SALISBURY, Md. -- The Mill of Salisbury is just weeks away from selling chicks to those looking to start or add to their backyard poultry flocks, but not without cautioning buyers of avian flu risks.
Manager Susan White says she typically recommends people buy a minimum of two chicks or four to six chicks for the first time. She says that in 20 weeks, chickens will produce at least one egg per day. She estimates the average cost to start a flock to be between $75 and $100.
White says many more people have called the store this year interested in chicks to avoid soaring egg prices. However, she warns that bird flocks these days can quickly get sick.
"You need to be aware of your surroundings," says White. "I have backyard birds myself. Ours are all fenced in, and they have a type of roofing over them that prevents droppings from the air from overhead wildfowl going through."
According to White, free-range birds are at a higher risk of contracting the virus. She says the store isn't in the clear either, and chick suppliers are also under threat.
"Normally, we would always have chicks as early as February and sometimes through July, depending on the need for them and the availability of the chick," says White. "This year, we're just going to do it through March and see how it goes."
This comes as Delaware's Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that a backyard flock in Sussex County is presumptive positive for bird flu.
"What's really important for those who are new to having a backyard flock is to do a little research," says Stacey Hofmann with the Delaware Department of Agriculture. "Right now, with avian influenza, it could have a dramatic impact on a backyard flock."
Resources for people interested in starting their own flocks can be found here.