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Everette Ready tends a chow line unlike that of any other military base.

His eager eaters can weigh more than 1,000 pounds and, counting antlers, stand 9 feet tall.

They are elk, and Ready helps care for them at Defense Supply Center Richmond, a 611-acre installation just south of the city that supplies equipment to the military.

The elk not only are big but also wild, so be careful, Ready told visitors Friday as he opened a door to the animals’ preserve and tossed in a corn-and-grain mix.

“I’m not that comfortable with them where we are going to hang out over the weekend and stuff,” Ready said.

But as he rubbed the nose of one through a fence, you could tell Ready was fond of the elk — as are lots of other people at the center, which has about 3,000 workers, and far beyond.

“The elk are beloved by all the employees here. ... At how many military installations are you going to go in and see a herd of elk?” said Amy T. Clement, a spokeswoman for the center. “They are the most unique feature of Defense Supply Center Richmond.”