On my way to sell at the farmer’s market. It’s another day with quarter mile visibility through the smoke. You can taste it. Makes your eyes itch and water. Woke up coughing twice in the night. We all know it’s bad, bad, bad.

A lot of these masks are actually for pollution.

If it is any comfort...I’ve had chickens for 20 years...and they’ve done well even during hellacious fire seasons. Hope yours do too. You could bring them in if you had a place for them...garage or outbuilding? I raised my current group inside until they were almost 4 months old.

I mean, I could. But I don't know which would be better / worse for them?


I can't imagine a dark garage would be better?

I’d be inclined to leave them where they are. Obviously plenty of fresh water to keep their bodies flushed out. Of all my little flocks, I’ve never started chicks in the summer...always in late winter or early spring. They HAD to be inside because of our winters. I get those late Gaylord boxes that are 4’x4’x4... I cut a door on one side so I can get in and out to clean and change out food/h20...put down pine shavings and hang a light from the top. It’s definitely doable if the smoke situation doesn’t improve but again, if they’re pecking around, eating and drinking and their poops look normal, I’d probably let them do their thing. Chickens are so tough. They’re a joy too. I can’t imagine not having them! How many do you have?

We had trouble finding them to buy earlier this summer.

We've been raising layers for about 15 years. I have about 15 older hens - @4 yrs. old and older (who knows with some! We aren't scientific. about it!)

Pre-COVID (is that how we will define our lives now?) we had a busy egg delivery service to about 5-10 friends and customers, as well as stocking our own. Has been tapering off as the hens have aged, but have supplied our own all these years.

So we got these 5 beautiful golden sex-links about 3 weeks ago. Have been carefully tending them with heat lamp on timer in their nursery alongside and separated from the main chicken run. We've dropped the trap door so they can now explore their own little run. Fun to watch. Our dog is absolutely entranced! We will join them together in another few weeks.

We are fortunate to free-range our full-grown hens as adults. We've lost very few to predators. My husband (and now Montana girl!) daughter built the coop and yard very securely with chicken wire over the top and buried around the sides. They all come in at dark, as you know. In some ways they are very easy to care for.

Our customers have always raved over our eggs!! We are having omelets this morning!!

Perhaps not practical. I've never had the pleasure of raising them.