Coop Raising




Barbie's chickens that survived the coop fire. The rooster has a singed
comb and one of the ladies has a little burn on her saddle feathers.

        I read the news on face book while sipping my morning cup of coffee from a mug crafted by Monkton potter, Warren Dixon. My neighbor, Barbie Collette’s chicken coop had burned to the ground during the night. My immediate reaction was a sleepy sadness. I posted a comment about how sorry I was and watched while others did the same. The rooster had made it out safely and there was suspicion that one of the hens had burned in the coop. Later in the day when I checked back in-it was discovered that all the chickens had survived the fire.


Barbie and Mark working on the chicken door.

      Mention fire and chicken coops to anyone and brace yourself for the roasted chicken comments. I tried to crack a smile, because after all I do eat roasted chicken but inside I was cringing. I never knew that I had an affinity for feathered creatures until I started raising a small flock of chickens. Birds I knew of because I have a sister who is a serious birder and I took a VT Natural History course in college that had me trouncing through the woods observing wildlife. I also grew up surrounded by many flying critters. Who isn’t dazzled by the bright colors of male Cardinals, the cheery yellow of Goldfinches or the bright hues of blue on the ever present Blue Jay? 

Rob Hunter with his
carpentry talent!

      You might say, chickens though? And my response is YES, get a handful of these little fluffy critters under a heat lamp and start to observe them, you are sure to fall in love. Or at the very least you will find that great chunks of time have come and gone while you've watched their antics. It doesn’t stop at their youth either. As they grow into their odd teenage plumage they continue to display their individuality.  Once they become true hens, or at the point in which they start to lay eggs, their personality continues to grow. My chickens have different voices that express what is going on in their lives or around them on a daily basis. Happy chortles for a particularly desirable snack, warning sounds when danger is sensed, deep breaths for contentment, loud prideful bawking noises when an egg is laid. Don’t even get me started on the variety of chicken expressions. Point made, I’ve spent a LOT of time with my flock. I like birds.


Some of the crew that
helped with the
coop building.



Inside the chicken coop.
Feeder and waterer.


     By the end of the day, in which I’d learned that Barbie’s coop had burned, my mind had never left the thought of homeless chickens. Where would they spend the night? I looked back on our coop building days-it took all of our spare time to create a solid predator proof home for our girls.  I couldn’t imagine how Barbie, a mother of two young and energetic boys, who works full time, could find the time to create a new coop. I also thought of how cold February is. It’s during this time of the year that I have to slather my chicken’s combs with Vaseline to prevent them from getting frostbite. I looked at my husband Rob and we both knew immediately that we wanted to offer our help.

Ellen, Matt and George.

     In a quick email exchange with Barbie we learned that she would like our help. And so we began to think how we would go about rebuilding the coop. Rob loves to create outbuildings and garden structures and so our wood supply had dwindled. We didn’t have enough materials to even begin the project.


Nesting box that can be accessed
outside of the coop!

      Using face book, where I had learned about the coop burning down, is where I asked for donations of materials and in the process found that others would like to help with the rebuild process. Friends from Burlington offered materials, and we still are hearing from folks that wished they’d heard of the coop raising so that they could have leant a hand.

     The first to come to our aid was Kristen and Cyrus Patten, followed by Ellen Perry. They had materials and Ellen, a fire fighter, wanted to help with the building (she had rescued the chickens from their burned enclosure). Theresa Payea also invited us to stop by for any materials that she had on hand. Betsy McDonough contacted her father-in-law who dropped off materials. Kesta Perras drove me around, in her husband Tim’s truck, to collect materials.  My husband, Rob Hunter, oversaw the project coming up with a quick design for a new coop while Barbie’s partner, Mark Pelletier was there to lend a hand with the construction. Barbie’s sons, Foster and George were also present. George kept us well-supplied with smiles and giggles through the afternoon! Ellen’s friend Matt helped us finish up the day when Rob had to leave to help judge the Monkton Flag Contest.
 

Shooting through the nesting box
with Barbie inside the coop.


      All day Barbie rushed about making sure we had bagels, hot coffee and she made all the volunteers a hot lunch of seafood chowder with steaming corn bread. Welcomed by all because the temperature hovered a little below freezing.

     The chickens are still getting use to the coop. We stopped by just the other day to put a finishing touch on the door and a few chickens were inside eating. One chicken had laid an egg on the floor, not quite sure what to make of the new nesting boxes. As I walked out of the yard to climb into my car, a few white flurries floated about and a nearby chimney puffed out white plumes. Brrrr it was cold, but my heart was warmed by the thought of so many community members, that didn’t really know each other, coming together to work on a coop raising!




Barb inside the new coop!  WAIT, that's where the chickens are
supposed to be!