In this episode, Dr. Blayne Mozisek answers the question thousands of backyard chicken keepers are asking right now: is the wildfire smoke hurting my chickens? The short answer is yes, your flock is significantly more vulnerable to smoke and poor air quality than you are, and this episode explains exactly why and what signs to watch out for.

Dr. Blayne also covers practical steps you can take right now to protect your chickens from wildfire smoke, including how to use an air quality index (AQI) reading of 150 or higher as your action threshold, how to rig a box fan with air filter material to clean the air in your coop, when to bring vulnerable birds indoors, and which birds are most at risk including older hens and any with existing chronic respiratory disease. Whether you are in Canada, the Pacific Northwest, Texas, or anywhere else smoke has been a problem this summer, the science Dr. Blayne shares here applies to every backyard flock keeper dealing with poor air quality and worried about their chickens.

0:00 Intro

0:41 The Avian Respiratory System

1:02 Why Birds are at Risk

1:53 The Canary in the Coal Mine

2:13 What Makes Smoke Dangerous

3:05 Smoke Signs To Watch For

3:34 How to Protect Your Flock

4:53 AQI 150 and Above