Wildfire smoke and chicken health

[JustSarahThanks]

I have 12 birds in a 4'x4' playpen in my garage...Yeah, they're not stoked. Not super happy about their stink myself, but I would prefer healthy birds in my garage then suffering ones outside. The heritage meat birds better be the best damn things I've ever eaten come processing time next month...

View attachment 2330006

They’ll be pre-smoked!

 

[JustSarahThanks]

How are everyone's now-indoor birds doing today? My boss hen is losing her mind (but I think it's that she needs to lay an egg and doesn't like any of her options of where to do it in our basement bathroom, so she's squawking her little head off). We have a little dehumidifier unit that we're talking about moving into the shower in that room because it now has moist tropical poop-air. I feel a little like we traded one air quality issue for another. Three of my four pullets seem completely normal, but my boss hen seems to have a small amount of nasal discharge.

 

[piminuse]

How are everyone's now-indoor birds doing today? My boss hen is losing her mind (but I think it's that she needs to lay an egg and doesn't like any of her options of where to do it in our basement bathroom, so she's squawking her little head off). We have a little dehumidifier unit that we're talking about moving into the shower in that room because it now has moist tropical poop-air. I feel a little like we traded one air quality issue for another. Three of my four pullets seem completely normal, but my boss hen seems to have a small amount of nasal discharge.

Did you leave Ms Bossy somewhere to lay? I brought in a small box willed with the same stuff I keep in the nesting box. It could also be a light issue for her if she's used to a dark box, but now it's a bright bathroom. Got an egg yesterday, and hopefully I'll get one today too.

I was entertaining the idea of a fan+filter to help with the smell, but it looks like everyone else wiped out the filters so my nice smelling candles are now more utility than luxury lol.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

Did you leave Ms Bossy somewhere to lay? I brought in a small box willed with the same stuff I keep in the nesting box. It could also be a light issue for her if she's used to a dark box, but now it's a bright bathroom. Got an egg yesterday, and hopefully I'll get one today too.

I was entertaining the idea of a fan+filter to help with the smell, but it looks like everyone else wiped out the filters so my nice smelling candles are now more utility than luxury lol.

So true. We were looking on Fred Meyer's website and anything even vaguely filter-like has been completely cleaned out. Sigh. I feel like every time there's a big wildfire smoke year we're always like, "OK we'll be proactive for next time and buy all these things while they're available and prepared!" ....and it hasn't happened yet. Classic.

I put a couple shoeboxes with hay in them and made a couple wadded up towels and tossed in some fake eggs, and there are some cubby holes built into the woodwork adjacent to the shower that she looked in at one point, but she doesn't seem impressed by any of it, alas. It might be that it's too bright, you're probably right... I suppose I could dim the overhead light a bit, it does have a dimmer. Yesterday she ended up just popping out an egg right in front of me while perching and thankfully it just landed on the tarp I put down so it didn't crack.

 

[Jakico]

How are everyone's now-indoor birds doing today? My boss hen is losing her mind (but I think it's that she needs to lay an egg and doesn't like any of her options of where to do it in our basement bathroom, so she's squawking her little head off). We have a little dehumidifier unit that we're talking about moving into the shower in that room because it now has moist tropical poop-air. I feel a little like we traded one air quality issue for another. Three of my four pullets seem completely normal, but my boss hen seems to have a small amount of nasal discharge.

I let them out for a few hours this morning, but I regret it. They are desperate to get to their laying boxes and I felt bad. I took a wire dog kennel and put a box inside with some straw and covered with a moving blanket over the top. I broke out the old wooden eggs from when they started laying and that helped get the point across. The queen chicken is definitely having the hardest time trying to adjust. They have ladder to roost and all the comforts of the coop, I think the boyfriend is having a harder time adjusting to having birds pooping all over his project room than the girls feeling confined.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

I let them out for a few hours this morning, but I regret it. They are desperate to get to their laying boxes and I felt bad. I took a wire dog kennel and put a box inside with some straw and covered with a moving blanket over the top. I broke out the old wooden eggs from when they started laying and that helped get the point across. The queen chicken is definitely having the hardest time trying to adjust. They have ladder to roost and all the comforts of the coop, I think the boyfriend is having a harder time adjusting to having birds pooping all over his project room than the girls feeling confined.

Relatable. I am really not looking forward to cleaning out that bathroom when we can move them back outside. We can all have a temporary chicken refuge clean up support group when this is done.

Seems like it's the hardest for the dominant hens. I don't know about yours, but my other three seem completely fine and are perfectly happy in their little bathroom. Also none of those other three are laying yet so they haven't yet had the frantic-trying-to-find-nest-boxes thing that Queenie has. I'm just trying to reassure myself (and the chickens) that it's just temporary, and as much as it sucks it really is preferable to being outside now. I don't blame you for giving yours outside time, my Queenie really is pretty sure that being trapped in a bathroom when you have an egg to lay is the worst thing that's ever been done to chicken kind.

 

[TheOddOneOut]

I have 4 out of 6 girls laying and they are using the apple crate filled with straw. 4 eggos yesterday, 2 today (so far). One of my non-layers (a beautiful white and red EE) is sleeping in said crate.
It's hard for them, I can tell. They don't like it. But the air is so bad, I can't even give them just a few mins like they are clearly begging for. They just don't know how bad it is.
When I opened the door to check water, one bolted past me and stood at the door. I was so fed up I opened it and said "Ok, Nutmeg, you win. Go out there. See what it's like." She ran out, and I internally screamed and wrangled her back. She was wheezing. I felt terrible.
It's driving us all crazy.

 

[Jakico]

We have eight laying hens. Three laid in the few hours I let them out, the rest had to deal with the makeshift boxes. They are in an outbuilding, covered in a tarp that is not really protecting the whole floor. It smells, they stand at the door and beg. I can’t go out often so we have a webcam set up to make sure they don’t get themselves into trouble or get hurt. I have to go back to work Monday and leaving them in doors without a escape route scares me with all the fires that seem to pop up.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

We have eight laying hens. Three laid in the few hours I let them out, the rest had to deal with the makeshift boxes. They are in an outbuilding, covered in a tarp that is not really protecting the whole floor. It smells, they stand at the door and beg. I can’t go out often so we have a webcam set up to make sure they don’t get themselves into trouble or get hurt. I have to go back to work Monday and leaving them in doors without a escape route scares me with all the fires that seem to pop up.

Last I looked it sounded like air quality was going to start improving by Monday (although who knows and the forecast has changed a number of times since this started). Hang in there. Hopefully the rain that’s supposed to roll through on Tuesday can help squelch some of the fire activity.

 

[piminuse]

We're all doing the best we can, and while the chickens may not understand that I certainly recognize everyone's best efforts. Y'all are good chicken owners!

We can all have a temporary chicken refuge clean up support group when this is done.

Lol for sure! Can't wait to air out the garage and get a whiff of fresh air myself!

On the upside, my cocks have NO IDEA what time of day it is outside the garage and the crowing is at a very reasonable 8am. If I slept in this would be heaven.