Keeping Evacuated / Displaced Chickens in My Yard With My Chickens?

[RowanTheRed]

I need some advice from all of the senior chicken keepers here. My SO's parents are in central Florida and in the potential edges (or path if it changes course) of hurricane Irma. They have never evacuated for a hurricane before so are very hesitant to do so now. But if it gets bad there they are in their 70s and in not really in shape to deal with attempting a late evacuation or to ride it out and pick up the pieces on their own. I have offered them to come up to our place in the upstate of SC. I know his mom is hesitant because she won't want to leave her chickens. I think she currently has around a dozen of them. I don't mind them bring the chickens as well if they have to, but I need advice as to how to house them in our backyard with our own 8 chickens. Her chickens are healthy, but being from a different area I am worried about the potential of them bringing along something that they are immune to but mine wouldn't be. We can easily rig up a run with some sort of shelter for them if need be, but what about when they leave, would that area be potentially hazardous to my chickens that free range my back yard during the day?

 

[chickens really]

Of course their is always a chance of disease transfer, but in the current situation you might not have much choice?
Best wishes....

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

They should put out food and water for them and leave them. Overall less stress, her chickens could get something from yours or vice versa. I live in the mountains of Southern Ca and have had to evacuate before when there have been fires. I have already told my kids should we ever have to evacuate we would be leaving the chickens behind and hope for the best.

Gary

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I think if you put them in a different coop, and if you were to worried about the place being contaminated, maybe you could make a little fire and burn that spot or something?

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

I know I would not want to leave my chickens! Plus, if they drowned or something, that would be a ton of stress before, and very traumatic death.....

 

[RowanTheRed]

Of course their is always a chance of disease transfer, but in the current situation you might not much choice?
Best wishes....

agreed, but like I said, how long do I need to be concerned for potential contamination of the area we would keep their chickens?

They should put out food and water for them and leave them. Overall less stress, her chickens could get something from yours or vice versa. I live in the mountains of Southern Ca and have had to evacuate before when there have been fires. I have already told my kids should we ever have to evacuate we would be leaving the chickens behind and hope for the best.
Gary

umm, it is already a catagory 5 hurricane with sustained 185 mph winds. This is not exactly livable conditions to chickens, or anything else for that matter. If this storm, or even the leader bands to the storm, roll over their area, those chickens and everything else in it's path are toast. All of their HUGE oak trees that their coop is located under will at the very least lose massive limbs right on top of the coop. That is if they don't completely fall over from the combination of extreme rain levels and those winds. I was born and raised in Florida, I have plenty of experience with hurricanes as well as the tornadoes they will spawn off. This size of a hurricane isn't something I would leave any animal in to find for itself, not unless I was prepared to lose every one of them.

That being said, she will never leave those chickens behind, so I have to account for them to bring them along in order to make sure both of his parents are safe. So this is why I am asking for how long would I need to be worried about the ground / area that we would keep these chickens in once they leave.

 

[Sara Ranch]

If it brings peace of mind to you and your family/SO's family, tell them to pack up the chickens and drive up. Chickens will settle down once the car is moving and be good passengers.

Have the SO's folks bring their own feed with them & straw/pine shavings to make it easier on the birds.

Put up a separate run and housing for them.

Start giving your chickens Nutri-drench NOW to help them have strong immune systems. Once the other chickens arrive, start giving them Nutri-drench too.

Let us know what you all do.

 

[RowanTheRed]

If it brings peace of mind to you and your family/SO's family, tell them to pack up the chickens and drive up. Chickens will settle down once the car is moving and be good passengers.

Have the SO's folks bring their own feed with them & straw/pine shavings to make it easier on the birds.

Put up a separate run and housing for them.

Start giving your chickens Nutri-drench NOW to help them have strong immune systems. Once the other chickens arrive, start giving them Nutri-drench too.

Let us know what you all do.

thank you for that advice. I totally forgot the simply thing of just boosting my chickens immunity.

 

[Sara Ranch]

We are a community to help each other.

I hope the SO's parents make it safely to your place and have an undamaged place to go home to.

 

[MartinsPoultry]

If you have a garage id put their chickens in there on shavings or hay. And try not to cross contaminate between the two flocks.