What is your plan when tornado is happening???

[Toi-toi]

Tornadoes hit Central MA yesterday. Nothing like Joplin, but I was scared.
Last summer, we had a lot of tornado warning but nothing happened. So yesterday was my first experience of tornadoes.

Last summer, I freaked out and I gathered them and put them in the coop.
Then my husband said "if tornado hits the coop, all of your chickens are gone. but if you let them free range, some will survive".
So yesterday, I didn't put them in the coop. They were free ranged during the storm time.
Some were stayed under the tree, some were went to coop.

So here is my question...
What are you guys doing for your chickens when tornado warning is on???

 

[AccioSarah]

I put them into the coop. My coop has posts dug into the ground, and I think it's secure enough to withstand high winds.
And if a tornado was to actually come that close to my house and the chicken's coop, I don't think free ranging chickens would survive any better then one in a coop if everything is falling apart and coming down...

 

[tgperg]

I left mine in the coop when we had a tornado watch the other day. I considered catching my favorites and bringing them into the house with us, no lie. I decided against it, but was tempted.

Traci

 

[storeman]

Me and my family get someplace safe and I let the birds handle themselves. My birds don't free range so the hen house will have to do. I don't want to loose any birds to bad weather but that's the only choice we have.

 

[Toi-toi]

My coop is not strong like AccioSarah's.
Mine is standing on blocks, not grounded....

I was thinking to bring them in the basement, too.
I only got 5 right now and they are easy to catch.
But I have finished basement and carpeted floor and I don't have chicken diapers!!

 

[tgperg]

Quote:
But you have time to make chicken diapers. They're really easy. I made some when I had some chickens getting picked on. They lived in my sun room for a couple weeks.

Traci

 

[PaigeHgibson]

Tornado killed most of my birds last week , the ones who were out in the pen survived the ones inside were mostly crushed or thrown against walls when the building was torn apart, so i think the best thing to do would be leave them out , my building was anchored almost a foot in the ground with cement and metal anchors

 

[scooter147]

Any way you look at it if the tornado is imminent take shelter immediately!!!!!! You do not have time to lock up or round up your birds, if it hit's you it's probably not going to matter anyway one way or the other.
I was hit by the tornado here in Missouri on Good Friday. Trust me you do not have time nor do you want to attempt to "secure" the birds.
I actually put my dogs in the basement about 20 minutes before it hit, God talking to me I think, there were no warnings for my immediate area at that time. I've never put my dogs in the basement nor have I ever gone myself during a tornado warning. This time when I heard on the tv where it was and I stuck my head out the back door the sight and sounds were scary as hell. I made a mad dash for the basement and when I opened the door the dogs ran up. No time to retreive them, I bunkered down under a mattress the dogs sleep on. I love my dogs but at that monent I was in survival mode and I wasn't willing to risk my life or severe injury to myself.
Fortunately the house stood. A big oak fell right through the middle of the chicken coop and as luck would have it is was roosting time and they were all on the roost in the back and all survive.

They (national weather service) estimated it was a high end EF2 tornado that went down the street behind me. A tad stronger and the coop probably would have been gone and at best I would have lost the roof to my house.

My two cents worth.

Stay safe.

 

[aggieterpkatie]

Like Scooter says, if a tornado is imminent, chickens will be the LAST thing on my mind! I would worry about humans first, dogs second, cats third, and then the livestock (sheep and goats first, chickens dead last). That's just the way it would be! Honestly, the livestock would have to fend for themselves! Darn if I'm risking my life for the livestock!

 

[silkeysandra]

I just have 6 pet chickens here so I actually have a multiple carrier (holds 4 animals) that I can quickly load and put inside our pantry if needed. We had bad storms blow through last week here in DFW area in Texas but I did not bother the hens, feeling like their intuition would send them to some shelter around the house. Like you, some hid here and there and some ran into the coop. Next storm, I'm conflicted about whether to gather them up or not. I do have the method to do it ready, tho. At least it's a plan.