Chicken Coop Saga

The Chicken Coop Saga 

A few weeks ago when Dallas was hit by tornadoes, Comanche, Tx. got some really strong winds as well. One of several things that was damaged at my daughter Brittany’s was their chicken coop. Somehow, luckily all  five chickens survived, but their coop was left in shatters. 

This weekend Chuck and I made a trip down their direction to babysit the grandsons. As we pulled into their driveway we couldn’t help but noticed the coop remnants stacked inside their garage. 

Before leaving for Virginia two days after the storm my son-in-law Will had dragged the old coop into the garage salvaging a few pieces to put together a make-shift coop for the chickens. The night before, “the girls”as I like to call them,  had made their way under the heap searching for shelter in the comfort of the familiar coop. 

Although, the new coop did the trick, it was obvious that it was only a temporary shelter for the birds, and that Brittany and Will would probably be buying a new coop after they returned home. 

As Chuck eyeballed the wreckage I could almost imagine the wheels turning in his brain. Over the years Chuck has been a jack of all trades, and has assembled many pieces of furniture for our home. I always like to brag that he has saved us a ton of money by fixing things himself. I’ve never doubted his capabilities as when he puts his mind to something there is no stopping him. 

After clearing it with Brittany and Will he set to work. While our youngest grandson napped, the older one and I were there on the assist to help. Chuck reminded us that it would not be perfect, but he thought he could bring the old coop back to life. 

Now we weren’t the only ones interested in what was going on because as soon as Chuck got the basic layout set up, “the girls” made their way back into the coop-in-progress to check it out. 

We got a good laugh as we shooed them out. They appeared to approve our handiwork as Chuck continued on with his jigsaw puzzle approach to putting the coop back together again.  We took a break for dinner, and then he returned to the garage to finish the rest without the distraction of two very enthusiastic little boys.

The next morning we were all in awe at how it turned out. It basically looked good as new, although maybe not quite as sturdy. Chuck and the oldest put the finishing touches on the coop, and we all waited for Brittany and Will to return home. 

It was about that time that I realized that I had only seen three of the five chickens. Chuck confirmed that there were only three sitting in the coop that morning when he went to let them out. Our hearts sank as we contemplated whether something had possibly gotten the other two the night before. 

The temporary coop did not provide complete protection, and we had remembered that Ellie, their dog, had been very insistent on being let out late the night before. We made a trip around the property hoping to locate the missing hens, and were about to give up hope of finding them. 

It was then that I spied one of the rogue chickens hanging out by the sheep pen. We were now up to four and although, sad that we might have lost one, were relieved it wasn’t two. 

When Brittany and Will returned home we broke the news about the missing chicken, but were excited to show them the new coop. They were thrilled that they did not have to buy a new one anymore, but even more happy when they located the final bird hiding over by the flat bed trailer that we used to move the coop. 

Ironically, they also found a lone egg in that area as well. If “the girls” had been laying eggs since the storm it was a mystery to all as their eggs were no where to be seen. 

Needless to say it was an “All’s well that ends well moment at the ranch!”