Matt DuBoise has constructed chicken coops for prominent customers including Mike Tyson and Brian Shaw, who has been named World's Strongest Man four times. Still, a request from Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance brought a different level of excitement.

The founder and CEO of Carolina Coops in North Carolina was asked to build a custom Carolina Coop at 1 Observatory Circle, the Vance family's residence in Washington, D.C. DuBoise said the call gave him goosebumps.

"The rush, the euphoria, it's hard to describe what that feeling is like," DuBoise told Fox News Digital. However, the high profile project also presented his company with a demanding schedule.

DuBoise called the assignment an "amazing opportunity," but said his employees faced a tight deadline and difficult weather. "We had to work in the rain almost every single day to get that coop done in time."

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The completed coop has quickly become part of the second family's routine. Usha Vance said the family, particularly the children, has embraced caring for the chickens at the property.

"Our family has loved having a chicken coop on the property," Usha Vance told Fox News Digital. "Our children have especially enjoyed caring for the chickens as part of their daily routine. The beautifully designed coop fits seamlessly with the Naval Observatory and makes looking after the chickens so easy."

Carolina Coops designs and constructs its coops by hand at its North Carolina facility. For the Vances, the company created a Victorian style structure intended to complement the historic house at 1 Observatory Circle.

The home's turret became a central source of inspiration for the design. DuBoise told his chief designer to incorporate the architectural feature, and the Vances approved the resulting plans immediately.

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Once the design was accepted, the company faced the challenge of delivering and assembling the large structure. Carolina Coops can ship its larger models on pallets, sometimes around the world, but this coop was carefully taken apart, stacked and transported on a trailer.

The round hen house made that work more complicated. "Keep in mind the hen house area is round," DuBoise said. "That made it that much more difficult, but we did it."

Carolina Coops donated the custom coop, which was valued at about $120,000, and completed the installation in June. DuBoise said meeting the Vances left him feeling somewhat starstruck, although he found their approach relaxed and welcoming.

The vice president and second lady asked questions commonly raised by people who are just beginning to keep chickens. DuBoise said their interest appeared sincere, particularly because the vice president had wanted the coop at the residence.

"The second family is into it," DuBoise said. "They didn't just get chickens to be hip." He added that he was pleased by the number of questions the vice president asked about the birds.

The Vance children have also taken an active role in caring for the chickens. In connection with the second lady's childhood literacy initiative, the children painted their favorite books on bricks used as art around the coop.

DuBoise said Usha Vance told the team that her children enjoy going outside and reading to the chickens. He views coops as places where families can work together by cleaning, handling the birds and collecting eggs.

Interest in backyard chickens and homesteading has increased across the United States in recent years. About 11 million U.S. households kept chickens in 2025, nearly twice the 5.8 million households recorded in 2018, according to data from the American Pet Products Association.

DuBoise said lessons from the pandemic encouraged more people to consider how they source food and produce meals at home. He described an "awakening" across America involving the food industry and interest in greater personal involvement with food.

Carolina Coops also recently donated a coop to a school in Harlem. "Their chickens are just thriving, and the kids are having so much fun," DuBoise said.

DuBoise said modern coop designs can allow owners to keep chickens while still taking vacations. He also said his company offers options for different settings, including people living in cities.

Beyond providing a food source, DuBoise believes backyard chickens can offer health, educational and lifestyle benefits. "It's so much healthier for you when you're eating those fresh, backyard eggs," he said.

He also sees chicken keeping as an activity that can bring families together while giving children a place to learn. "It's also such a great classroom for the kids," he added. "So I just absolutely love what the chicken coop and having chickens can do for families."