A Surprise

You might remember that I bought 12 tiny chicks this summer
at the feed store and added them to the flock of guineas I was raising.
When we moved the guineas out of this house, the 12 hens remained.
Now that they are full grown, I will soon move them 
into one of the regular hen houses with the rest of the layers.

Imagine my surprise yesterday as I was driving the gator past the brooder house
and saw this in the yard....


Another rooster!
This is truly a surprise as I bought 12 hens....
minus one!
This rooster is a Barred Rock...just like Ole Roy.

Finally, the weather might just cooperate long enough to bring in the hay.
Jim drove the haybine through the field yesterday...


Ahhhh, the smell of new mown hay.
Hopefully Mother Nature is kind to us...
enabling us to get this last cutting dried and stowed into the barn.


I took a country drive yesterday to pick up an order of beef.
We buy all of our beef (burger, steaks, roasts) from a local beef farmer
who raises organic, grass fed beef.

Although this beef is a little more expensive than what can be bought in a grocery store,
we are committed to supporting our local farmers who raise their animals humanely.

So tell me....would you rather buy beef that spends its life like this.....


or like this....


If you buy beef at a supermarket, chances are the animal was kept in a feed lot,
or CAFO like the second picture.
Don't even get me started on THAT subject!  
However, if you are interested in knowing what the difference between the two meats is....
I would love to share what I know with you.
Email me....... if you want more info.

And so that we don't end this post on a "down" note....
Here is today's cute picture.


Do you recognize that little tongue in the foreground?
Yep, it's Jill....begging for another Ritz!

Hope your day is a great one!!

Comments

Stephane said…
What is it with goats and Ritz crackers? That was the only thing that got my Sage to try to move after her back was broken by the evil boers. She passed away a month later after birthing triplets. We still have the little girl, Sasha. BTW, what is a CAFO? Have a nice day.
Unknown said…
Bev, are those Dexter cattle? That's what we now have. And Hubs is heading to Missouri the end of September to pick up 2 more Cow/Calf Pairs - one with a black heifer, one with a very handsome red bull calf - and both, (God willing!) bred to their herd sire, again!
Lynne said…
"Ritz" does the trick . . . Thanks for the smile . . . Beautiful photo of the butterfly on the Butterfly Bush!

Gayle said…
I love your blog and I hope I don't offend you but please remember that not everyone has the extra money to buy locally grown meat, even in the middle of cattle country it's almost 30-50% higher. I can afford the cost of it, I'm in Oklahoma and know all about how beef is raised. While it's not the best of situations, feedlots do serve a purpose in the scheme of things. As for me, I am working out a deal with a young man in 4-H for 15 chickens that he will raise and butcher, they will be at minimum 12-15 dollars a piece. That is so out of the range of people who are underemployed or unemployed. I will be sharing with my sister who cannot aford to do this on her own.
Junebug said…
One more Ritz, please!! Cute, cute!! I've got my figures crossed for getting the hay in DRY! Haying is pretty much over here and we had fantastic weather for it. I know the farmers are so pleased. I'm off camping for four day so I'll check in and catch up next week! Hugs!
This N That said…
Your butterfly picture is gorgeous, frame able.. The beef question is a no brainer..Congratulations on yet another rooster!!!
Cindy said…
I was out in the yard taking pictures and saw a butterfly just like the one you posted. I wasn't familiar with the name and had to look it up.
My sister and brother-in-law raise grass fed beef in MN, and we have had it many times. I've found the taste hard to get used to. But I hate buying beef raised in feed lots, so eventually we will switch.
Have a great day - the weather here in IN is perfect!
Unknown said…
I just love how you intermingle all your animals!!! Adore that last picture.

I want a Barred Rock...not a rooster but I am starting to think I may have one in Maya. How can I tell?
Kris said…
I totally agree!!!!! People need to become more aware of how and where their food is coming from!!! It is amazing once you start to become educated on it. There are some great documentaries and books on it. My daughter Gennifer has gotten us all hooked on watching them, and finding out more about it! So enlightening.
XO Kris
Katmom said…
Every day is a Good Day, after visitng with you @ Beehaven Acres! :>)
Hugz & I can smell your fresh cut hay way over here! :>)
>^..^<
Anonymous said…
Yes, yes... I did recognize Jill's tongue. *she lied*

Cute pic, and that cattle yard looks absolutely nasty. Poor cattle.

Michelle said…
I don't like that feed lot stuff either! yuck
Deere Driver said…
Looks like you should have a good haying week. Good luck!

We're at the Westmoreland Fair this week and fine weather to keep the animals healthy too.
Thank you for the CAFOS picture. It's exactly what I needed last night when the H brought home factory beef and rolled his eyes at my tirade about how bad it was and that he was being part of the problem.

