Treasure Valley residents are getting closer to their food source during the COVID-19 pandemic. Local farm and garden stores have seen more demand for baby chicks, chicken supplies and general gardening supplies.
Gretchen Anderson, a backyard chicken advocate, Master Gardener and native Idahoan applauds the trend, but wants new chicken owners to educate themselves.
"There are a lot of great books on raising backyard chickens and online resources,” said Anderson. “However, I would caution would-be or brand new chicken keepers to seek poultry information from a trusted source.”
Anderson says a great place to start is your local extension office to get researched information and advice. She warns against relying on blogs and anecdotal advice from online sources.
“There are certain things you need to do with chicks—and hens. Like, making certain the chicks are warm enough and take to a roost. Likewise, hens need a place for dustbathing and a well-ventilated (not insulated) coop.
Anderson is an educator for D&B Supply and contributes to blogs, videos, and classes which can be found here.
