Eagle Scout Builds Tilly Foster Chicks an Artsy New Coop: Little Flock Arrives on Saturday, August 9

/in , /by

MaryEllen Odell
Putnam County Executive
(845) 808-1001

July 29, 2014

Eagle Scout Builds Tilly Foster Chicks an Artsy New Coop
Little Flock Arrives on Saturday, August 9

Which comes first: the chickens or the coop? Well, in the case of chickens returning to Tilly Foster Farm in Brewster, it was the coop that came first. The chicks, however, will be relocated onto the property on Saturday, August 9 at 1 p.m. A story time program will also be offered after the chicks are settled into their new home on the historic 199-acre farm.

While the 20-plus hatchlings were busy outgrowing their fluffy down coats and sprouting true feathers, a handmade, portable chicken coop was delivered to the farm on Tuesday, July 29 courtesy of Thomas P. Quinn, a member of Mahopac Falls Boy Scout Troop 271. The striking coop, complete with hand-painted panels depicting various farm animals, is Quinn’s Eagle Scout project. He built it with the idea of donating it and was mentored by Ed Cooke, a member of the Tilly Foster Farm Advisory Board.

“What motivated me to build the coop was a desire to encourage organic farming,” said Quinn whose parents, Tom and Debbie, brought the coop to the farm on a trailer attached to the back of an SUV.

In building the coop, Quinn tallied 400 hours of donated time from a task force of 20 volunteers. It was also his responsibility to seek and accrue donations and supplies. Included in the donations the Eagle Scout candidate sought was a trailer frame so his coop could be moved not only to the farm on Route 312 but around the farm fields as well.

Building the coop turned out to be a bit of a family affair for Quinn. His Aunt Elaine Gizzi and his 85-year-old grandmother Dorothy F. Heckmann decorated the coop with their paintings of farm animals.

Putnam County Highways & Facilities employee Teresa Delahanty, a veterinary technician who moved onto the farm with her family last weekend, said the coop will be an ideal home for the young flock.

“The chicks are about 2 weeks old right now.  They are doing very well, growing quickly, and their personalities are emerging. By next week they should be ready to arrive at the farm and move into the beautiful coop that Thomas built,” Delahanty said.

For the latest updates on the arrival of the lively little chicks at Tilly Foster Farm and any programs scheduled at that time, visit the Putnam County website at www.putnamcountyny.com and click on the Tilly Foster icon on the lower left side of the homepage.

Tilly Foster Farm is a county-owned farm located at 100 Route 312, Brewster, NY. It is open to the public free of charge.

TF

Group photo caption: County officials greeted Mahopac Falls Boy Scout Troop 271 member Thomas Quinn and his parents as they delivered a new chicken coop to Tilly Foster Farm on July 29. The coop was built by Quinn as his Eagle Scout Project. Quinn received his Eagle Scout Award on Sunday, Aug. 3. From left to right: Veterinary Technician Teresa Delahanty, Commissioner of Highways and Facilities Fred Pena, Tom Quinn, Eagle Scout Thomas Quinn, County Executive MaryEllen Odell, Debbie Quinn.