Spring’s here, and that’s the Bone Collector’s favorite time of year—the weather is warming up and turkey season is right around the corner. And what he loves more than anything else is spending time out on the farm, in his own backyard. But before he gets to mowing his yard with his Exmark Lazer Z, he’s checking out what his wife, Christie, has going on in her backyard chicken coop.
Eggs and Entertainment Aplenty
Waddell says chickens are cool animals—especially if you own a farm—because you can raise them pretty much anywhere. It’s become a full-time hobby for his wife over the last five years, and she’s collected a whole variety of different species that provides near-endless entertainment.
But what Waddell loves the most about their flock are the eggs they lay. Or, more specifically, the omelettes they can make with their eggs. He now has an endless supply of scrambled eggs, with the added benefit of never having to make a trip to the grocery store. On a typical day, Christie can guarantee at least eight to nine eggs between her 25 chickens.
Chicken Coop Fencing
Because they have a bit of a predation problem on their property, the Waddells have installed a fence around their coop. (Michael says this is a perfect reason for why you need to trap when it comes to turkey or quail hunting.) Their hardwire fence gives their chickens a little flexibility and freedom to roam—as well as some much-needed protection. For an added layer of defense, Waddell has installed a Run-Chicken door that automatically closes at night to keep any hungry predators at bay.
Chicken Feed
When it comes to feeding their flock, his wife buys a whole bunch of different types of feed to keep their chickens full. But they’ve found that the best food source in early spring comes from their land. Their chickens roam freely in their coop—where they can chow down on grasses, clovers, and bugs aplenty.
A Quick Scoop
Waddell says that the chicken coop is his wife’s domain. They’re her chickens, and he’s just there to provide some moral support and throw in the occasional physical labor. (And enjoy the eggs they lay, of course.) He jokes that they’re more than just omelette-makers—they’re pets, too. They have a whole variety of “easter egg”-producing chickens that lay eggs in a wide variety of colors, making for pretty sights, and good eating.
The Waddells also have a pair of roosters living in their coop. While you typically don’t even need one, they’ve got two that get along with each other just fine. Most of the time, at least.
Get Creative
Another thing Waddell says you can do with your own coop is deck it out. If you’re going to spend a whole bunch of time in and around it, you might as well make it feel like home! Their coop is lovingly dubbed “Cluckingham Palace,” and any great palace has to be fit for a king—or a bunch of queens, in this case. They’ve run both water and power to their coop, installing heating lamps and even a chandelier.
They’ve also hung personalized photos for each chicken. To take the ambiance to the next level, there’s a radio inside that his wife leaves on at night. He jokes that this sets a party atmosphere that helps them lay even more eggs in the morning.
Waste Not
Besides the farm-fresh eggs, another benefit of raising your own chickens, says Waddell, is the fertilizer. He and his wife collected the waste throughout the winter, which will make for some hardy tomatoes and peppers come growing season. He jokes that he tends to make himself really busy when the time comes to muck out the coop, however.
For now, Waddell’s going to let the chickens feed at their “chick-nic” tables while he goes out to prep for turkey season and scout out some gobblers.
