The Chicken Coop
Chicken Coop
The newer chicken coop is west of the house, taking advantage of the slope of the hill to protect and insulate the building.
The new chicken coop was built sometime in the 1950s using the same construction method as the other buildings on the site, with one exception.
In addition to the branches used to support the clay roof, wire and pieces of scrap iron augmented the branches. Current speculation is that wire may have been used to help hold the clay in place.
Raising chickens was an important part of the Hutmacher farm. Eggs could be sold for cash to buy things that could not be produced on the farm.
Having meat in the summer was rare due to the lack of refrigeration for large carcasses. But unlike a cow or a pig, a chicken could be butchered at any time of the year because its smaller size meant it could be consumed at once.
On the Hutmacher farm, chicken soup on Sunday was a family tradition.
The Chicken Coop
