Hens after Major Fire: Need Good Advice

[lipazron]

We are recovering from the devastating fire in the Malibu area of Southern California. All of our animals, including the hens, are doing fairly well. Since the hens free range in an environment of burn, ash, possible toxins, does anyone know for sure if it is safe to eat the eggs after a certain period of time or not at all. Our inclination is to give the hens away and start over once the environment is restored but we don't want to do this if it isn't necessary. Thanks.

 

[staceyj]

I don’t have an answer but I’m interested in what others may say.

Is there any way you can confine them in a run of some sort so they aren’t ingesting potential toxins, other than the air they’ve breathed?

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

I can't imagine what you would be concerned about. Wood ash isn't going to bother anything. There is some concern that contaminants may have been released at the Santa Susana Field Lab by the Woolsey fire, but the winds were blowing offshore, and I think that is well south of you.

Update: I just looked and Malibu is west of there, not south like I thought.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

Oops. I was wrong. Malibu is due south of the lab. The wind was blowing to the southwest, though when it was burning, so it looks like the smoke from there missed Malibu.

 

[lipazron]

I can't imagine what you would be concerned about. Wood ash isn't going to bother anything. There is some concern that contaminants may have been released at the Santa Susana Field Lab by the Woolsey fire, but the winds were blowing offshore, and I think that is well south of you.

Update: I just looked and Malibu is west of there, not south like I thought.

What concerns me isn't wood ash. It is all of the chemicals that get burnt during a fire and that are released into and on the ground. Cars are melted near the house. Fertilizers, paint, household chemicals etc.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

What concerns me isn't wood ash. It is all of the chemicals that get burnt during a fire and that are released into and on the ground. Cars are melted near the house. Fertilizers, paint, household chemicals etc.

The fires were so hot I suspect that most noxious stuff was destroyed. I saw many pictures of melted aluminum engine blocks in solidified puddles on roads. Aluminum melts at 1400*F. That's very, very hot. Consider contacting a university to see what they think.

 

[MROO]

Consider contacting a university to see what they think.

X 100 on contacting a major university. Any school with an agricultural program should be able to answer your questions. If you get a response from them, could you please post it here so others can benefit from the info, too?
In the meantime, know that prayers and strength are winging their way to you every day from all across the country.

 

[ShannonR]

I dunno.... I went through a major fire over the summer and none of my birds survived. I found little ash covered roasted chickens all over the place when the evacuation order for my place was lifted. The fire came fast, and in the middle of the night, I wasn't able to evac the poultry.

Is UC Davis still doing egg contaminant testing? Look into that if you can

 

[MROO]

I dunno.... I went through a major fire over the summer and none of my birds survived. I found little ash covered roasted chickens all over the place when the evacuation order for my place was lifted. The fire came fast, and in the middle of the night, I wasn't able to evac the poultry.

Is UC Davis still doing egg contaminant testing? Look into that if you can

 

[aart]

Is UC Davis still doing egg contaminant testing? Look into that if you can

There was thread, egg testing from last years(?) fires...
...couldn't find it fast, but will keep looking.
IIRC results seemed to have stalled and now who knows?

ETA.... here it is:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/university-of-california-egg-study.1235372/