CountryMax, locally owned with 18 (soon to be 19) stores across New York State, is once again welcoming baby chicks to the stores every week.
Raising backyard chickens can be an extremely rewarding activity. Part pet, part provider, chickens are surprisingly easy to care for and highly entertaining. Most people raise chickens for the eggs. Some also raise “meat birds.” Most homesteaders agree, it’s a wholesome, real-life experience your whole family can share.
“People are always amazed at how simple it is to raise your own chickens and get eggs every day,” says Brad Payne, Director of Sales. “It’s always a running joke here that if you want to work really hard, plant a garden… if you just want to get fresh eggs with barely any effort every day, get chickens!”
Weekly arrivals
Every spring, CountryMax brings baby chicks to the stores on a weekly basis. The most popular varieties include Isa Browns, Sapphire Gem, Rhode Island Reds, Americanas and Easter Eggers.
Customers looking for a unique type of chicken can special order from more than 50 breeds at CountryMax. To see what’s arriving in stores each week, or initiate a special order, visit http://CountryMax.com/special-order-chicks/
Hannah Erhardt, a CountryMax team member and backyard chicken enthusiast, says her favorite thing about Chick Days is seeing the “Peep Nests” inside each store. These custom displays make it easy for young children and adults to see the baby chicks in action through a special window, while heat lamps maintain optimum temperatures for the young birds.
“They’re just so incredibly adorable,” says Erhardt.
Why there’s a six-chick minimum
“Chickens are highly social animals,” explains Payne. “They need to be around other chickens.” That’s why New York State requires a minimum of six chickens be purchased at a time. It helps them stay socialized and healthy.
What to know before starting your own flock
To help first-timers and experienced homesteaders be successful with backyard chickens, CountryMax has created a robust education site at http://CountryMax.com/chick-learning-life/. Users will find tips on raising backyard chickens, a listing of events and seminars, details on feeds and supplies, a handy baby chick checklist, even some fun “henhouse trivia.”
Created with help of national experts from Nutrena® and other suppliers, this robust site is a great place to get started. Of course, going directly to your nearest CountryMax Store is also a smart place to start.
CountryMax is celebrating four decades in business this year. It’s a family-owned operation that carries a variety of healthy pet foods and pet supplies, small animals, home, lawn and garden, wild bird and equestrian essentials. CountryMax is opening its 19th store this spring in Auburn.
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