St. Clair County’s grand menagerie
Story by Graham Hadley
Photos by Michael Callahan
Behind an unassuming front yard and garden, Sue and Al Maddox maintain one of the greatest menageries of interesting and exotic animals in St. Clair County.
It started 15 to 20 years ago with a weekly ladies day out to the farmers market to maybe buy a couple of chickens.
That was all Al, who was busy with a life doing specialty construction in fire damage repair and building restoration, was really willing to put up with.
“He said, ‘Fine, but no goats, horses, pigs or other animals.’”
The first trip yielded a few chickens for a coop out back; no big deal. The second trip a week later, a few more.
On the third trip? “Five goats, pygmy goats. No wait, six goats. We got old Butthead that day, too. He was going to be eaten in two days,” Sue said, laughing — something that comes as easy to her as breathing.
Her husband would not have approved, but he was not exactly made fully aware of what was going on.
“He left for work before sunup and came home after sundown, so he had no idea what we were up to in the back,” she said.
That was the seed that grew into what is now The Old Farts Farm, which is home to an amazing array of animals: peacocks, Mandrin and wood ducks, chickens of all kinds — from fancy Silkies to Rhode Island reds, giant rabbits and miniature horses, sheep, geese, quail, pigeons and turkeys. They also have several breeds of dogs running around, huge great Pyrenees that are almost as big as the horses, German shepherds, a Rottweiler and more, plus the property is patrolled by a variety of cats in all shapes and sizes. And, of course, there are the goats — mostly pygmy and dwarf goats, but several of the standard sizes, too, and in a variety of breeds.
And, with the exception of the rabbits and the birds, which have their own hutches runs and pens, they all live together in harmony. When Sue walks out into the farmyard, a Noah’s-Ark-like herd of animals comes running around the corner to visit — and beg attention.
Of course, at this point, Al, who is something of a ringer for Duck Dynasty’s Si, down to his camouflage jacket and cap, is fully aware of “what is going on in the back.”
When he first realized that just a few chickens had grown into an exotic animal farm, his response? “Fine, but I am not going to learn their names!”
Sue responded, “Well, of course I am not going to name them, they are farm animals” (which is also not entirely true — many of the animals have names now).
Al clarified, “No, I am not going to learn what kind of animals they are, what they are called!”
Watching as Al retrieved a Silkie chicken from its pen for a photo opportunity, she recounted this exchange and said, “Now he knows what all of them are.”
Despite his misgivings, The Old Farts Farm could hardly exist without Al. He not only helps care for all the animals, he put his construction expertise to work and built all the various pens and structures sprawling across the property to house the multitude of animals.
Still, Al grumbles good-naturedly about the entire affair.
“I used to drive big trucks all over, ran heavy equipment. Now I am down to lifting little birds,” he said holding up the captured Silkie for a picture.
“There are good days and bad days,” he pauses for a second, thinking. “Today — good day. I mean, it’s a full-time job, you never want for work.”
Sue gives him a look and a smile as Al returns the chicken to its cage and fetches a giant Flemish rabbit that is pushing 50 pounds for her to hold for the camera.
“Me, I am living the dream. Him — not so much,” she said.
“He grumps about the farm, but he really loves the animals. This is a man who, when it was freezing out a few weeks ago, he came out to the barn and laid on the concrete floor and let the baby goats climb all over him so they could warm up,” she said.
He does draw the line, though — “No pigs.”
And he was right, but Sue had to test the waters.
A man came by and wanted to trade a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig for a couple of chickens. “It could fit in the palm of your hand. It was so cute. I took it inside and showed Al. He just grunted. So I put the tiny pig on his beard nuzzled up to him.” Begrudgingly, Al consented.
They made a little pen for the piglet in the house that evening. Sometime in the early hours, Sue and Al woke up to the most eye-wateringly horrible smell.
“We thought sewage had backed up into the house,” she said.
It took them awhile to isolate the cause — the little pig had gone to the bathroom in the pen and then made a mess of everything.
“I carried the pig and pen out to the barn. I put an ad up online the next day. I think it sold in 20 minutes,” she said.
So, no pigs.
Though she loves all the animals — “even my little fish out there” — some animals are more equal than others. Two in particular top the list: The beautiful miniature palomino horse that follows her around like a puppy, ready to bump noses and give a “kiss” and Butthead, the goat she rescued from the dinner table that first time she brought goats home.
Butthead follows Sue and Al, too, but not for kisses. Butthead likes to try to bum cigarettes.
“I am glad I saved him. That is the coolest goat,” Sue said, laughing again as he tries to filch an unlit cigarette from her hand.
Lots of hard work too
Like Al alluded to earlier, as much as they love raising animals, it is a full-time job.
“Vacation is out of the question,” Sue said. “It’s a life. When it gets this big, it takes over everything.”
Caring for the adult animals; maintaining the cages; looking after the young animals, newly hatched and yet to be hatched birds in all shapes and sizes; running the business, cleaning — on and on, the work never ends and never lets up.
“Many days, we come in at 9 or 10 at night and we’re up before the sun, and we still have all the regular stuff to do. At 9 at night, most normal people have the dishes done and have had a shower. I also have to get online and do our Internet stuff,” Sue said.
The Old Farts farm has an active Facebook page, where they showcase their animals. But the social media site is also where Sue promotes the importance of local, independent farms.
The main barn now houses regular meetings, gatherings where other local farmers show off their animals or share their knowledge with each other.
Working together is the key for small farms. Their operation barely breaks even, if that, and many others operate on the same thin line of profitability.
“We are not going to make it unless we work together,” Sue said.
“Jerry Couch from Argo does the meetings. He knows a lot, especially about chickens. He has started taking his chickens to shows.”
They draw people from all over the region, many who want to start up a farm but don’t really know where to begin.
“We get people from Anniston. Drew Rhodes did a class on beekeeping. Eddy Bonner from Trussville showed us how to make rain barrels. You would be amazed at how fast you can fill a barrel with the rain water from your roof. And we had Jim Cole talk about garlic one time,” she said.
These classes not only help others, but they give Sue new ideas she can use at her property.
And there is always the possibility she will bring some new animal home — something else to love.
She got into the whole affair because she grew up with a father who loved animals, too, and he picked it up from his parents, who immigrated to the United States from Austria and farmed after working for Standard Oil.
The Old Farts Farm owes its name to Sue’s Dad.
“My Dad would say that word whenever a car pulled out in front of us. As he got older, he never dropped it,” she said.
Some day, Sue said, she may be willing to give up the farm, let her and Al get some vacation time and relax. But they have been married now for 20 years, and the farm is their life.
“He did not have a clue what he was getting in for when he married me. Surprise!,” she laughed, “No regrets!”
For more from the Old Farts Farm visit them on Facebook
