I'm in California and on September 8th we were evacuated because of the "bear fire". It raged through our area and out of 200 homesteads on my road, only 3 are left. It was swift and deadly. I was evacuated for two weeks exactly. The shed for the chicken feed burned to the ground and was very close to the coop and the tarp on top of the run burned off (melted actually) and the coop came very close to burning as well. As I was leaving I could see the chickens were distressed already and standing in an open area. They don't usually do that, they stay under the oak trees. When we evacuated I called the Animal Rescue to go feed the chickens for me. They didn't get any food or water for 5 or 6 days. When they did come and feed them, they gave them scratch, mostly corn. So they lived on corn for another week. I finally got home and I'm so happy they are alive. They were freaked out at first when I went to them, they are not in love with strangers and had sort of forgotten me. My Jersey Giant rooster, Harvey, was hiding in the coop with a bunch of his girls the first day and night I came back. I spent hours with them and talked to them and told them that it's ok and they are safe again. The second day they all came out of the coop to eat and preen and that second night Harvey slept, as he usually does, on the outdoor roost. Sadie and Blondie are coming to me now and jumping in my lap for pets and the others are behaving normally again. The people took their eggs and also took the eggs that my broody Maggie was sitting on. It was 3 days to hatch! I feel so bad for her. Some of them have began a molt, and they are not laying. Out of 35 hens I only got 4 eggs (three from my leghorns) for the past two days. I am thankful and grateful that God spared our home and garage. Our large barn, along with all other outbuildings were burned down. This was a terrible ordeal and I pray I won't (or my chickens) have to go through this again, ever!
As I was evacuating I stopped to take this photo looking back to the hills were I live.
Here are the chickens standing in the open just before I left. I opened the coop and run doors before leaving. Trying to give them a chance.
This is where the Chicken Food Shed was located. It was a stick built 8 x 10 shed. The surround for the chickens went to the edge of the shed. My son, who stayed in the area to save his home, used whatever he could to "fence in" the big hole and keep the chickens in. He did a great job.
My 20 acres of mostly forested land now looks like this. Almost all of it. I am depressed and very sad. ALL my friends homes are gone.
This was the large barn and carport for the boat.
As I was evacuating I stopped to take this photo looking back to the hills were I live.
Here are the chickens standing in the open just before I left. I opened the coop and run doors before leaving. Trying to give them a chance.
This is where the Chicken Food Shed was located. It was a stick built 8 x 10 shed. The surround for the chickens went to the edge of the shed. My son, who stayed in the area to save his home, used whatever he could to "fence in" the big hole and keep the chickens in. He did a great job.
My 20 acres of mostly forested land now looks like this. Almost all of it. I am depressed and very sad. ALL my friends homes are gone.
This was the large barn and carport for the boat.
