Suggestions please-July 4th Fireworks stress

[Bawkbok]

Hello all, First time experience with chickens. We have 5 month old pullets - we have no idea how to deal with the stress of fireworks. We live in a crammed neighborhood and people all around us (next yard and all around) everywhere that like to blow stuff up. It starts usually a week in advance and lasts for a week post Independence Day. It's so close from all directions, we have to worry about stuff landing on our roof and starting fires in the trees. There are so many people that do this - it causes tremendous stress for us and our dogs. We don't know how to manage the chickens. Since the noise starts well before dark (4:00 PMish) and goes until about 2:00 AM, it is constant. They are "illegal" here but no one ever does anything about that. Forcing the hens into the coop so early doesn't seem like a good option and they will roast in there with it being around 90 degrees even at 10:00 PM already. We have an Eglu Cube coop - that's another issue for another day. They are not really noise desensitized as the most noise is traffic, trucks, tree trimmers. Do they make a chicken anxiety aid like you can get from the vet for your dogs? We appreciate any input others may have. Thank you

 

[nuthatched]

Can you bring them in? I'd bring them in in the evenings.

 

[Bawkbok]

I could I guess - we have a small house and it's stuffed with two large dogs who are kept separate from the hens at all times. I wonder if a large size dog crate would be too small of space and stress them more? We have no basement, safe porch and the garage is too hot. Does putting them in a bathroom seem ok? Thank you for your response.

 

[kcan2]

It sounds like your chickens may be less stressed by an overnight stay in the bathroom than they would be outside. Mine have slept in dog crates before with some puppy pads in the bottom, roosting bars, and an old sheet to cover the dog crate. Your chickens would probably be much less surprised by the flushing than they would by firework explosions

 

[RoyalChick]

I have been known to bring mine inside. Like @kcan2 I have a big dog crate. I line the base with puppy pads (may not be necessary as there is a tray in the bottom) and put a 2x4 up on bricks for them to roost.
Don't know if you have a basement or a bathroom without windows - but if you do you can cause it to be night for them earlier than sunset and they will probably sleep happily in the crate all night.

 

[Bawkbok]

Thank you for your suggestions. We will borrow the crate from the dog and put it in a bedroom. I would never have thought of the 2x4 for a roost; that's a great idea. Not to mention, it's much cooler inside. Thank you both for your ideas.

 

[Loving my girls]

It sounds like your chickens may be less stressed by an overnight stay in the bathroom than they would be outside. Mine have slept in dog crates before with some puppy pads in the bottom, roosting bars, and an old sheet to cover the dog crate. Your chickens would probably be much less surprised by the flushing than they would by firework explosions

Puppy Pads !!! What an excellent idea

 

[user651618]

Mine are exposed to close gunfire all the time and don't seem very bothered by it. I'd say if they're probably fine.

 

[Eggs_Over_EZ]

Fireworks are legal in FL during holidays. We have tents go up ready prepped for 1 week of sales. Being that north central FL is like a tinder box right now you think they would put a moratorium on them right now. We have folks a road away that starts as soon as they can get their hands on fireworks until they have used their supply. I like fireworks but I really fireworks but prefer they be handled by professional.

 

[HollowOfWisps]

Honestly I wouldn’t be too worried about your chickens. People shoot off the Mortars here (the big fireworks that you go to see at fairs and parks) and it’s non-stop in every direction across the horizon till early morning on the fourth here. I took a video one year turning in a circle and you could see fireworks all the way around me. It does not bother my chickens one bit despite the sky being lit up with bright flashes and it sounding like guns are going off non-stop. They barely notice them and go about their day as if it were any other day. My 90lb dog was more afraid than the chickens were.