Courtney Kelly cares for a flock of 27 chickens at her homestead in western North Carolina. Naming the venture Courtney’s Chicken Charms, she says that she’s always felt the calling to become “a homesteader in my heart from the beginning of adulthood.”
Chickens have become a central part of Kelly’s hobby farm, which also strives to stay organic and sustainable. She repurposes her birds’ manure into the garden beds, also layering in fallen leaves to build soil. She uses well water on the land. And a cast iron stove inside the house keeps the family toasty during the winter months.
“All of these are a part of being a homestead and growing a homestead,” she says.
We spoke to Kelly about her love for chickens. She also told us how the birds interact with the four resident felines and a Great Pyrenees dog. We also got into the suspicion that her birds are hiding a secret nest out in the woods.
Falling for Chickens
Kelly raises her chickens organically. And she originally fell in love with the animals while dwelling on the island of Kauai for around a decade.
“A long time of that was backpacking around the island, living on an organic farm and hearing the echoes of roosters crowing all through the valleys at night,” she recalls.”That sound is beautiful, peaceful. I love it so much.”
After settling in North Carolina, Kelly says that her new chicken goals include having “generations deep of them on my own farm.” She also wants to chase “the egg rainbow for more and more colors.”
Read more: Check out the adorable Serama chickens of Little Farmer Me!
Learning About Egg Colors
Speaking about the rainbow eggs her chickens produce, Kelly says that she’s discovered that “out of all the chicken egg colors you will ever see, all the eggs’ genuine shell colors will either be a white or blue egg. The other colors are what is on top of that primary shell color being white or blue!”
Tracking Down Mystery Eggs
Kelly finds eggs laid outside of the coop on occasion, which always makes her curious. “I never know if [my chickens] are hiding a secret nest around in the woods!” she wonders. “I generally talk myself up in my mind that they are laying out there but I just cannot seem to figure out where.”
Introducing The Resident Dog And Cats
Alongside the chickens, Courtney’s Chicken Charms also hosts four kitties and a Great Pyrenees dog. Taking on a role as a livestock guardian, the canine “runs the perimeter and barks at everything” in a bid to “keep my flock safe during the day and most of the night.”
When it comes to the finicky felines? Well, Kelly says that in general they “don’t bother with the chickens.”
(One of the younger cats does sometimes try to play with the chickens, though.)
Read more: There are a few things to keep in mind for keeping chickens safe around cats.
The Joy of Living With Chickens
“The surprising reward of raising chickens is how much you can fall in love with them,” says Kelly. “After leaving Kauai, I didn’t realize how much I missed having them around. They are smart and loving animals that show their love back to you. It is so very rewarding having them.”
Follow Courtney’s Chicken Charms at Instagram.
