On the Farm
A quirky coop built by a family of artists combines form and function.
These chickens live in a house that looks like them.
My in-laws’ Alabama farm is our happy place, where family, friends and dogs gather to enjoy life and spend time together.
We recently decided to try our hands at raising a few chickens. As a family of artists, we knew we could not possibly build a run-of-the-mill chicken coop—it had to be something really special. And that’s how “Rex,” our chicken coop shaped like a chicken, came to be part of the farm.
I sketched out a few ideas, but the chicken design one made us laugh out loud. It seemed an obvious choice.
While Rex looked doable on paper, construction proved a bit challenging. We made it up as we went along, using several sheets of plywood, countless screws, assorted lumber and lots of sweat and head scratching. Our creation sprang to life after a couple of weeks.
When finished, we moved Rex to a shady spot underneath a cluster of peach trees. Several low-hanging branches offer the gals a place to roost at night, and a fence keeps nighttime critters out. The bright yellow beak, which is on a hinge, creates the hens’ favorite nesting box, while four others fit into the tail section.
An antique weather vane saved from my grandparents’ old place finished out the DIY project—I had forgotten it featured a chicken.
We christened Rex in honor of Rex Goliath, a 47-pound chicken that once toured with a Texas circus, according to a winery with the same name.
Five feathered new friends now call
Rex home: Myrtle, Goldie, Zula, Ethyl and Lucy. They settled right in, and we quickly fell in love. They have free range of the farm property, and the fresh eggs are a perk. Oh, the joys of farm life!