VAN WERT — As families look to eat more natural, homegrown food, the farm-to-table trend is popping up in backyards.
More
and more, Americans are looking to their backyards for more control
over their food supply and fresh, nutritious food for their families.
Daily access to nutritionally superior eggs and organic garden
fertilizer makes chickens a smart addition to backyards according to
Kathy Shea Mormino, a backyard chicken contributor for Tractor Supply’s
Know How Central and author of the popular backyard chicken website “The
Chicken Chick”.
“Families are more interested than ever before in
raising chickens because it helps them take more control over what goes
into family meals,” commented Brandon Puttbrese, public relations for
Tractor Supply Co. “From delicious homegrown eggs to a source of perfect
garden fertilizer, backyard chickens are an excellent addition to a
home.”
At Van Wert’s Tractor Supply, receiver Lora Stienecker has
recently received a variety of the earliest live chicks as part of the
business’s spring Chick Days. Stienecker, who noted that many of the
employees at the firm grow chickens, said that spring is the traditional
time of the year when backyard chick growers make their purchases.
“We
have quite a few people that have backyard farms that want just a few
backyard chickens,” said Stienecker. “Every year we get in a variety of
chicks such as pullets, straight runs, ducks and Cornish rocks.”
Customers can also special order the likes of turkeys, geese, pheasants and guineas.
Stienecker
said that minimal orders range from six chicks to two ducks. She noted
that the complete package for raising chicks is available including
feed, bedding, water suppliers and feeders.
“Everybody here pretty
much raises chicks and knows a lot about it,” commented Stienecker.
“We’ve been raising chicks for several years.”
Stienecker noted that the local Tractor Supply animals come from Hoover Hatchery in Iowa.
“Families
come in to see the chicks. Children are really excited about seeing
them,” Stienecker said. “They want to know what chickens we have and
which chickens lay what. Most of us know what kind lays what kind of
eggs.”
“For safety sake, the customers aren’t allowed to pick up
the chickens unless they purchase them,” continued Stienecker. “Always
make sure that after you handle them you wash your hands with hot soapy
water.”
Although the eggs are a big part of wanting to raise backyard chickens, there are more benefits as well.
“Long
before the first eggs are collected from nest boxes, most chicken
keepers are pleasantly surprised to find that chicks offer many benefits
in addition to their wholesome, nutritious contribution to the family
table,” said Mormino. “Chickens also provide exceptional garden
fertilizer, organic pest control, clean family entertainment and stress
reduction.”