It caught my eye because it was beautiful (and free). And because I was momentarily bored standing in the checkout line as I scanned the pulp headlines about how Demi is self destructing over Ashton’s newest hookup. And because I’m always and relentlessly looking for beautiful things to inspire me.
The object of my attention? A glossy, expertly-designed publication by a major U.S. chicken producer. On the cover, a gorgeous shot of glazed chicken with veggies on a tortilla. Then, essays and tips by chefs, also expertly photographed to look cool and bam! and jaunty. Sophisticated typography, competent editing, excellent content, nice palette, yummy yummy looking food pix. Even some articles on wine pairing. Cool, I’m inspired.
And finally, toward the end of the pub, an article about the producer. Photos of a lovely pond, a closeup of leaves of something, a shot of corn kernels, of some other crop, and then… again, the chicken on the plate.
Holy cow. Where’s the picture of the live chickens? Where are the chickens, scratching around in the pasture? Where are the chickens, just hanging out by the water cooler, clucking and talking and drinking water? And…
Where are the people who tend to the chickens? None. Nada. Zip. Aren’t the chickens beautiful? (Mine are.) Aren’t the people who tend the chickens beautiful? (I am and my husband is, and I know lots of beautiful chicken ranchers.)
Why am I writing this for the “Adventures with Jim” beef blog? Because as much as the beautiful chickens and beautiful people are not present in the chicken publication, the beautiful cattle and beautiful people are present in Jim’s operation.
How do I know this? I know because in the course of trying to blog intelligently for Jim, I have lots and lots of conversations with him. Many are fragmented as cell reception cuts out and in, most are funny, some are seemingly unremarkable, but all share a common thread.
Like this: A tree fell on a fence and the cows got onto the road and the CHP was on scene and Jim drove there ASAP to straighten out the mess and got fined for not wearing his seat belt (he was sorta in a hurry) for $150. Or this: Jim’s cell phone somehow wound up in a tree and who cares; he would like to shoot it repeatedly, anyway, and get on with his work.
Or this: Cow 60 had a baby, and somehow the baby wound up on the other side of the fence but Cow 60 was able to nurse the baby through the fence—an elegant testimonial to her mothering skills. Or this: Cow 7 was bitten by a timber rattler and, over and above the vet’s intervention, Jim saved her life during this recent heatwave by drenching her with water and pushing water down her throat and now she’s doing fine. And this: It’s about to rain so all the baled hay has got to be snatched up onto the flatbed truck and stored in the barn so it won’t burst into flames or go bad, and that means the crew has to scramble like crazy.
And so many more small but telling anecdotes involving human presence, human intervention in the cycle of nature, and the raw and raggedy beauty of the day to day struggle just to grow the grass well, treat the cows well, and produce some honest food for our tables.
And I’m thinking… we have lots of beautiful shots of grass on our website. We have shots of Jim’s weathered hands, of Jim hanging out with the cattle, of Jim feeding the cattle, of customers enjoying the beef, and lots and lots of shots of the cows. What we don’t have is pix of perfect food on perfect plates. Hmm. Maybe someday we will. But for now, I think we’re good.
Your comments? Are we beautiful enough? Maybe I should stop cropping out the holes in Jim’s trademark torn-up shirts, the sweat-soaked hats, and the dirt-streaked trousers. But that’s another story…
What do you think? After all, it’s all in the eye of the beholder.
cheers, Ruth
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Maben West Virginia,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Maben
West Virginia also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Maben West Virginia, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Maben WV.
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Maben West Virginia
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Maben West Virginia * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Maben
West Virginia * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Maben West Virginia is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Maben,
West Virginia Baby chicks are really
charming as well as
hard to withstand,
but it's best to plan for their
arrival before you get them. Prepare first
by compiling not only the
appropriate products, however
likewise the appropriate
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
easy, you simply have to supply them with the following: A tidy as well as warm
habitat A lot of food as well
as water Focus as well as
love Habitat Your habitat could be a
simple box, fish tank,
feline service provider, or guinea
porker cage. Line it with old towels and also
coverings (without any loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a few weeks use straw over paper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
paper or various other sandal
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
malformed. You likewise require
something to dish out food as well as
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle jar
cover for food as well as a pet dog bird water dispenser from an animal store. Also, as the chicks age you could present a perch
into the habitat to obtain them
educated on setting down. Heat To
maintain your chicks heat you should
give them with a warmth resource.
This could be as basic as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp design light from a
hardware shop, or an infrared reptile warmth
bulb likewise work extremely well (my
suggestion). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
changed with plumes (which can take up to two months). The recently
hatched out require a temperature
between 90 and 100 degrees,
and each week this can
be reduced by
roughly 5 levels or
so. The warmth resource ought
to get on simply one side of the cage
to permit chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your finest
thermostat- if they are hiding in the
opposite edge of your warmth
lamp, you have to
lower the temperature level. If
they are smothering each other under the
heat (not merely cuddling),
you have to include some heat.
House cleaning
Tidiness is vital and it keeps your chicks healthy and
balanced. Make certain to change
the bedding
typically and also
consistently give tidy
food and also water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely fast
which requires lots of clean
food and water. Supply
sufficient whatsoever times as well
as examine
typically to prevent thirsty as well as
starving chicks. Chick food is different than adult chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated and
also non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
initial two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for one more 2 months,
then to a slightly
lower protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Dirt Some chicks prefer to get a head start on taking
filth baths, while others will not take
up that task up until they are
older. If you have the space in your chick
unit, present a tray of sand or
dust for them to bathe in.
Focus and also love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. To start
with, they will more than likely bond with you and
not flee as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
enjoy their behavior, you could
capture illness or other troubles previously. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
other harmful
signs. Make certain to
also consider
their poop, as looseness of the bowels can bring about matted feathers as well
as clogged up cloaca.
Lastly, it is very
important to watch out for social issues, such as the
littlest chick obtaining teased. Empty nest syndrome So your
chicks are now completely feathery
and also its time for them to leave the
safety of your residence
and also move outside into a
coop. Look into our
area on chicken coops to read more
about cages as well as
appropriate cage habitats.