SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — Harry Lewis,  executive mansion horticulturist, keeps the Illinois Governor’s Mansion gardens in tip-top shape.

Lewis said they are all about repurposing at the mansion, and the introduction of chickens to its lawn in June added a new element to compost plans. Nine hens were donated by a local woman and the coop was provided by Meyer’s Feed and P. Allen Smith, who established the Heritage Poultry Conservancy.

The chicken coop is moveable “It can be pulled or pushed,” Lewis added.

The coop was first filled with leaves and through their scratching and pecking the hens have already provided compost material that Lewis and his crew applied to azaleas. The coop is now filled with leftover straw from the Illinois State Fair and completely shredded by the actions of the hens. Besides the composting aspect, the hens are also on hand “to offer breed preservation,” Lewis explained.

He added chickens on-site is a great way to get fresh eggs.

With the hens laying around six a day, the mansion’s guests and commercial kitchen use the eggs for a variety of dishes. In the nest box Lewis uses golf balls to keep the hens from breaking open their eggs – and it is quite a sight to see fresh eggs deposited right next to a Titleist ball.