Preparing Geese for Hurricane?

[SkyBlueEmu]

So it looks like hurricane Florence is headed directly towards where I live and is expected to be a cat 4 upon landfall. Will my geese be fine staying in their enclosure? It's around 200sq ft with a small box/house attached to the back of it that enclosed and sturdy. Half of the enclosure has a solid roof and the other is wire fencing. The whole enclosure is pretty heavy so I'm not so worried about it blowing away. I stocked up on their food and have an emergency water supply just for them. So should they be ok outside with adequate shelter? Taking them inside would be difficult because they are so large and there's 6 of them. Anyone else dealt with hurricanes and their flocks before?

 

[True Patriot]

It sounds like you're on the right track. I live in coastal Georgia so I'm familiar with your problem. They should be fine, animals are pretty resistant when it comes to survival. I don't know your coop designs but if you can add some anchoring it won't hurt. Even the screw in ground anchors are better than nothing. Don't underestimate the power of wind. You may be faced with an evacuation choice. Better to plan for it and not need than figure it out late. If you can take your animals make sure you have all the necessary supplies and housing for them. If you can't, storm proof as best as you can. Leave them adequate food and water for at least a week, preferably longer. On the way out you have to choose, lock them in, or let them free. There are benefits and hazards to both. Locking in will provide protection from the storm. But will limit their survival to how much food/water is left with them. Letting them free will leave them open to the storm, but will allow them to forage if you can't return quickly. It's never an easy choice, but first you must consider human lives. We all love our animals, but they are not worth you or anyone else being endangered.

 

[staceyj]

So it looks like hurricane Florence is headed directly towards where I live and is expected to be a cat 4 upon landfall. Will my geese be fine staying in their enclosure? It's around 200sq ft with a small box/house attached to the back of it that enclosed and sturdy. Half of the enclosure has a solid roof and the other is wire fencing. The whole enclosure is pretty heavy so I'm not so worried about it blowing away. I stocked up on their food and have an emergency water supply just for them. So should they be ok outside with adequate shelter? Taking them inside would be difficult because they are so large and there's 6 of them. Anyone else dealt with hurricanes and their flocks before?

Hey! I’m here too!
I’m in Wilmington where are you?

 

[SkyBlueEmu]

Hey! I’m here too!
I’m in Wilmington where are you?

I'm just outside of Wilmington too.

 

[SkyBlueEmu]

It sounds like you're on the right track. I live in coastal Georgia so I'm familiar with your problem. They should be fine, animals are pretty resistant when it comes to survival. I don't know your coop designs but if you can add some anchoring it won't hurt. Even the screw in ground anchors are better than nothing. Don't underestimate the power of wind. You may be faced with an evacuation choice. Better to plan for it and not need than figure it out late. If you can take your animals make sure you have all the necessary supplies and housing for them. If you can't, storm proof as best as you can. Leave them adequate food and water for at least a week, preferably longer. On the way out you have to choose, lock them in, or let them free. There are benefits and hazards to both. Locking in will provide protection from the storm. But will limit their survival to how much food/water is left with them. Letting them free will leave them open to the storm, but will allow them to forage if you can't return quickly. It's never an easy choice, but first you must consider human lives. We all love our animals, but they are not worth you or anyone else being endangered.

I started to storm proof their home (it's like a giant cage), going to try and decrease some of the wind resistance on the sides so air blows through instead of knowing it over. Will definitely get somethings to anchor it down (I got to do that anyway to everything else in the yard I can't bring inside). Right now I think my best option is to leave then in there enclosure when I have leave to and hopefully I can monitor them with the camera in the coop as long as the power stays on. Not going to go too far away, just down the road to a house that is sturdier, so I can walk to check on them very quickly after the storm.

 

[123RedBeard]

Sounds like they will be fine ... they will probably have a blast out playing in the rain!

Those screw in dog tie out anchors would work too ... if you have clay type soil ... you can wet the ground a little(lot!) to soften it up some to screw them into the ground ...

 

[Iain Utah]

I've been in the eye of Andrew and the wind and projectiles are very serious. Florence reminds me of Andrew. If it were me, and I was not evacuating (that is my preferred method of preparing for hurricanes) I'd put the geese in a couple xlarge dog crates and bring them inside. If no crates, then lock them inside closet or bathroom.

 

[Cadbury22]

I am also in the path of the hurricane, although not directly on the coast. I'm most worried about the wind and branches falling from the trees, so I am bringing my chickens inside

 

[Gray Farms]

I agree with Iain Utah. Whether you ride it out or not, bring them inside the house or garage. If you have anything but carpet in the bathroom lock them in there, it will be easy to clean later.

 

[SkyBlueEmu]

Sounds like they will be fine ... they will probably have a blast out playing in the rain!

Those screw in dog tie out anchors would work too ... if you have clay type soil ... you can wet the ground a little(lot!) to soften it up some to screw them into the ground ...

The worst of the storm is now over. They stayed in their enclosure and had a blast ( and they still are in the rain). They actually preferred to be in the rain splashing around in puddles that formed in the enclosure rather than go inside. If the wind got too bad for them they were smart enough to figure out they could sleep in their box/coop that was safe from the wind and rain. Really surprised me that they liked the storm and rain, but then again they are WATERfowl.