Buying TSC Chicks Monday!!! Questions to ask and what to look for.

[Lots A Cluckin]

Ooh! Good breeds! The RIR's will be in the red pullet bin (at least they are at my TSC) Do you know what they look like? They look a lot like the others.

What day does your TSC get their chick shipments? Mine gets them on Wednesday. The "featured" breeds are usually gone by Thursday, so whatever day your TSC gets their shipment go there THAT DAY! I was looking at getting Wyandottes last week. They got them Wednesday morning. I went in Thursday at around noon and they were gone. (But I got orpingtons at Lone Star, so

)

Absolutely call ahead! (as previously suggested lichick28) And don't forget to check with other feed stores if TSC doesn't have the breeds you want.

what breeds do they usually have in the red pullet bin? I am guessing since it is a red pullet bin they have Rhode Island Reds New Hampshire Reds maybe some Production Reds also?

 

[LaynaDon95]

what breeds do they usually have in the red pullet bin? I am guessing since it is a red pullet bin they have Rhode Island Reds New Hampshire Reds maybe some Production Reds also?

Exactly right.

I think the Production reds are the ones with the "chipmunk" stripes down their backs, the New Hampshire reds are a little light than the RIR's but have the same coloring. In my experience, anyway. I think it would be easy for me to pick out RIRs but just because I've hatched them before... RIRs are usually a very deep red on their backs and wings and a more yellow color on their tummies. The NHR are basically the same, but I think they are a little lighter. The ones I'm not really sure about are the Productions. The only other coloring I've ever seen in that red pullet bin was the chipmunk stripes so I guess those have to be production?

I've never actually bought from that bin, just looked. I already have a full grown RIR hen and roo, so I just hatch their eggs.

 

[Panth]

I got mine from TSC last week: 2 buff orpingtons, 2 silkies, an unknown bantam and 8 EEs. I was waiting specifically for the EE's because I missed them last year (they only got one batch) and got lucky that they had some BOs from the previous week left as well as the silkies in the bantam bin. The unknown bantam was the only chick left in the bin after I took the Silkies, so they threw him in for free. Should be exciting to see what he turns out as. BTW, I never knew EEs were so fuzzy as babies, and really really laid back. I LOVE them!

 

[LaynaDon95]

I got mine from TSC last week: 2 buff orpingtons, 2 silkies, an unknown bantam and 8 EEs. I was waiting specifically for the EE's because I missed them last year (they only got one batch) and got lucky that they had some BOs from the previous week left as well as the silkies in the bantam bin. The unknown bantam was the only chick left in the bin after I took the Silkies, so they threw him in for free. Should be exciting to see what he turns out as. BTW, I never knew EEs were so fuzzy as babies, and really really laid back. I LOVE them!

I have some EE/Orpington mix babies. I also have some straight Orpingtons. The ones with EE in them are LOUD so I don't think it's the Orpington in them! Are your EEs loud? I don't mean all the time, just when you pick them up or if they are scared. They have a crazy loud peep! And they are the only ones.

 

[Dingo]

Have the employee check their bums, and overall health.
I've got two brahmas from the same shipment and both are ill. One isn't eating much and it starting to get weak. The other is completely blind in one eye, I'm guessing while they were in the shipping box someone saw the shiny black thing on her face and tried to go in for the kill. She's missing part of her eye lid. But she's eating, hopefully she'll get over the infection.
A lot of the brahmas they had in the bin had pastey butt.

 

[Naughty]

I decided to just spend the 2.69 for pullets and out of 6 red pullets - 2 roos. So beware. But ended up with good healthy birds.

 

[Lots A Cluckin]

ok so they are supposed to get a new shipment of chicks in at TSC today....what time do they usually have them ready to buy....they open at 8am will they have them ready to bring home when they open or do they not get their shipment in until later?

 

[NestingHillsSC]

I got 6 of the reds 2 weeks ago. I also think I may have a roo. But that's OK. There all happy, healthy and scared to death of everything right now.

 

[BlazeJester]

I'm waiting on my TSC to get their shipment - when I called at 9 they hadn't received word from the USPS yet. I'm waiting on EEs, hoping desperately for sexed pullets.

My pullets from the "red pullets" bin are all a very light yellow.... I'm suspecting they may actually be buff orps, which is fine but I was hoping for a production breed. Orps set eggs and are quiet roosters, though, so I wouldn't mind a nice quiet boy or a lady who wanted to make me babies.

I'm currently trying to sell my straight run barred rocks since I got almost all roos (2/7 potentially female) - not a good time of year for taking a chance of getting pullets in straight run bins, even with sexable chicks like BRs. I picked them out myself and used standard practice sexing techniques for this breed, but the boys are all dark and fast-feathering and I lost one sure pullet.

It's a big toss-up - if you have more than one TSC in the area I would call them and ask what they got in today. Both of mine had very different selections but neither had what I was looking for - I made the drive to the one farther away because they told me they had "assorted pullets" and when I got there there was a tub full of amberlinks. Not what I was after so I left empty-handed. I know it's hard to wait, but if they don't have anything you wanted, just walk out. It's not worth buying 6 chicks you didn't really want to find that they got in your BOs the next week.

 

[Deviant]

the tetra tints are nice I got 6 on Sunday and if you do a search on here there are a lot about them BUT like everyone has said TSC don't know anything about them them didn't even have a pic of what they might look like when they get bigger. IF you are getting the Tetra Tint today than you should start to see eggs around July 9 give or take a week I would give it a week tho