The news was saying it MIGHT get up to a cat 3. That's pretty dangerous. I stayed for IVAN--that was a 3. Alot of flooding. Good luck Texas. Hang in there.

 

YES prepping tomorrow, though I think we might end up with just some heavy rain. Jericho's pasture has been secured as best as possible and im trying to decide if I'm going to get animal paint or sharpie his hooves with my phone number.

Just out of curiosity, what should you do with horses in the event of a tornado? Any advise for chickens? We have concrete cement blocked the bottom of their coop and tied up their coop to the fence, we plan on putting them actually up IN the coop for the night and possibly the day, too. Im about 3 hours east of houston.

Good luck fellow Texans!!!

 

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It would be better to paint your cell phone number on both sides of each horse's barrel. The paint won't hurt and won't easily wash off.

If you're in an area that's on target for exceptionally heavy rainfall, I don't think I would shut the chickens in. They would be better off to be able to roost up in the trees. While chickens can't fly in the real sense, I have seen them flap their wings enough to get into a tree

 

My daughter and three of the grandbabies live right outside Corpus Christi. This morning she said they were going to stay. Luckily this evening she called to tell me they were headed to Austin to stay with her sister. I was very relieved to hear that. They now have mandatory evacuations in her town and some reports have even mentioned an upgrade to category 4.

My daughters may not be speaking to each other after staying 4 days together but that's fine, they'll be safe. :loveshower:

 

I would not have thought of the spray painting the phone number on the horse.

Tangent: A local highway patrol, known for being a tremendous jackwagon to all and sundry, owns a lovely black gelding... some pranksters armed with white spray paint painted him to look like a trooper car, with the black on the front and back, white around his barrel, and a crude outline of the state of Oklahoma on his side in black...

MAN was that trooper HOT about that too.

No one ever came forth to admit the malfeasance, or rat anyone out.

BACK ON TOPIC:

I hope you guys don't get shellacked. Ike just... broke my heart. Galveston and the Texas coast is where my soul feels like its 'home'.

 

Yes, best of luck to everyone! @EstrellaandJericho, I'd opt for something more visible than marker on a hoof. If you get that much rain, that means mud, that means hooves are covered in it. Also, from your descriptions, it does not sound like Jericho would let anyone get too close to him, which would be necessary to read numbers on a hoof. I'd opt for the full-body paint if I were you. That way, it can be read from afar, by anyone.

 

It's good to have the cell number spray painted on the barrel for more than just the honest person trying to get your back to you.

The number is. It easily hidden or washed off and cannot be removed like ribbons in tails or braided into manes.

Spray painted on the barrel is also a good preventative for a potential horse thief to run a horse thru an auction to pick up a couple bucks.

Weather disasters are no time to think about how the horse will look ---- paint the horse on its sides to give it a higher percentage of getting back to you

 

My chickens are still chicks, only a few weeks old

 

We are fortunate to be far enough inland that our biggest concern will not be the immediate effects of storm surge and wind. Our concern will be flooding from the rain. Our main pasture is low and with a creek running past it that connects to the lake but, our home and paddock are about 50-60’ higher than the pasture so provides a bit of a safe zone.

Where things get tricky for us…..getting in and out of town if it was necessary.

There are two roads in and out. We live near a large lake so there are not many directions to go. Both of those roads include crossing creeks/small rivers. One has a low bridge and the other, a low water crossing like this one:

It can become a death trap in a heavy rain event.

It hasn’t happened here in a very long time but, old timers I’ve talked to said there was one year where they were cut off from town for over a week because of road flooding.

Even if you are "safe" prepare.

It isn't just the rain you get that is at issue. Water seeks the lowest point, here it flows towards the lake and then, eventually towards the ocean. So the rains that fall to our west and north, from the high plains, will also make their way here (Hill Country), long after the event passes.

If you live in the plains areas East of 35 and south of 10 remember, the hill Country will still be draining off even when the body of the storm has moved on. It might take a long time for the waters where you are to recede.

We lived on the west coast of Florida for a few years and went through hurricane preps several times, though never took a real hit (the storm either veered away or dissipated). Still, it never hurts to be prepared. Enough food, water and supplies for people and animals to last two weeks is my minimum at all times.

 

We are fortunate to be far enough inland that our biggest concern will not be the immediate effects of storm surge and wind. Our concern will be flooding from the rain. Our main pasture is low and with a creek running past it that connects to the lake but, our home and paddock are about 50-60? higher than the pasture so provides a bit of a safe zone.

Where things get tricky for us?..getting in and out of town if it was necessary.

There are two roads in and out. We live near a large lake so there are not many directions to go. Both of those roads include crossing creeks/small rivers. One has a low bridge and the other, a low water crossing like this one:

It can become a death trap in a heavy rain event.

It hasn?t happened here in a very long time but, old timers I?ve talked to said there was one year where they were cut off from town for over a week because of road flooding.

Even if you are "safe" prepare.

It isn't just the rain you get that is at issue. Water seeks the lowest point, here it flows towards the lake and then, eventually towards the ocean. So the rains that fall to our west and north, from the high plains, will also make their way here, long after the event passes.

We lived on the west coast of Florida for a few years and went through hurricane preps several times, though never took a real hit (the storm either veered away or dissipated). Still, it never hurts to be prepared. Enough food, water and supplies for people and animals to last two weeks is my minimum at all times.

you must live closeish to me. Central Texas Hillcountry is around my area... Austin is about an hour away. I was commuting into Austin for the last few months, now my store is almost finished so I am local.