I buy my beef from a dude up the road who raises mini cattle on his farm situated right smack dab in the middle of suburbia. Priceless. Oh, how those residents of mundania moan and complain about the little mini cattle...hilarious.
Anonymous said…
Hey, it looks like that goat only has one eye ! Whats the story there ? Anyway, it is nice to know that you buy locally. I do too and if we all tried to do that---- maybe things would change for a lot of animals ! Thank you Todd
Bee Haven Bev said…
Gayle,

No offense taken. However I will always stand by my feelings on this subject. I know that grass raised beef is more expensive. But I also know that we Americans eat way too much beef, in too big of portions. If we all cut back a little and refused to buy meat from CAFO's, we could augment our protein intake with chicken, fish, beans, etc. And I also know that a farm raised pastured chicken costs more...I buy mine from a local Amish farmer...at a lower price than you are paying. But by the same token, a whole chicken will make us three meals. I cook it down and make a big pot of soup with the dark meat and then use the breast meat for another meal. Still cheaper than eating the same amount of meals at a fast food chain...which is what a lot of the country does (1 out of 4 people, daily....statistically speaking). Not to mention being more healthy.

CAFO's.....the result of industrial farming gone out of control...the emission of methane into the air from the animal waste....the inhumane treatment of those sentient beings (cows)....the use of antibiotics on the animals due to the fact that they are fed corn which changes the pH of their stomaches, thus causing abcesses in their guts, intestines and livers. This pH change allows E coli (E-coli o157 is the most feared E-coli and is now starting to show up in our meat....this bacteria causes acute kidney failure and death) to flourish...which then gets into our meat, not to mention into the manure which is used to fertilize fields and then taints our vegetables. We have seen recall after recall on meats and vegetables all stemming from this very problem. Also what most people don't know is that when you buy hamburg, you get meat from thousands of cows all ground up into one and those cows came from all different CAFOs ...so if one cow is ill.....all the meat gets tainted and then you can't even trace the source. So what does companies like Cargill and others who slaughter and distribute the meat do??? They irradiate the meat or treat it with ammonia gas....which does who knows what to it and then humans ingest it.

So I guess you understand by now that I am passionately opposed to the current system of meat production. I don't know the answer....if I did, I would be out there trying to change things. All I know is that the current way is not sustainable. We are starting to pay for this.....and will pay dearly in the future with our health. ie. "superbugs"....new bacterium that we have no ability to fight.

My only solution....eat less meat. Try to buy local if you can. Stretch your meat dollars with other sources of protein. Lobby for the humane treatment of all animals. It is our human responsibility to humanely care for those beings to whom this earth also belongs. Our lives also depend upon it.

Thanks for listening...
Bev
Bee Haven Bev said…
Lastly....the only voice we have is with our wallets. If we refuse to buy, it will change the way things are done.
countrynmore said…
Here, here Bev. My son showed me a movie called "Vegucated," and it is enlightening. I knew how the cows were treated and watching it in the documentary, made me cringe. I don't eat beef.

Love the goats and especially Jill. It gave me a big smile for the day. Well, I am actually reading this a couple days after you posted it, as you can tell by the time stamp. Insomnia stinks.
Anke said…
We started buying locally raised beef about two years ago and I wouldn't go back! Yes, it is more expensive, but to me it is worth it. The meat is better quality and know where it came from.
Unknown said…
I have one thing to add to this also...the corn that is fed to these cattle is GMO which then passes into our systems...so not good!!
Country Gal said…
When I was kid on our hobby farm we grass fed our live stock called free range back then . I do agree with you it is a bit more expensive and better for us . Here in Ontario we have a lot of free ranged raised livestock and they supply our stores and farmers markets . It is different here and still goes by the old ways of farming as our Government supports this . We have commercials that advertize ( Good Things Grow In Ontario ) its all about local farmers and their way of free range livestock fruits and veggies ! Papa and I do not eat a lot of beef regardless ! Great post and subject ! Have a good day !
We rarely eat beef. I usually get a prime rib for Christmas Dinner. I have looked into grass fed beef but it is so expensive I have to wait until the kids are out of college. I ordered two chickens from a farm in the next town. They will be ready in October. The price is $40.00 for two chickens. I just wish they weren't so costly.
Pit Stop Farm said…
Bev,

I couldn't agree more. People refuse to pay $15 for a chicken that was raised locally, organic, and free range, yet will gladly spend triple that amount on a fast food dinner. The bottom line is that we need to consume less meat, from better sources, and substitute our diets with other protein sources such as beans, organic/free range eggs (from our own back yards if possible!), etc.
Phyllis said…
Hi Bev,

I became a vegetarian many years ago because of the way animals are bred, raised and butchered alive. A few years ago I began eating chicken again once in a while but have pretty much stopped that again. The mass production of food, meat in particular, is horrible for all of us. Most people don't know how beef, pork, chicken and the rest even gets to the table.

I agree with you 100% and recently posted on the subject of cows and slaughter. I love cows and pigs and will never ever eat another. There is no reason other than greed that they are not raised and "processed" humanely.

Because your blog is read by many, I thank you for bringing up the subject.

p.s. So sorry about all your accidents. You must be related to me!