Wildfire smoke and chicken health

[JustSarahThanks]

Current plan: chickens cope with indoor confinement by being introduced to Battlestar Gallactica

 

[piminuse]

And you cope with wine. That makes two of us lol.

Has anyone seen the vids on how to turn disposable face masks into chicken diapers? I'm thinking of rotating them out like in a prison yard...

 

[JustSarahThanks]

How is everything so far today? I know the air quality indices got much, much worse overnight and it was perceptible to us, even in the middle of the night last night.

The bathroom where the chickens are is getting positively DISGUSTING. We moved our dehumidifier down there which does air filtration as well and I'm not sure it's even enough to control for the poo moisture. It's so stinky. I might have to move the birds back to the crate and put that somewhere out of the way to do something of a clean up in there because we don't know how long it'll be before we can move them outside again. We're supposed to get some rain Monday/Tuesday which *hopefully* will help with the air quality but it sounds like we might want to prepare for the possibility of it being until the end of the week (source).

How are all you folks holding up?

 

[Jakico]

How are all you folks holding up?
[/QUOTE]

I agree the air is much worse today, I’ve not let the girls out at all. Things seem to calm down after they lay an egg. They seem confused as to where to lay and pace back and forth at the door and wanting out and when one does make a break for it they jump into their laying boxes. They have three little make shift places to lay, but seem to only use it once they have no choice. The room they are in is nasty I try to go in a few times a day and get rid of some of the poo, but with 8 ladies it’s a lot of poo. Hoping for rain or anything that will clear this smoke

 

[piminuse]

I've been tossing fresh pine shavings on top of the old twice a day. They kick out the old stuff onto the tarp and I sweep that up. As awful as it sounds I'm kind of ignoring them since they perk up and get too excitable when I'm in the garage. Smell is localized to the garage door area due to the catdoor, but I've got a candle going and...well it's the best I've got haha.

The dozen I've got don't have a lot of room and shuffle around and generally look pretty bummed, so I added 2 more roost bars and now they're hopping up there for privacy and it's created a little more room for others to mill about. Hopefully only a few more days of this...I'm running out of peaches and cracked corn to placate them with!

 

[TheOddOneOut]

Mine are doing great in their straw-filled tractor. Two eggs already today, a turquoise from my EE, and a and a glossy cremé from my amazing SS.

 

[JustSarahThanks]

I feel like it's been really informative following what other folks are doing and seeing what's working for people and their flocks in this situation and what isn't working as well. Might influence our wildfire/emergency preparedness for our flock going forward. Lesson learned: chicken tractor doubles extremely well as a refuge enclosure when the flock needs to be moved inside. Thank you!

 

[Jakico]

I’m am really hoping the girls can go back outside tomorrow. They are really stressed and I feel horrible, the outbuilding they have been staying is going to need a massive cleaning so it doesn’t matter about them staying indoors longer from that perspective. Has anyone transitioned their chickens back to the real world? How are they doing?

 

[JustSarahThanks]

I’m am really hoping the girls can go back outside tomorrow. They are really stressed and I feel horrible, the outbuilding they have been staying is going to need a massive cleaning so it doesn’t matter about them staying indoors longer from that perspective. Has anyone transitioned their chickens back to the real world? How are they doing?

I can relate! Every time I check on mine I feel like what I see is that they've found new, inventive ways to smear poop on themselves/various improbable parts of that bathroom they're holed up in. I am NOT looking forward to cleaning the place. And I keep telling them reassuringly that soon they will be able to dust bathe to their hearts content very soon.

I'm not sure when I'm going to move them outside, though... Today's AQI numbers got better and better (and I can feel it in every part of my face, too! No burning!) and while I'm optimistic I'm probably going to wait to move them until I'm more confident we're not going to relapse this week... I saw a few forecasts that suggested possible lightning on Thursday.

Is anyone doing anything to clean up their outdoor coops? I am assuming that there will be a bit of stagnant smoky air inside (even with all the good ventilation design). I'm wondering if I should put a fan or two to more actively circulate the air, or maybe turn over the pine shavings in case there's been harmful particulates settling on things in there. Or wiping things down. And the ground in their run. Maybe spray it down with the hose?

 

[Jakico]

I can relate! Every time I check on mine I feel like what I see is that they've found new, inventive ways to smear poop on themselves/various improbable parts of that bathroom they're holed up in. I am NOT looking forward to cleaning the place. And I keep telling them reassuringly that soon they will be able to dust bathe to their hearts content very soon.

I'm not sure when I'm going to move them outside, though... Today's AQI numbers got better and better (and I can feel it in every part of my face, too! No burning!) and while I'm optimistic I'm probably going to wait to move them until I'm more confident we're not going to relapse this week... I saw a few forecasts that suggested possible lightning on Thursday.

Is anyone doing anything to clean up their outdoor coops? I am assuming that there will be a bit of stagnant smoky air inside (even with all the good ventilation design). I'm wondering if I should put a fan or two to more actively circulate the air, or maybe turn over the pine shavings in case there's been harmful particulates settling on things in there. Or wiping things down. And the ground in their run. Maybe spray it down with the hose?

That’s actually a good idea, it’s good opportunity to clean their outdoor space. I read somewhere that fans will kick up all the ash that’s settled. I might just turn over all their bedding and wipe down the surfaces. At least they will get a good cleaning in before the weather gets cold. Looks like it will be a busy weekend.