PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WLNE) — Johnson and Wales University opened their new living spaces for two dozen hens today. The university dedicated the “Coop-a-cabana” for the hens to live in. Those chickens were hatched at the Harborside Campus in July. Staff said they’re expecting their first batch of eggs sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving. The new coop will connect a range of disciplines at the university including the veterinary program, the culinary teams, and their life science work. Food systems students will care for the hens. “I had a student I was speaking to last month, and I said where do you think meat comes from? And they said the supermarket,” said Dr. Jackie Bowser, the Department Chair at JWU. “And so like it’s really important to know where their food comes from, the quality of the life that the animal had while they’re actually making the food for us. And then the fact that it actually does increase the taste and the flavor and the product that we’re consuming,” she said. The coops will allow students to study the hens, and learn more about animal science. The eggs will initially be used for the animal science program, but if they’re cleared by the Rhode Island Department of Health, the school’s culinary department will begin to use them. Categories: News