The Luckiest Chickens in Chicago
Once past the house, and the shade arbor covered in squash vines, the path opens up to a patio area with not one but two koi ponds, complete with frogs who eat out of the Martins’ hands. Just behind that, next to the garage, is the award-winning, chicken coop. And what a coop it is. Made from mostly recycled materials including the 40-year-old fence from Beth’s childhood home, the cherry-red coop has plenty of light and room for Ken and Beth to move around comfortably while tending the girls or collecting eggs, and features a generous fenced yard (protection from the two rambunctious terriers, Copper and Coalie) with some tasty plants just for them. It would not be an overstatement to say that these are the luckiest chickens in Chicago; occasionally, they have flown the coop, but they always fly right back.
“Once you complete a project, you often wish you could change something,” say Beth. “Not so with the coop. We really got it right I think. We have some very happy, fun chickens.”
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