Today I am picking up hay and extra water just in case.

Turn around, don't drown! Good luck neighbor!!!

 

That pressure is dropping fast. It'll be a 3 in a few hours if not sooner. I worry that there is enough time and warm water for it to make it to Cat4. Add to that it is going to sit in that area for an extended period. Scary. Prayers are going out to and all in the path of Harvey.

If you can't get animal marking paint then use spray paint and put your number on both sides.

You also want a good set of pictures for identification purposes both before and after you put your id info on them. Make sure you are in at least one of the pictures. Photo your ownership info and keep originals in a safe place.

 

@EstrellaandJericho - Yep, an hour out of Austin more or less....we are in the Hill Country.

View from our house:

 

@EstrellaandJericho - Yep, an hour out of Austin more or less....we are in the Hill Country.

View from our house:


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oh goodness that's gorgeous. You are a lucky person!!!

 

Yikes. I'm another one thankful to be far enough inland not to worry about hurricanes. I'm in Louisiana but less than an hour from Arkansas. My horses still don't have much shelter, but their pasture won't flood. The big pasture that I'm still working on fencing is about to go half underwater, though. My 1/3 acre pond drains all of my land plus about 20 more acres of my neighbors'. There's no outlet from the pond, so it takes a long time to dry out that back pasture. I know we need to work on that drainage, but it's going to take some $$$, and I don't know when it will dry out enough to get heavy equipment back there again. Harvey is not going to help.

 

@EstrellaandJericho, if your chickens are chicks, can you bring your brooder inside and set them up in an extra bathroom during the worst of it? Or even move them to a sturdier garage or outbuilding? I personally would not want them that exposed in just a coop, and if you have lots of mud and standing water afterwards, you're asking for all kinds of nasty issues with them living on that until it dries up.

It's probably easier to deal with given you have chicks vs adults right now, but I understand there's a difference between relocating 10 chicks vs. 50 or hundreds.

 

We only have 6... We will keep them in a dog kennel in the shed

 

Sounds good!

By the way, we love chickens. :grin: You should visit this thread and share some pictures: http://www.horseforum.com/farm-animals/officialish-chicken-photo-thread-112282/

 

@Kriva, I know Liberty Hill well. As Texas goes, as big as it is, we're practically neighbors!

 

We keep our chicks in a dog kennel, lined with a plastic feed sack (it is one of the large ones w/ ventilated top & solid sides and bottom - keeps mess to a minimum) that is topped with newspaper and then shavings. There is a board that runs the length thicker than wide so the waterer and feeder can sit without getting too much muckity muck and shavings. There is plenty of room on either side for the chicks to move around. Easy to clean - just roll up the bag, dump what shavings fall out and start over. You can do this a few times before you would really need to clean the kennel with soap and water. Works in a pinch for times like this.

 

Thinking of my coastal Texans! Got some extra pasture up here in DFW if anyone gets in a tough spot.

 

I'm in Texas, about 3 hours north of Houston. If anyone is in a bind, I have a pasture we can put a horse or two in.

 

im in giddings/bastrop how bad do you think we'll get it up here?

 

https://www.google.org/publicalerts/alert?aid=326fc67799f59bb4&hl=en&gl=US&source=wweather Alerts for Bastrop from just under an hour ago.

Looks like you guys should get a lot of rain and a good possibility of flooding.

 

Jericho took the mark like a champ... Now he has my phone number written all over him. Now i get to bite my nails the next few days.

I love him so....

 

I have the Weather Channel.

Harvey appears to be coming on shore as a Cat 4. That will be the first Cat 4 in 40+ years? I think they said that was Carla?

Prayers and good thoughts to everyone ---- if you aren't in the path, it appears this storm is far-reaching

 

We are living too far north of state to be reached. This time.
Two months ago we had small local tornado that thrown about foot of hail. Boy, my horses were scared! I was fighting against wind to put medium weight blankets on them so they wouldnt get sore from hitting. Barn was backed up with close to two feet of...everything in icy cold water.

I would opt for spraying with good paint phone numbers /addresses of horses on sides. Who knows if cell phones will work if stations will get hit by tornado, so whoever finds them can have problem to call the owner.

I am keeping fingers crossed for you guys, on the way of storm. I can offer a shelter and a pasture , but probably Amarillo is too far for most of affected. But keep me in mind!

 

You can clip your phone number on your horse. Since winter coats are not in yet it should wear off.

 

Bring those baby chicks in the house. Mine live in the laundry room for the first 4-6 weeks.

Stay safe everyone. Will be praying the storm downgrades when it hits land.

 

So far we are okay over here. Jericho is soaked... I threw him extra hay because i want him to stay warm.

 

^^^^ Great news but don't relax until. ALL of the rain bands have move out.

Weather channel just mentioned San Anotnia and The Hill Country, saying that "catastrophic and life threatening" rain/flooding is still imminent.

They said to expect breaks in the rain but do NOT let your guard down, as more will be coming along. They have actually predicted the possibility of forty inches or more in some areas! I can't even wrap my head around four FEET of rain

Hopefully you can get Jericho dried off and warm before the next round.

How are the chicks? Were you able to move them in the house.

Stay alert and stay safe --- Prayers for a good outcome coming to everyone caug up in this storm.