VERONA, Wis. — As bird flu remains a concern this spring, one major Wisconsin retailer is celebrating 70 years of a time-honored tradition with added precautions.
Blain’s Farm & Fleet’s annual Chick Days event is always a big draw. Customers who want to raise backyard chickens or add to their flock were able to start placing chick orders online at the end of 2024. Starting in March 2025, through early June, new chicks come into the store for pick up every week.
Some Blain’s Farm and Fleet locations, like the one in Verona, also have store-stock chicks available. They are replenished on a weekly basis through June 6.
The Verona store’s assistant manager Joe Booth said his team is working hard to ensure that customers are leaving with healthy, happy chicks.
“It’s a fun time helping out with these,” Booth said. “It’s definitely a careful process. It does take some strain on you, but it’s definitely worth it in the end.”
This year, with the spread of avian flu, there are more safeguards in place when handling the baby birds. Unlike in years past, there are more restrictions on who can touch the chicks.
Lori Lackner from Blue Mounds came to pick up some more chicks from Blain’s. She said she quarantines her new birds to keep her existing flock safe.
“You know, we don’t want our other birds sick. We don’t want to lose anybody. They’re all, you know, friends and everything,” Lackner said. “So, yeah, we take good care of them.”
As the Easter season draws closer, Public Health Madison & Dane County’s Morgan Finke is advising families to keep young children away from chicks.
“If you are able to limit the number of people going out to play and touch those birds, that’s going to be best right now,” Finke said.
Finke also stressed the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE) and sanitation for anyone handling birds.
“Things like safety goggles, boots, a coverall and even potentially a mask, especially if you suspect any illness in the flock,” Finke said. “You want to be really diligent with wearing your PPE around the birds.”
Blain’s Farm & Fleet said all of its chicks were sourced from a consistent and reliable Minnesota-based hatchery.
Harold Gust, a 16-year agriculture department associate, reminded customers about the importance of sanitizing their tools and hands each time they interact with their flock.
“You don’t want people trading diseases or anything,” Gust said.
Blain’s Farm & Fleet Chick Days will continue at most store locations on Fridays and Saturdays until June. For more information on avian flu safety guidelines, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Avian Influenza page.
