I recently had a client share with me his plans to build the most charming Cape Cod style chicken coop with crisp white siding, forged iron hinges and even a cupola. Of course I found myself pouring over my own collection of articles and books and longing for the same. How many of us daydream of a few chickens to bring some animation to the garden and hardscape? Quite a few, I suspect. Chickens connect us to the land and offer the sweetest displays of mothering.

If you are a gardener, a few bantams are the perfect recyclers. They eat leftovers, garden weeds, lawn mowings, slugs, snails and even mice. If you are of vegetarian persuasion, as I am, eggs offer a perfect protein source along with amino acids, minerals, vitamin A, B and D.  If you are of visual persuasion, as I am, you will love just looking at the shell variations from browns and blue-greens to olive.

I bought the plans for the same Cape Cod style coop as my friend and cannot wait to study them over the winter months. You can buy the plans, too, by visiting countryliving.com/coop where they sell for $39.00. As for books, I like the one pictured called Keeping Chickens by Jeremy Hobson and Celia Lewis. I also love referencing MaryJane’s Lifebook For The Farmgirl In All Of Us by Mary Jane Butters which is where the spectacular fall shot came from.

Can’t have the real thing? We sell lovely, patinaed concrete hens, lambs & rabbits!