shrubbery or pine trees, or come up near the house and get into the children's playset and poop all over it.

 

[fldiver97]

Mine will go under/behind a thick border of junipers next to the house if it storms during the day. It is pretty sheltered there. If it rains later in the day they go in the coop to sleep as usual. I've not had a time yet where lightning/thunder kept them from going in by themselves.....Easy of course if it happens when they don't free roam but are in the outdoor run. They go in the coop (run has a roof and stays dry) when it gets dark. I close up after them as soon as I can. But then my yard is also fenced, I have dogs and never had a racoon or coyote get past the fence (lived here for 4 years). Can't give the key to the rooster, don't have one....and don' trust the silly girls with it!!!!

 

[ohiofarmgirl]

we had a horrible storm last nite before we could put anyone up so we had to do it in the dark!

usually when we hear that a storm is coming, depending on the warnings, we run out and make everyone go in - then lock them up until it passes. and we lock ours up at nite so they pass any evening storms inside.

most older/mature hens will go into where they roost b/c they know its safe - some of the younger ones will hide under tall grass etc so they still need to learn.

however we had one batch of chicks (25) who thought that the thunder was INSIDE the hen house! every time it boomed they would run out screaming! it was kinda funny... but then learned to go in after we started locking them up. getting 25 hysterical little chicks inside during an electrical storm is pretty scary tho

good luck!

 

[Uzuri]

Quote:
And when I see this in my head, the little chicks are screaming like schoolgirls. Such a funny mental picture

Thanks everyone. Guess what? Because I asked, the storm completely dissipated. We had a beautiful evening. Go figure!