Back to raising chickens...and two ducks!

[Skorp]

Hello All -- I did decide to submit a complaint to TSC. I have their Military divisions contact info and wrote to him recently. Below is my email. Please help the cause by replying and showing TSC that many people care about this matter and are willing to help. Thanks!




Quote:

We have the clinic visits documented as well as photos and videos of these two ducks. This was not intended for use against your company but we (my fiancee and myself) have been posting on some forums because we have little experience with Ducks, although we do have the support of two wonderful Avian Veterinarian Specialists. We are seeking more advise from the forums and they have been more than helpful...more so than TSC.

I now have to build a coop three times the size that I had originally planned because we now have two ducks and they require a minimum amount of space for them to spread their wings, which is pretty big. We do not believe in minimum standards and we do everything for our animals as possible to create the best home possible.

Please read the two forum posts linked below. One is made by me and the other is made by my fiancee.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/752466/back-to-raising-chickens-and-two-ducks
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/752718/crash-course-in-ducklings

I welcome all thoughts and opinions of yours, or anyone that you deem necessary to handle this situation. I really must say that I am appalled at this situation but I am willing to help in any way needed. My website gets over 1 Million hits every month and I would not mind setting up a link on every one of our pages (around 20+ million for Government Contracting and research and reference purposes to our current serving US Military) to help. I am considering soliciting advise/help with this matter by implementing the two following scenarios.

I do not want to implement either one of these without speaking with someone in your company, that is more qualified, to help in with this matter.

1. Post the full story and doctor's reports on my site and try to get donations for a bigger, better coop (than I can build myself) for them to have a better life. Plus help with the Veterinarian expenses.
2. Post this full story along with an official reply to except donations from individuals to help your company institute a contingency plan for when you receive animals that are deformed or just need Veterinary care. This would also include financial support to your employees on what to do when they see issues with your animals.

This is in no way any means to support people not shopping at TSC or hurt TSC financially. We are just really concerned about the fact we found this in our home town and wonder what is happening across the rest of the 38 states you are located in.

Please advise on whatever might be the best situation to handle this. Mainly, I am looking for more advisement from your team to help deal with this and correct things like this from happening in the future.

Thank you for your time.
V/R
(My Name)
(My Phone Number)

 

[drumstick diva]

BRAVO

 

[sourland]

Welcome back to poultry raising and to BYC.

 

[Skorp]

UPDATE:

So the wife and I ended up having to have the two ducklings put down because their tendon was permanently located on the outer sides of their legs. Splinting would have not done any good and neither would have surgery or we would have had it done...It was a sad day to have to put them down, but it was the most humane.

So I got in touch with the head of store operations at Tractor Supply Company. I will leave his name out though just because some may try to take advantage. He read my email I sent him, he read through this thread and my wife's thread on here about the ducklings and he was disgusted. It took him about a week to get back in touch with me and the reply he gave me was wonderful. He didn't just write me an email apologizing but he personally called me. He really seems like a great guy.

He told me that it was policy that when they have sick ducks or chicks, the stores are allowed to partner with people in the local community to give the animals to, to seek treated and care for them. At the point of him finding out this was not happening and they were choosing to let animals die or make people pay for them, he implemented new, stricter rules. He had phone conferences with all of the District Managers for every single store. He had new rules written out and went over all of them with them and made sure that they understood this training was to go down the line to the lowest paid person working for TSC no matter who they are. Now, all of the stores have new regulations of pairing with people, but it doesn't stop there!

TSC now has new guidelines of how they keep their chicks, and when they see that one is a bit off, they have a hot line number to call! They will receive instruction on what to do and how to handle the situation. There will be no more letting animals die if all of these rules are followed.

All of this made me very happy to hear. And if made me even happier that I could/did actually make a difference on a situation when dealing with a 28 state corporation! I figured this news would make all of you happy to hear as well, and just as myself, now have a bit more faith in TSC.

Please do not call and try to take advantage of their courtesy. This is to update all and not make trouble for TSC, as they have put great efforts in to place to handle this situation.

They also sent me a gift card for $200 to build the run and a larger coop for the chicks and ducks...this of course was before the ducks had to be put down. I am very thankful for this blessing as it has covered the cost for my entire run that is 8' x 16' with the heavy duty welded wire. A bit hard to put up correctly but will keep every predator out!

Thank you BYC and thank you TSC! I WILL be doing business with them more often.

--Skorp