TX minimum chick purchase at TSC

[orumpoultry]

There are SEVERAL signs stating what the chicks and ducks are being sold for, and the minimum. But, the company did not produce signs for the explanation as to why. Also, and I'm not 100% why, but TSC will no longer be carrying rabbits. It was never dropped to the employees.

I know that ALL of my staff only has their poultry knowledge ( and that, I may add, is so insignificant it's unreal ) from what I have been able to teach them. Not one person is a poultry owner. Not. One. Person. I know for a fact that a lot of people would be given incorrect information if it wasn't for myself. Nothing on the other members of staff, they are just clueless to all things poultry. They try, they just don't know any better.

 

[orumpoultry]

Correct. A lot of policies have been changed. Chicks are now kept in bins with a minimum of 2ft between them and the gates meant to keep out the general public. Ours are set up a little differently, but company policy says otherwise. They're in LOCKED enclosures to keep the public out. I am currently pushing for the company to make training videos on general poultry keeping. Types of feeds, types of feeders, housing, those common questions we see every day. Not every store is going to have poultry owners.

Shadow rabbit, I think that is a pretty all encompassing and unfair assumption. My chicks from TSC never had pasty butt or any other problems, and the lady working the chicks keeps some herself and was an excellent resource for us. Especially considering we were first timers! They answered all of our questions and gave us accurate information.

It is inevitable that some TSC's will not be lucky enough to have a person working there who knows a lot about chicks. I feel that they, as a company, are trying to address this issue, as there seems to be a lot of customers with bad experiences. But the fact that they no longer let every bratty kid off the street root around in the chick bins shows they are interested in changing their policies. I do hope they come up with some kind of standard employee education though, for the sake of the chicks.

 

[Aeropennchick]

I think we should all try contacting the company and advocate for standardized education. If they want to continue to profit from the sale of live animals, they should be responsible for ensuring they are properly cared for before sale - this should be company policy, not luck of the draw that a staff member is a poultry owner.

 

[bnjrob]

I know that ALL of my staff only has their poultry knowledge ( and that, I may add, is so insignificant it's unreal ) from what I have been able to teach them. Not one person is a poultry owner. Not. One. Person. I know for a fact that a lot of people would be given incorrect information if it wasn't for myself. Nothing on the other members of staff, they are just clueless to all things poultry. They try, they just don't know any better.

I've noticed this too. When I first starting gathering supplies for the chicks, asking them questions about the products that involved more than "where is this?" or "how much is this?" resulted in blank stares. In talking with some of the other customers, they knew even less than I did after all my research for several years on chickens and their care. So I found it funny that the other customers now ask me questions when they see me reading the backs of bottles, food labels, etc. because they don't have anyone else to answer their questions.

I've also seen a lot of people on the forum following medical advice from TSC employees that is incorrect because the employees don't actually know all the indications, contraindications, desired effects, and adverse effects of the various treatments/meds that they sell.

 

[bnjrob]

I think we should all try contacting the company and advocate for standardized education. If they want to continue to profit from the sale of live animals, they should be responsible for ensuring they are properly cared for before sale - this should be company policy, not luck of the draw that a staff member is a poultry owner.

Agree! Anyone want the contact info? Here:

Questions?
1-877-718-6750
Tractor Supply Customer service
is here to help!

By Email:
[email protected]

By Phone:
Call: 1-877-718-6750
Representatives available
Monday – Saturday: 8am – 7pm CST
Sunday: 8am - 5pm CST

Store Information
Call: 1-877-872-7721
Representatives available
Monday – Sunday: 8am – 5pm CST

By Mail:
Tractor Supply Company
Attn: Online Customer Service
200 Powell Place
Brentwood, TN 37027

 

[Aeropennchick]

I am currently pushing for the company to make training videos on general poultry keeping. Types of feeds, types of feeders, housing, those common questions we see every day.

I think if both employees and customers ask for it, there is a good chance it will be developed!

 

[Aeropennchick]

Ok, here's what I wrote, feel free to plaguarize:


To whom it may concern,

I am writing for two reasons in reference to your spring sale of live poultry:

First, I would like to applaud your company's decision to change their policy and restrict customer handling of the ducks and chicks. The change shows your company is aware that unnecessary handling of the baby poultry poses a health risk, potentially to the customer, but primarily to the chicks and ducklings. I am appreciative of your concern for their health.

Second, I am requesting that you build on this momentum of change and develop an educational program for your employees about caring for chickens. I personally had an excellent experience at your store in Chambersburg, PA - there were several employees who keep chickens themselves, all of the chicks I obtained and saw there appear to be in good health and well cared for, and I received accurate instructions on the care of my new chickens. However, many of your stores do not have employees with prior knowledge of ducks or chickens, and I have sadly been made aware of some very distressing conditions present in these other branches - insufficient heat sources, sick, dying, and dead animals in the bins among those for sale, and blatant misinformation being supplied to customers.

It is your company's moral and legal obligation to ensure the safe and proper handling and care of the animals being distributed to its stores. It is irresponsible to continue your current practice of sending shipments of living things into environments where no one has the knowledge to ensure their safety. Please consider the institution of standardized education in some form to at least a portion of your employees in preparation of "Chick Days" for the next season.

Thank you for addressing this concern,

XXXXXXX

 

[Heathero617]

Same here in Tn TSC stores. Last year you had to buy 10. They're still making their money because they jacked the prices up. Ours had some really cool marked bantys but my ratio is way off and i need more girls in the mix so i'm going to have to go get 6 pullets and try to even things out.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Shadow rabbit, I think that is a pretty all encompassing and unfair assumption. My chicks from TSC never had pasty butt or any other problems, and the lady working the chicks keeps some herself and was an excellent resource for us. Especially considering we were first timers! They answered all of our questions and gave us accurate information.

It is inevitable that some TSC's will not be lucky enough to have a person working there who knows a lot about chicks. I feel that they, as a company, are trying to address this issue, as there seems to be a lot of customers with bad experiences. But the fact that they no longer let every bratty kid off the street root around in the chick bins shows they are interested in changing their policies. I do hope they come up with some kind of standard employee education though, for the sake of the chicks.

I'm sorry. I wasn't making that assumption for all employees. I'm sure there are employees that do know what they are doing. I was mainly talking about my store. I did not mean to make it sound like I was talking about all employees. But I do know that my store's chicks do have pasty butt, and that the employees were not much of a help to me. However, I have never seen the employees let kids play with the chicks, so I guess that is a positive. I am sure there are some helpful stores like yours, but there are also some like mine who were not much of a help.

 

[mong7769]

The 6 chick minimum, as stated, is store policy but it is also sometimes a city policy too. I know that my city's revised code has specific language about not dying baby animals (think chickens, rabbits, etc) and also about that retail establishments HAVE to sell them in lots of 6 . . . we currently do not have any stores that sell chicks, etc. but I'm assuming that they were just planning ahead . . . or they used to have such stores. I discovered this piece of information when I was reading the revised code to be sure I could have the chickens in the first place

~Mellisa