15 laying hens hardly take up much space for laying. Surprising they didn't just rig up a quick place for them to find cover and let them wander the yard until they figured out a more permanent solution. With hurricane debris around, repurposing wood that's around shouldn't be hard to find. Hell some people I've seen just throw the wood they bought to cover windows down by the road for trash to pick up. They could have found a downed tree and an ax and they would have hadenough to build a quick structure. Chickens don't ask for much

Define unhealthy, we definitely dont eat sick birds, but before we knew how much to feed them, we had a LOT of chicken lard. What's wrong with eating older birds? They're chewy, sure, but they can still make a tasty soup.