The most pampered pets of the moment might be our backyard chickens

When it came time to decorate the new Amish-built house on her 26-acre property near Lansing, Michigan, Danielle Raad went all out. She painted the interior walls a lustrous eggshell blue, and spent hours hand-stenciling one with an intricate pattern. She lined rooms with handmade art, including her own work and that of her kids. She brought in vintage objects such as a chandelier and a painted shelf. Her mother added items covered in decoupaged roses.Raad put her father in charge of prettying up the outside, which features barn-red siding, white picket fencing, flower boxes and a scarecrow. Eventually Raad, 35, had the house just right, and it was ready to be occupied. But two years later, she still hasn't spent the night in it – and she doesn't plan to. It was for her chickens.