Page 90 - Coffee County

grits when we didn’t have chickens,” E.D. laughed.

Sharree met E.D. when she was 12-years-old and her stepfather would bring him home for supper. They both worked for Latex Construction in Fultondale, Alabama. Sharree says, “We kinda adopted him into the family.” When she got older, they dated for six years while he was on his farm in Douglas and she was in Birmingham then were married in 1977.

She remembers when they got their frst batch of chickens thirty-four years ago because the night they caught the chickens she went into labor and had her daughter, Melody, the next day. They also have a son, Jonathan, who owns Lott’s Wrecker Service and fve grandchildren: Melody’s daughters, Mya and Gracie and Jonathan’s three boys: J.T., Holland, and Calure.

E.D. noted how much raising chickens has changed since he started. He said, “When we started it was real work. We had to fll up the water jugs, wash the waterers every day and sometimes twice a day. It isn’t anything like it is today. It’s easier raising chickens today compared to thirty-four years ago. Now the chicken houses are computerized to let you know when there is a problem.” The Lotts grow a little over eight pound chickens, which takes them about eight weeks. Pilgrim’s Pride supplies the chicks, feed, and medications while the Lotts supply the houses, shavings, electricity, gas to heat the houses, water and labor to raise and care for the chickens. Each 40 foot wide by 500 foot long house has 20,000 chickens per grow out while their 45 foot wide houses have 23,000 chickens.

The Lotts are thankful to have the chickens and for the community they live in that gave them so much support during the time they didn’t have chickens and much of an income.  CCM