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

[chickmomma03]

Quote: Off topic, but important question about vaseline. Temps here at night have been JUST below freezing on some nights. My cockerel's comb is a bit off on a couple of the tips. What temp for vaseline? Is it safe if it warms during the day here? And how to keep it from gunking up? Also, do the pullets/hens try to mess with it?

 

[Blooie]

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.

You are absolutely right. A FEW select, properly trained humans can survive on Mt. Everest....I sure couldn't and I don't know anyone else who could either. I'm not sure how well you'd fare if you were taken from your familiar shelter and dropped off up there. I suppose a select few chickens could do well out in the open with no protection after the stress of having a tree fall on them, too. But the OP isn't worried about some select few - she's worried about her 10, none of which were gradually acclimated to winter's cold, wind, and snow. This change for them is very abrupt, and if I was the OP I'd be looking for fast solutions before the next storms hit too. I'm not sure what you'd have her do - leave them running around all over the place trying desperately to survive?

Of course chickens aren't human babies. Nobody knows that better than I, since I raise my chicks outside in a run without the benefit of a heat lamp even in the teens and twenties. I'm not trying to be argumentative....I did agree that your idea made a lot of sense as emergency summer housing. But just because chickens aren't human doesn't mean they don't have to be well managed and cared for properly. Can't we help her and her birds in the spirit of BYC assistance rather than discussing the evolution of chickens? i think we can.

Edited to add: With all due respect, regarding your first response, I just don't see a tent and bird netting providing much predator protection - especially with the kinds of predators our OP would see during the winter in Maine.

 

[chickmomma03]

oh oh oh, another thought occurred to me. I don't know how helpful it is, but I have heard of people using shipping pallets as their walls of their coop. I'm not sure if that's an option? Maybe you could get a hold of some pallets and use as your walls and build up from that? Maybe craigslist or check with local businesses (like trucking companies, warehouses, etc who may have and even be willing to donate/sell for really cheap)?

 

[KayTee]

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.

Chickens don't need to be pampered in the same way as us soft humans do, it's true, but to survive on Everest I would need some training, acclimatisation and a lot of thermal underwear!

Ladyfish's birds have been used to shelter, and given that it's the middle of winter (albeit a relatively mild one in many areas) it wouldn't be fair to suddenly expose them to outdoor living. It's one of the reasons that so many people advise not to heat coops artificially in the winter - all it takes is a power cut for a night or two and the birds will suffer from the cold, as they are not used to it.

(Not to mention the predator risk - tent material vs predator claws - I know which one is likely to win!)

 

[Blooie]

@chickmomma03 I didn't see your question, and I probably shouldn't continue to derail the thread. But if you'll post your question in https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/2/managing-your-flock I'll bet someone can answer it. I don't use Vaseline so I don't know the logistics.

 

[chickmomma03]

Quote: Thanks, will do!

 

[Ladyfish]

Thank you all for your advice and help. We've found someone to house the girls while we rebuild. Time was what we needed most.

 

[Blooie]

I am so glad that you have found a solution! I can't imagine how stressful the last few days have been for you and your family. Here's hoping your new coop is all you and your birds could want.

 

[Jessica Thompson]

I have one

 

[Jessica Thompson]

I have one chicken house for sale if you still need one