Abstract
It usually happens when you least
expect it, that telephone call in the
middle of the night, that weather forecast,
that sudden realization that I've
got to evacuate my birds right now!
Since we usually have about as much
time to prepare for that vague "it'll
never happen to me" emergency as
you just had while reading this paragraph,
the time to prepare is now!
Be it a hurricane, earthquake, flooding,
tornado, or firestorm, few aviculturists
are immune from the possibility
(dare I say eventuality) that evacuation
of the breeding stock and/ or pets
may be necessary to save their lives.
Of course, in the case of earthquakes,
tornados, and firestorms, such as the
recent ones in southern California,
little or no warning is usually the case.
But even if there is no warning before
a disaster occurs, preparation for
evacuation might still be beneficial for
moving the survivors out of a disaster
area.
There is one cardinal rule to planning
a safe evacuation of birds. This is:
compile all necessary equipment in
an easily accessible location and do
not use it for any other purpose. This,
of course, is easier said than done.
How many of us have, in our possession,
right now enough crates to safely
move all the birds in our collections?
Even if you purchase enough crates
for this purpose initially, it is so easy
to use a crate here and there until that
time that the emergency actually
occurs and then there aren't enough
crates. Therefore, it is important to
establish this crate cache and not to
use them for any other purpose. The
same is true of nets. Enough nets of
sufficient size and variety should be
on hand. These are the two basic elements
of bird evacuation. Having
enough vehicles to move the birds if
necessary is also important but, since
we never know when this might be
necessary, this aspect is a bit more difficult
to control. If you don't have
enough capacity in the vehicles
usually on hand, it is wise to keep a
list of people with telephone numbers
by the telephone whom you could call
on for help in the event of an emergency.
There are other items that I recommend
aviculturists keep on hand in
the event of an emergency. Each situation
will dictate which of these items
might be important in a given emergency.
I would recommend keeping
all of these items handy.
Emergency Plan
Write an emergency plan, make several
copies of it and make sure that
everyone who might be involved in an
evacuation or emergency has a copy
of this plan. Keep several copies of
this plan in your emergency cache.
Plan an order of evacuation based on
efficiency of evacuating the largest
number of birds in the shortest possible
time. You might wish to stage a
practice drill without actually removing
the birds to familiarize everyone
with emergency procedures. Discuss
worst case scenarios with everyone
potentially involved. Make sure that
everyone is familiar with the emergency
equipment cache and knows
their own role in the situation.
Water
Keep enough bottled water for yourself,
family members, employees,
birds, and other animals for several
days. Pipes break, electricity fails well
pumps, contaminated water comes in
from the purification plants - any of
these things might happen.
Food
Keep enough food on hand that
does not require refrigeration for any
people or animals that might be
involved in an emergency. It is hard to
estimate how much might be necessary
but keep some reserves so that
there is enough to last for several
days.
Flashlights and Candles
Emergencies often happen in the
middle of the night and loss of electricity
is often a factor so flashlights in
the emergency cache can be invaluable.
Batteries should also be
included. Candles might also come in
handy. Don't forget matches.
First Aid Kits
Emergency first aid equipment
should be kept for both people and
animals. Most of us are familiar with
items we might expect to see in a first
aid kit for humans. Many items that
are necessary for avian first aid are
only available through a veterinarian
and it is advisable to consult your
avian veterinarian for recommendations
on what your kit should contain.
Your own kit should be tailored to the
needs of your collection, your level of
expertise, and the probable nature of
your emergency. Suggested items for
a kit might include Lactated Ringer's
or Pedialite, tuberculin syringes, ophthalmic
drops/ointment, topical ointment
for injuries or burns, gauze and
bandage tape/materials, antibiotics
(oral and injectible), dexamethazone,
oxygen, and equipment for gavage
(tube) feeding.
Extension Cords
and Generator
These two things might not be
appropriate for all situations but, if
you have egg incubators and/or isolettes
for babies that require electricity
for heating purposes, these two things
are essential. Don't forget three-prong
plug adaptors for the three-prong plug
extension cords and gas for the generator.
Make sure you know how to use
the generator before you need to and
keep it in an easily accessible place.
Radio andjor
Cellular Telehone
Communication or contact with the
outside world might be crucial in your
situation in the event of loss of electricity
and/or telephone service.
There are other things that you
might think of that would be important
to your particular potential disaster.
The purpose of this short article is
not to be a complete guide to any
emergency but rather to be a reminder
that none of us is immune to this....