Anyone want to vent about Feed Store Mixups???!!

[Kitt]

I bought pullets and one wasn't and the other is looking rooish as well.
Bought some straight run was charged for pullets. Had to get the manager for that one.

 

[MIfarmgirl]

Me, me!!!

Bought "3 Auracana pullets" and "3 straight runs".... Ended up with two RIR hens, a Black Austrolop hen, a Black Sex-link hen, Cornish X rooster, and a Black Sex-link rooster. I have three letters for this, but they're not family friendly. Love my chickens, but not too happy with TSC.

My most recent purchase (today) was from a hatchery nearby and trust that what I asked for is what I bought. Heh.

Pam

 

[RaZ]

Well, after researching for about a year, I decided what kind of chickens that I wanted. Did not know where to find them locally. Then lo and behold, a new TSC opened up not far from me and they had "chick days" advertised including the breed I wanted. Went to buy Buff Orpintons or Black Australorps.

They had 2 BA's and a bunch of white birds that they said were "Langstrams" and were just as calm as BAs. I only wanted 3 birds, but they would sell only 6 at a time. So I bought the 2 BAs and 4 "Langstrams". Turns out that the white birds were leghorns and 2 were roosters.

Anyway, I went to a different TSC and bought 5 ducks. Went back again to the same store and they had Buff Orpingtons. After talking to the store manager, who raises chickens with her husband, I bought 3 BOs and 3 black sex link pullets.

So I have a total of 11 chicks with 2 being roos and 5 ducks with 1 being a drake.

I'm slightly disappointed with the first TSC but it is the newest one in the area, so I'm guessing that the employees don't know much.

I know a lot of people on this forum have issues with TSC, and I can see why, but I got good healthy stock from them and I really can't complain.

 

[lotzahenz]

Just to share:

My local TSC usually does a very good job with the chicks, but me thinks that when there are only a few left in the tub they mix them together. I seen a lady purchase the last 8 White Leghorn Pullets from the labeled bin, and what she got was the white cornish cross monster chicks, straight run. Can you imagine her surprise when they grew so fast, then couldn't walk, ate her out of house and home and still NO eggs? I wanted so much to tell her (usually I do) but people don't often want unsolicited advice.

I wonder if she'll bring them back after they reach 15 lbs and still no eggs? Poor dear.

 

[ginormous chicken]

I once bought a chick from the bin labeled "cuckoo maran" pullet, and it was a australorp. That is not even close!

 

[darkmatter]

I have seen little kids at the feed store chick bins picking up chicks and mixing them. (with parents looking on) So it may not be the Feed store fault, but then again, the sales clerks weren't hired based on their knowledge of all things farm related. I picked up a replacement spliting wedge, having mushroomed out and broke my old one, the clerk had no idea what it was.

 

[sheila3935]

I work at a local feed store. When they hired me it was because I have chickens. Before I got hired the kids that work there to didnt really know squat about chickens. There was alot of pasty butts that wasnt being taken care of. Now I make sure brooders are clean chickies are clean and they have clean water and food. When the hatchery sends chicks that are marked pullets we trust that they are, but sometimes there are mix ups. For instance we got 50 barred rocks that were marked pullets clearly they were straight run. I was off for 2 days when I got back I asked who marked them pullets was told the hatchery had them as pullets I changed the sign, but not before some were bought, so if the people that bought them complained I replaced the chicks. Also sexing at the hatchery is not 100%. When we get bantams we only get assortited and they dont tell us what kinds are in there same with hatchery choice. I am usually pretty good at figuring it out, but will tell a customer if I am not sure just my guess. We recieved some hatchery choice pullets with some chipmunk looking chicks in it. I was pretty sure were brown leghorns, I told a customer I was pretty sure thats what they were but not 100%, so we went to the site and looked at the chipmunk looking ones. They were Welsummers which I was sure the hatchery wouldnt send in hatchery choice same with speckled sussex they didnt have muffs so no on EE's the only thing left was the brown leghorn. She bought 2 and so did I. They are 3 weeks old and yep brown leghorns.I also tell the customer that with pullets you could still get a roo cause sexing is not 100%. As for dead chicks in there I had a kid once that was picking up chicks and ducklings I told him dont pick up them then got busy with a customer. Later after mom and kid left I found a chick that was 2 weeks old face down in the brooder dead looked like she was smothered in the bedding. I think the kid did it cause he was mad. There was not anything wrong with them earlier.

 

[newchickmom]

At Rural King I bought 15 BR pullets, the last 9 EE pullets and 1 brown leghorn pullet to make my 25. At 9 weeks old now, the leghorn looks like an unusual white mix EE, 1 of the EEs looks to be a cockerel (reasonable), but 7 of the BR pullets are actually cockerels. I assume someone mixed up the lable on the BR, either store or hatchery.

I am upset about the cockerels because I was trying to restock my laying flock after fox almost cleaned me out over the winter. I lost about 40 laying hens, anywhere from 3 to 6 at a time. A lot of thefts were in broad daylight after I let them out for the day. Foxes are now gone, and pen is in the process of being turned into "Fort Knox". Free-ranging is only done under my supervision now.

The extra cockerels will go in the freezer with the meat birds so not a total loss.