Vice President Vance Adds Chicken Coop to Naval Observatory Residence
Vice President JD Vance has added a custom-built chicken coop and a dozen baby chicks to the grounds of his official residence at the U.S. Naval Observatory. The coop was donated by Carolina Coops, a North Carolina small business, and was designed to architecturally mirror the Victorian home on the property, complete with a round turret and faux slate roof. The addition continues a tradition of vice presidents personalizing the residence and comes amid a broader national resurgence in backyard chicken keeping.
Carolina Coops founder Matthew DuBoise donated and oversaw the installation of a custom chicken coop at the Naval Observatory, completed May 29, at no cost to taxpayers. The structure was designed to echo the 19th-century Victorian residence, featuring a conical-roofed rotunda, green trim, a screened outdoor run, and even a rain barrel water collection system, as visible in photos from the vice president's office. Vance, his wife Usha, and their children selected 12 chicks to start the flock, and the children have already named the birds; according to Vance's office, the vice president will personally care for them. The coop made its public debut at a 'Camp VPR' event where local 4-H students partnered with the USDA taught other children about raising chickens. The project carries personal resonance for Vance, who frequently cited high egg prices as a symbol of inflation during the 2024 campaign and joked that his sons consume roughly 14 eggs each morning. DuBoise called the project an 'American dream' milestone for his family-owned business, which has operated for 18 years. Approximately 11 million U.S. households now keep backyard chickens, according to a 2025 American Pet Products Association survey.
What's missing
It is not specified whether the donated coop constitutes a gift that requires disclosure under federal ethics rules governing gifts to executive branch officials, or whether any such review was conducted.
How coverage differed
Fox News emphasized the coop as 'American-made,' highlighted the 'Make America Healthy Again' movement as a driver of the backyard chicken trend, and noted Vance will personally care for the birds — details framed to reinforce themes of self-sufficiency and patriotism. ABC News and The Hill presented the story in a more straightforward, feature-news tone without those ideological framings.
What different sources said
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