Oregonians under evacuation

[feather13]

Thank you for starting this thread! We live in southern California and it's so hard to breathe right now. We have 14 chicks and chickens and I feel terrible that they're outside breathing in the smoke. I don't think we should move them inside quite yet without a set up yet.

In anticipation of evacuation, I think we'll need:

*Enough pet carriers, boxes with ventilation holes, and/or laundry baskets tied together to evacuate all of the chickens

*Pack our two tents so we can shelter them in someone's garage

*Keep the chickens in their enclosed coop and run for the next few days so they'll be easier to catch

*Have food and water dishes (look for ones that can be clipped on the cages), food and bottled water, and medicine packed and ready to go

*Prepare in advance numbers and addresses of any places that will house livestock in the event of emergency

*Can anyone think of anything else folks would need in an evacuation situation?

We have Mareks in our flock, so can't keep our birds with someone else's flock unless they also have Mareks. I drive a sedan and am the single parent of two teenagers, so I'm worried about where we'd put the chickens in the car. We have a trailer I've been using as a pandemic office, so maybe I could rent a truck with hitch to pull it or rent a van and ask my daughter to drive the sedan.

Worried sick for all the plants, animals, people, air, water and land affected by these wildfires along the west coast. Sending good thoughts of safety to everyone out there.

 

[Spikeandbean]

Thank you for this post - it's a really scary season. This is my first year having chickens, so we're new to the 'how to evacuate with chickens' question. Really appreciate the suggestions! I used a portable puppy pen to brood my chicks, so I'm thinking that'll be our backup for keeping them in the house or at a an evac site.

As a side note, to anyone who finds themselves unable to evacuate their chickens for any reason: a good friend of mine lost her home late the first night in the 2018 Camp Fire. Because CalFire needed fire access in that area my friend was not permitted to return home to collect her animals or belongings after heading to work that morning. It was pretty horrific - she lost her two dogs and three goats to the fire that night. BUT, her chickens survived! Everything else was gone, but they'd sought shelter somehow on her property (she lived on about 1.5 acres), and they all made it! They free-ranged, which no doubt made a difference, too.

All this to say, obviously it would be best to bring all pets and livestock with you; but if you aren't allowed to come back for them, your chickens just *might* be able to tough it out under the right conditions. Stay safe, friends!

 

[piminuse]

We're all in this sh*show together, and regardless of background or politics or religion it's nice to see everyone coming together and stepping up as a community during this awful time.

One AMAZING group that has helped orchestrate evacuations for livestock is Cowgirl 911. If you or anyone you know needs an extra trailer or somewhere to host your animals then check them out. It's one thing to lose possessions, but losing animals who you've reared is another thing entirely. These people are working tirelessly to prevent that!

 

[Dancingwnature]

23 ducks. We had just added 5 new females in the last 2 weeks. The place we got them from is already in the middle of the fire (from what the map shows). I'm praying that our hill gets spared and they're all safe.

I'm praying for you and your feathered family! I hope that all will be well for you!! Namaste

 

[EggSighted4Life]

I never thought I would need to plan a place to move them to in case of a fire. Pet sitters if I need to go out of town? Had that one down, but fire? Never occured to me. In the end, the fire was about 3 miles away and all I could do was chase the ducks out of their run, fill as many water buckets and totes, and say a prayer. From the fire maps online, it doesn't look like the fire has crossed the creek yet but I don't hold out hope. I am crushed. I feel terrible that I wasn't prepared to care for them properly.

Sent a prayer, also!

It was pretty horrific - she lost her two dogs and three goats to the fire that night. BUT, her chickens survived!

Very bitter sweet!

When I think I'm facing a tough time having lost my dog.. SOOO many have lost SOOO much more. I am actually clueless and sheltered.. Very humbled and touched by their experiences.. I share in the hurt and heartache of my fellow animal lovers, words can never express my empathy..

@piminuse you rock! Stay strong.

 

[MistyandLuna]

Lots of folks are under evacuation notices right now and I've had multiple family and friends displaced down south. Here are a couple things I've seen people posting about as they get their chickens secure for travel:

1. If you are not being evacuated, but worried about the smoke/ash with outdoor chickens you can try turning on sprinklers to reduce ash drifting, or hang wet sheets around the perimeter of your coop/run. If you can bring them inside you can set up a tent with some litter and have a little sleepover, or lay a tarp in a bathroom and keep enclosed there.
2. If you are being evacuated and are unsure of how to transport your birds you can contain them in anything (laundry basket, record crate, big box) as long as it is well ventilated and has a secure top. They can be packed in there, like sardines, head to tail for maximum space saving. You can also wrap them individually in towels or newspapers for travel.
3. Hit up your local Facebook page, state page on BYC, state/city .gov page, Nextdoor or Craisglist. See if anyone is offering their homes/property to people in need as lots of folks have spare space to stash livestock until things are sorted.

Speaking of, I am in Beaverton and have a large yard that can accommodate more birds/cats/dogs and spare rooms. If you or someone you know is in need of a place to go for a few days I am happy to open my home during this troubling time. Feel free to DM me.

Here are my setups for my goslings and chicks, I live in Washington and current air quality is 484, and it’s terrible to breathe in so we brought them in to our garage.