Storm Destroyed Our Coop — In need of housing help in Maine!

[Ladyfish]

Hello friends in the Maine Backyard Chickens Community,

The storm last night knocked a tremendously large pine tree through our coop, flattening it. All the hens are miraculously ok. A local farm has taken 17 from us, but there are 10 we couldn't bear to part with. We are having trouble locating any housing for them in the Winter, this is a spring stock item at the farm supply and hardware store.

Does anyone have any leads on a coop to house 10 homeless birds? If there is a better thread to post this in, please let me know.

Thank you for any leads, Craigslist has been a bust.

Carrie

Freeport, Maine

 

[KayTee]

Wow! Miracle that you didn't lose any of your birds - someone was looking out for them

Try posting on this thread:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1370/maine

All the best for you and your birds.

 

[Ladyfish]

Many thanks, I've reposted there. We are lucky.

 

[chickmomma03]

Can you build something temporary for them (maybe even something "simple" using inexpensive supplies)? Other than that, I am SO glad your babies are all ok!!

 

[Blooie]

I am so sorry that happened, but you are right - you are so lucky. I have an idea that might work temporarily. Cattle panels are available at your local farm stores any time. If you pick up 8 steel fence posts and pound them into the ground, 4 on each side, then arch 3 cattle panels between them, wiring them into place, you would have an inexpensive enclosure. Cover it with chicken wire, then cover the entire thing with clear plastic. Plenty of room for 10 chickens in there.

We use this as our run, and covered with clear plastic it absorbs the sun's heat during the day. Our run is always warmer than our coop, and my chickens are in it all day long except to lay. They are dry and out of the wind. Snow slides off. You could put a couple of roosts in there, maybe slap up a plywood shelter if you would feel better. It would be fast, inexpensive, and when you are able to rebuild your coop it would serve double duty as a sturdy run, just butt your coop up to it and have your pop door open into it. That would save a few bucks.


Inside is bright and sunny - and warm. So warm, in fact that you can see our brooder pen with chicks on the left and it was in the teens and twenties out there.


Our run and coop. See how the panels are arched between the fence posts?


Snow load in winter - and here our winds are always high...not unusual to have 60 + mph. Snow slides off with the gentle push of a broom if it snows heavily.

Complete information can be found on my Coop Page, right there under my avatar. I'll bet this would work well and serve double duty after you rebuild! Mine are out there even when it's 20 below zero! Good luck!

 

[RAnst4038]

Chickens have been surviving with no coop for millions of years. All they need is predator security.

Go to Walmart and look for a cheap $50 tent with a floor. Go to Ebay & search Bird Netting & get fast shipping.

I built this Summer Camp and everyone was safe all summer.



My only loss was Kramer my prize Cream Legbar. One day the big local turkey flock came & when they left Kramer somehow went with them.

 

[Blooie]

Chickens have been surviving with no coop for millions of years. All they need is predator security.

Go to Walmart and look for a cheap $50 tent with a floor. Go to Ebay & search Bird Netting & get fast shipping.

I built this Summer Camp and everyone was safe all summer.



My only loss was Kramer my prize Cream Legbar. One day the big local turkey flock came & when they left Kramer somehow went with them.

Be a great idea for temporary housing if it wasn't winter in Maine. I think that makes a difference, especially when the chickens have been sheltered before this happened and are not used to being exposed to all the winter elements directly.

 

[RAnst4038]

Be a great idea for temporary housing if it wasn't winter in Maine. I think that makes a difference, especially when the chickens have been sheltered before this happened and are not used to being exposed to all the winter elements directly.

There CHICKENS not human children! If humans can survive in a nylon tent on Everest chickens with some Vaseline rubbed on there comb will be fine.
If it gets down to -20 put a safe cube heater in the tent.

 

[Mr Beaks]

 
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Be a great idea for temporary housing if it wasn't winter in Maine.  I think that makes a difference, especially when the chickens have been sheltered before this happened and are not used to being exposed to all the winter elements directly.

My thoughts, exactly!

 

[RAnst4038]

If money is no problem a good Sawyer can turn that tree into enough lumber to build a new coop for half what store bought costs.
It's Maine, I know there are real men & a portable mill somewhere close. You see that Lumbermate 2000 with the large log on it in the backround. I could turn that tree into 12' lumber in half a day.
Found 3 at http://www.forestryforum.com/cgi-bin/database/webdata_forum. In Union Anson & Hodgdon.
And here are a couple http://portablesawmill.info/maine/