Here are a few things you should keep on hand in case you need to care for your birds in the aftermath of a severe weather event:
1. Water: Clean drinking water for your turkey, chickens, or ducks is just as crucial as it is for humans, and if your area’s water source is harmed, you might not have enough bottled water to share with your flock. Boiling water is a possibility, but if you don’t have access to electricity, boiling enough water for yourself and your animals could be a difficult effort.
2. Food: If you don’t have a way to access more supplies, putting a few bags of food in storage will be critical. Hundreds of roads in Alabama are currently closed due to fallen trees, broken power lines, and other debris. Your birds could graze in the best-case situation, but if you need your extra supplies during the winter, there may not be much for them to graze on.
3. Power generation system: If you have an incubator or heat lamps, you may utilize a generator to keep them running. Humans, too, require generators in the worst-case scenario. Taking care of your chickens is an excellent idea if you have a generator and your family and neighbors are taken care of.
4. Heat packs: Chicks need to keep warm, and the heat packs that come with them as day-old chicks may be bought and preserved for years. The last 72 hours and might be the difference between life and death for any females you have when the electricity goes out.