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By Jay King
HOMETOWN NEWS
With the addition of 100 new chicks less than two weeks ago, Paul Undra Jeter is moving forward with plans to reach a total of 500 cage-free hens. Although most produce eggs, Jeter does raise some meat birds but only sells them live to customers and thus avoids the added expense, time and manpower needed for a processing operation.
Contrary to popular conceptions, you can learn a lot from a chicken.
This fact has come as something of a surprise to Campobello resident and poultry farmer Paul Undra Jeter.
As a child who grew up out in the country and was raised around animals, Jeter says it was a natural to transition from training horses to raising chickens.
It was also economically advantageous with four kids who between them managed to eat five dozen eggs every two weeks, Jeter adds with a smile.
“This really started out as a hobby,” he says. “I started with 25 chickens and now it’s grown to this.”
Jeter waves a hand around his farm in the New Prospect area close to the intersection of Highways 9 and 11. As he slowly approaches the barn, a clucking horde of chickens eagerly approaches – clearly expecting food in the offing.
Just as quickly - once the chickens see no food is forthcoming and with the emergence of the sun from behind a cloud - the roughly 100 or so chickens emit a minor racket and flutter of wings before hastily retreating to the barn and the welcoming shade.
“You’d think in that tiny little brain” there’s not much intelligence,” Jeter says, “but they’re smart…Chickens are pretty resourceful. I’ve learned a lot from a chicken.”
For the rest of the story, see this week’s Inman Times.
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