Tractor Supply chicks: Breeds?

[Fred's Hens]

I called tsc once and asked to speak to whoever was handling the chick sales,and when I asked what breed of chicks they had they told me red ones and yellow ones.

Yup, that's about right.

 

[CliffB]

I will definitely be checking feet later! I wouldn't mind a few Australorps. I thought that's what the last one was. I wished I'd gotten more of those.


I wonder if TSC has any sort of guarantee for their chicks/pullets? Particularly since ours is completely locked up and limited to employees only (no customers handling/misplacing). Not sure I will buy from them again. For me, I needed all pullets and I've never had this problem w/ Meyer's. It's just that $$$ shipping.

Take your receipt in and take the chicks you believe are cockerels. They will relocate them to a volunteers home.

 

[CliffB]

My understanding is that it's going to depend store-to-store, and that a store could basically have anything that's on the order form (depending on what that manager chose to get).

https://www.tractorsupply.com/openc...tral/ChickDays2013_Special_Order_Brochure.pdf


As to the Production/Rhode Island Red issue - it could be either, they're both on the order form.



Point is - I'd be astounded if TSC gave you a refund.

Here's Ideal's policy:

TSC has a cockerel refund policy when you purchase pullets.

 

[enola]

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[rancher hicks]

Yup, that's about right.

You have to understand that the clerks there are not farm people and for the amount of time they have chicks it's not long enough to know.

Even the signs in front of the bins are not right.

Find out which hatchery they're using, check the web site and expect the most common of chicks and ducks to be sent out.

Generally speaking it's any kind of Xes link, Barred Rocks, White Leghorns , Cornish Rocks and Pekin or Khaki campbell ducks. Never any geeses or other types of foul.

This year it's Townline Hatchery.

 

[CliffB]

You have to understand that the clerks there are not farm people and for the amount of time they have chicks it's not long enough to know.

Even the signs in front of the bins are not right.

Find out which hatchery they're using, check the web site and expect the most common of chicks and ducks to be sent out.

Generally speaking it's any kind of Xes link, Barred Rocks, White Leghorns , Cornish Rocks and Pekin or Khaki campbell ducks. Never any geeses or other types of foul.

This year it's Townline Hatchery.

Way more than just Townline. There's Estes, Privett, Hoover, Ideal, Townline and a handful more. The 6 preselected hatcheries could not keep up with the agreed upon quantities so several more last minute hatcheries were added.

 

[nordicacres]

I stopped in TSC last week. They had a bin of: Pullets (no breed guarantee, just female), Bantams (no breeds listed), Ducks (no breeds listed), Cornish X, Barred Rock straight run, and California White (?).

 

[Katz5617]

I just bought six chicks from TSC. We got three and they told me they were production reds and were unsexed. We paid $1.99 for each of them. In other bin there were chicks which it said were sexed and they were $2.99 each and they said they were all girls - we got three of those which were Buffs. Each of the signs at the TSC where we bought the chicks had the breed listed and whether they were sexed or unsexed. We've had them for a week now and they have nearly tripled in size. I was willing to take a chance on the production reds knowing that I could get all three boys or a combination. If we happen to have any males I will have to give them away. We're not allowed to have roosters in the city limits. I just bought these six on a spur of the moment decision - but they have been healthy and very active. I went back that same afternoon to get some for a friend and every chick they had was gone. As soon as they are getting them in they are selling out. Whomever is taking care of them at the local TSC is keeping the bins clean and all the chicks looked good. I've never bought any from them before so I'll see how they do, but the clerks were able to tell me what the breeds were as well as it being posted on each bin.

 

[Blooie]

How different it could be. We stopped at TSC in Cody day before yesterday because I'd forgotten to pick up a Flock Block when we were in Billings last week. They had chicks in the big galvanized tanks. Cute little boogers, but I have my chicks for the year and don't need any more. (Discipline, right? Are you impressed?) I had to look, though. You know how it is. A voice from behind the chick food display says, "Those are pullets." I looked up into the friendliest face - she was about my age and had such a warm smile!

So I smiled back and asked, "What kinds are in which bins?"

"I honestly don't know. Isn't that awful? None of us are sure what kinds they are. I think the yellow ones are Buff Orpingtons but we've had so much trouble trying to figure it out with these after they came."

I asked her if they had come in a big box divided into compartments. She said they did. Well, then, weren't there stickers on the inside of each compartment with the identification for each breed? She said, "No, I guess they just had it written on the dividers in Sharpie and as soon as the chicks were out of the boxes the boxes were taken out and destroyed."

Okay, now I'm not the brightest crayon in the box sometimes, but I couldn't let it go. "How do they expect you to be able to answer people's questions if they don't give you any information? That isn't fair to you or the customer."

"I know!" she agreed. "I've had people actually yell at me because I didn't know. But I finally got an email with a list of what they sent us." She went to the clipboard that she'd left on top of the chick feed and showed it to me. "See, it's all initials. Like this one - BOSR. I don't know how to tell which ones are BOSRs because I don't even know what that is!"

I told her that I thought that was probably the Buff Orpingtons she thought were in the middle bin...Buff Orpingtons Straight Run. She nodded. "That makes sense. Next batch of chicks that come in I'll be working, so I'm going to write down what is in each section of the boxes as I take them out." Um, good idea.

Last weekend I had bought new chicks at Shipton's Big R in Billings, Montana. There is absolutely no comparison! The standard procedures for handing chicks for each store are so different! Rather than trying to retype it all, you might go up to the Search Box and type in Shipton's Big R Chicks Billings. They have the best system I've ever seen. I posted a review and pictures of how they do it there. It can be done - I don't know why stores can't take a little time out and spend as much time training employees in proper unpacking, noting identifications, and care of these living little creatures as they spend on teaching them how to fold blue jeans for the displays on the sales floors. <sigh> It's not just TSC, either.

There's another feed store in Powell that's even worse. Two big cardboard brooders on the floor, several different varieties of chicks in each one, and signs taped to the side of the cardboard with a list of what's supposedly in the brooders. No descriptions, just a list. And you can reach right in and grab whatever suits you - just don't ask the employees what you have in your hand because they simply tell you, "There's a list on the side."

 

[rancher hicks]

Way more than just Townline. There's Estes, Privett, Hoover, Ideal, Townline and a handful more. The 6 preselected hatcheries could not keep up with the agreed upon quantities so several more last minute hatcheries were added.

I'm not sure what you mean. I'm aware there are more hatcheries. I spoke with the manager where I shop and was told it was Townline. I spend most of my money there, because they're very nice.

I'm not aware of any agreed upon quantities, they don't tell me everything.

Different chick sellers buy from different hatcheries, because I also have Country Max and they order special.

I recently purchased a 1974 issue of Mother earth from back in the day when hatcheries guarded things very tightly. It was interesting.