So Cal Fire evacuation… how to evacuate with chickens?

[nuthatched]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/evacuating-with-birds.77614/
@Goosebaby
has written a good article on it

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Is this the Fairview Fire?

Yes it is! This is the smoke we can see from our house tonight. That’s just over the south side of the mountain.

It’s scary because it’s jumping everywhere right now and spreading so quickly… it has now hit 11,500 acres and it heading back where it originated.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

I'm in Missouri, a long way from the danger zone, but I used to live in fire country and you folks are very much in my heart and prayers. Stay safe!

ETA my late older brother was a smoke jumper almost all his adult life.

Thank you so much I really appreciate it.

 

[casportpony]

Wow, so scary! Do you have any large crates to put the chickens in?

 

[Aunt Angus]

Yes it is! This is the smoke we can see from our house tonight. That’s just over the south side of the mountain.
View attachment 3252275

It’s scary because it’s jumping everywhere right now and spreading so quickly… it has now hit 11,500 acres and it heading back where it originated.

Oh, scarrrrry! Stay safe, friend! Be ready to go. The Camp fire haunts us up here in Nor Cal.

The Mosquito fire is several miles south and west of us. I'll get a pic tomorrow, but the plume is very visible from my front yard. It looks like a friggin thunderhead.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Wow, so scary! Do you have any large crates to put the chickens in?

I do have a couple thankfully. We have topped off the gas in the cars and have a plan in case we have to leave. We had a meeting at the fire department tonight and they said it doesn’t look like our community is under threat as of right now but to remain vigilant as anything can happen, especially with the constantly changing wind patterns.

 

[CaliforniaMountainChicks]

Oh, scarrrrry! Stay safe, friend! Be ready to go. The Camp fire haunts us up here in Nor Cal.

The Mosquito fire is several miles south and west of us. I'll get a pic tomorrow, but the plume is very visible from my front yard. It looks like a friggin thunderhead.

My cousin is fighting in the Mosquito fire right now! They live only one house down from me but he’s with a fire crew up there.

 

[MidnightHen]

I’m not certain if my family and I will have to evacuate our home… at least this time. A fire started in a city below the mountains and is very quickly moving through the canyons towards us and the town a bit lower than us. Evacuation zones are being set and getting closer and closer to us. The fire went from being 500 acres late on Sunday to over 4,500 acres and counting. We have never been in this situation before, especially not with chickens whom we will absolutely not leave behind. I would like to know if any of you have had to evacuate with chickens and how you did it. Also, where did you bring them and how did you house them until you could return home? I have 13 chickens and they are all beloved pets who I do not want to leave if the fire ends up coming here. I may not have to evacuate with this specific fire but the new reality of living in a rural area in of one of the hottest and driest states in the U.S. is the great risk of wildfires and evacuation. If it’s not this fire it could very well be another one in the future and I would really like to be prepared for when that time may come. Thank you!

Thoughts and prayers for you tonight! . I pray for safety over your family and pets tonight!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

So sorry you're going through this! I'm in northwestern Oregon (Portland area) and we've never had to evacuate from fires. But we have fled from smoke. It was so thick we couldn't see across the street. That was the summer of 2020.
First, we had them in the garage. We covered the concrete floor of their enclosure with straw, and we did our best to filter their air and keep them happy. But by day 5 they were begging to be let out. If we took them out of their pen, they would bolt for the doors. The air quality also still sucked. We were all suffering, so we worked out a solution.
We took the hens in straw-filled dog crates. We made sure to arrange them in a way that made sense with their pecking order - a few hours in a crate can get gruesome if you put a bully in with the omega. They did fine for the 3-hour trip to our friend's beach house on the coast.
We brought with us in a U-haul trailer their portable coop. It's a tractor with a secure roost and nest boxes. When we got there, we set it up on the lawn and let the hens out. The first thing the girls did was dig a giant hole and roll around in it as a group. They were so happy to just feel the dirt again.
While not an evacuation situation, this was a good solution. If you have any sort of portable coop or pen, it's definitely the best thing you can do. Best of luck!

 

[Goosebaby]

I hope you and your flock are doing well!

Im up in Yuba county, Yuba and Nevada county spca and other organizations involved in emergency relief weren't any help when I had to evacuate with my flock, but different counties are different so I strongly recommend reaching out to the humane society, Red Cross, any group that might be helping with evacuations, also ask your sheriff, the sheriffs office is monitoring and helping in evacuations and they’ll have information about places that are taking in animals and livestock if there are any.

Another option is to reach out to others who have livestock/ birds in your area, Facebook groups is one place to find them, and ask if anyone else has any information, where they’re taking their animals and what they’re doing.