Pet’s Place: A Flock of Chickens Inspires Decor
A California artist turns her love for her small flock of chickens into a creative business
Fabric chicken business: Her new hobby quickly turned into a small business called Pet Chicken Ranch. “If someone had told me I would be raising a small flock of chickens and creating special fabric creations in their image, I would have laughed in disbelief,” Carcia says.
In this photo, Carcia is holding one of her real chickens as it stares at a fabric version.
In this photo, Carcia is holding one of her real chickens as it stares at a fabric version.
Live models: Sometimes Carcia needs her chickens to model poses or movements for her. Here, Mo is curled up to model a tucked position. “They don’t realize they are working,” Carcia says. “They just stand there and look cute.”
Payment method: The chickens get small food treats for helping on a project.
Payment method: The chickens get small food treats for helping on a project.
Custom coop: Carcia and Mueller built the coop that sits in their backyard. It’s on blocks and has nesting boxes and extra-wide perches inside. In the winter, they add fleece material inside to keep the chickens warm and cozy.
Is a Backyard Chicken Coop Right for You?
Is a Backyard Chicken Coop Right for You?
Daily routine: The same activities play out every day, but not always at the exact same time. “Chickens live by the rising and setting of the sun,” Carcia says. “Having chickens definitely makes you aware of the seasons and the weather.”
She typically lets them out of the coop between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m. They like to scratch around the yard and garden, looking for bugs to eat. After that they spend time napping. While they nap, Carcia gives the coop a quick cleaning, replenishes their water, gathers any eggs and restocks their food. “Oh, and I try to do a little sewing in between everything,” she says.
After their morning snooze, the chickens run around the yard and find more bugs. Sometimes they even come in the house and sit with Carcia as she works on her latest fabric chicken.
She typically lets them out of the coop between 5:30 and 7:30 a.m. They like to scratch around the yard and garden, looking for bugs to eat. After that they spend time napping. While they nap, Carcia gives the coop a quick cleaning, replenishes their water, gathers any eggs and restocks their food. “Oh, and I try to do a little sewing in between everything,” she says.
After their morning snooze, the chickens run around the yard and find more bugs. Sometimes they even come in the house and sit with Carcia as she works on her latest fabric chicken.
Good night, chickens: Every day ends the same for Carcia, Mueller and the chickens. The couple sit in the backyard with the hens, petting them and giving them love before ushering them back into their coop for the night. “We talk to them and then we say goodnight and close the coop,” Carcia says, “and do it all again the next day.”
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She Built a Chicken Coop and Was Surprised by What Happened Next
Read more stories about pets at home
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Pets at a Glance
Pets: Six chickens (Buffy, Latka, Ziggy, Mo, Saucy and Peaches)
Ages: Up to 6 years old
Location: Petaluma, California
Owners: Jenny Carcia and her husband, Erik Mueller
First flock: Jenny Carcia and Erik Mueller started keeping chickens in the spring of 2011 and today have multiple breeds, including Buff Orpington, Speckled Sussex, Easter Egger, Barnevelder and Barred Rock. Their six chickens roam around the yard and garden — and sometimes the house — during the day.
Pets to art: After two years of owning chickens, Carcia started to get inspired by them and wanted to create art that involved them. She has a master’s degree in painting and has many crafty skills, including the sewing skills her mother passed on to her. She pooled those talents and started to create fabric chickens that looked like her own small flock.