Presidential favorite include the normal computerized tomography and dogs and also chickens . Here ’s the scoop shovel on six prexy who notably reared chickens … or keep back them as pets .
keep chickenshas become a common American occupation . Fromcity dwellers keeping a terzetto of hensin a rooftop coop tosuburban communities offering tours of their towns ’ most beautiful chicken coop , the lowly chicken can now be find all across the nation , kept by everyone from rural nester to well - heeled fowl fanciers . And you could summate to this list of folks who keep chickens some American Chief Executive .
1. George Washington
Our first president made certain that his the three estates , Mount Vernon , functioned as a farm in addition to a manor house . At this 18th - century mansion , settle just outside Alexandria , Virginia , George Washington raise Sus scrofa and chickens … but not always .
Back in the 1700s , it was the peeress of the house who oversaw the woodlet ’s poultry . Thanks to a letter written by Washington to his handmaid , John Alton , one can assume that Washington did not keep any type of flock prior to his marriage to Martha .
write just months after the marriage and just before the new family ’s arriver at Mount Vernon , the alphabetic character instructs Alton to get the manor ready for its Modern mistress , including“get some Egg ’s [ sic ] and Chickens . ”The Washingtons finally raised chicken and turkeys for their eggs and their center .
2. Thomas Jefferson
Thearchives at Monticellofeature many references to poultry made by our thirdpresident over more than 30 twelvemonth . These historical document seem to indicate that Thomas Jefferson has a fondness for fancier poultry .
“ Thin the tree … . Keep in it cervid , rabbits , Peacocks , Guinea poultry , pidgeons & c. rent it be an asylum for hares , squirrel , pheasant , partridges … . romance them to it by lay food for thought for them in right places … . ” 1771
“ how go on the Bantams ? I rely on you for their aid , as I do on Anne for the Algerine fowls , & on our arrangement at Monticello for the East Indians . these varieties are pleasant for the table & furnish an agreeable diversification in our domestic occupations . ” June 29 , 1807
Courtesy the National Park Service
“ I expect a pair of wildgeese of a family which have been natives for several propagation , but they will barely be here in time for Davy . they are whole domesticated , beautiful , have a very melodious distinction , & are much higher-ranking to the tame for the board . ” November 1 , 1807
Most of Monticello ’s everyday chicken were not raised by Jefferson but by his slaves . The archive note that , on September 29 , 1805 , the kitchen staff purchased 117 chickens and 564 eggsfrom Monticello ’s slave .
Jefferson , like many 1800s upper - socio-economic class Americans , could not be bothered to breed your run - of - the - mill poulet . His pastime of alternative was keeping decorative birds and bantams , such as the critically endangered Pyncheon bantam that historian trust Jefferson engender .
Courtesy the National Park Service
3. Abraham Lincoln
Honest Abe was a softie when it came to his son , Tad and Willie . He allowed the boys to keep as many presidential pets as they wished , undoubtedly to the horror of the White House housework staff .
In addition to the children ’s favourite rabbits and goats , Jack the turkey hold a particular place in Tad Lincoln ’s heart . Jack was in the first place destined for the Lincoln family ’s dinner table , but Tad came across the bird and beg his father to spare his life . The lenient papa agreed , and Jack became a household fixture . Jack could often be see strutting alfresco on the White House grounds , even amongst Union soldier who ’d get along to vote during the Civil War .
accord to the Clinton White House archives , Lincoln and his personal escritoire , Noah Brooks , once observed Jack troop around the voting booth . “Why is your turkey at the opinion poll ? ” Lincoln take his Logos . “ Does he vote ? ” Tad replied , “ No , he ’s not of historic period yet . ”
4. Theodore Roosevelt
Ol’ Rough Rider Teddy was renowned for his hunting prowess , but he was also known for go on quite a menagerie of living animals on the White House ground . Among the Roosevelt presidential petswere a bear , a lizard , wop sloven , a badger , a hyena , a barn bird of night and a pony .
The family fauna also includeda one - legged rooster(pictured above ) that could frequently been see hopping around the White House . There was a biddy nominate Baron Sprackle who so befriended Roosevelt ’s parrots , Loretta and Eli Yale , that Roosevelt once kick Baron Sprackle was starting to work more parrot than chicken .
5. Harry Truman
Give ‘ Em Hell , Harry apparently gave a lot of poultry - care advice to his childhood acquaintance Bess Wallace , whom he would eventually marry in 1919 . Apparently Bess ’ flock of chickens , which the immature young woman put forward in her backyard , were infect with poultry louse . Harry promptly volunteer Bess his Mamma ’s remedy for treating these sponger , which he informed Bess was “ a dinger . ”
“ She take twist tobacco and steeps it in hot piss as if you were making tea leaf . Put in cold water enough to cover the biddy and make it the right temperature . Then she puts in a tablespoon of melted grease . She enounce she puts her hand over the Chicken ’s bill and centre and then souses him good . ”Courtesy the National Park Service
Whether or not the succeeding Mrs. Truman followed poultry - keep advice from her next mother - in - law has never been note . Mamma Truman ’s chicken coop , however , can still be meet at the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site in Grandview , Missouri .
6. Jimmy Carter
Everybody around the country — and quite possibly the earth — love that Jimmy Carter was a goober pea farmer . This Georgia farm boy turned U.S. President did more than just grow peanuts , however .
In his 1975 autobiography , Why Not the Best ? , Carter detail pass his puerility course aroundhis kinsperson farm ’s thou , evade the many chickens , guinea fowl and geese keep by his parents , Mr. Earl and Miss Lillian .
The chickens and the Carters may be get going now , but visitors to the Jimmy Carter National Historic Park can walk around the very same pace and fancy little Jimmy dash around the squawking hen and honking geese .
