Feed Store Rant!

[Jkioneil]

We went to the feed store today to grab some grit for our littlens and as always we go look at the chicks. There was a man there trying to ask what kind of chickens each tub held and wanted to know which breeds were good layers and hearty for winter etc... I was standing next to him listening to this salesperson tell him all sorts of nonsense. She clearly wanted to get rid of the last of this chicks she had and was going to give him a deal. Which is fine except much of what she was saying was misinformation. Such as the amount of chickens he could have in a small space and that the day old chicks could be put out in the coop/run right now with a lightbulb and should be fine.

he asked for literature and she gave him a postcard from purina on food. Thats when I stepped in. He had been given no info on temperature, or care of any kind. Did not even know they were not feathered yet. I have been there, relying on the "knowledge" of the feed store people to help me. The first thing i did was give him BYC website info. The second thing I did was take him around the store and have him price what he was going to need in the future and breakdown brooding and breeds based on what he was looking for. I was so frustrated with some of the stuff she had said those poor girls could have died just so she could make room for her new order coming in tomorrow. I could have kicked her in the shins. After we were done talking she thanked me because she did not know what dual purpose birds were etc.. She said i should work there during chicken season because none of them liked dealing with selling the chickens. I was thinking i might volunteer my time geesh. She tried to sell him black sex links saying they were barred rocks. What the heck! I know it is just a job and not a well paid one at that but some kind of info other than what she memorized on the purina card would be helpful. It is a live animal not an inanimate object she is selling. URG!!! this is not the first or the last time this will happen. I am thinking about calling them and seeing if I could make a new card to hand out with each purchase, with better info that is not Purina centered, might be good with this and a few other helpful resources? What do you think and what is your experience with feed stores?

 

[hemet dennis]

The smaller the feed store the more they know.

 

[WIChookchick]

Well perhaps you can have a word with the manager and the owner of that store, and put it out to black and white...AND money...
1- I believe most stores offer a day or so guarantee. SO killing chicks to make room for new ones, will hit the pocket book of
the owner and the store, not much, but given the entire chick season, that can ad up.
2- Lack of customer service, if the store employees are not educated in how to tell an interested customer, what he/she needs to know
to care for chicks, that again will hit sales and lack of money. IF they were to truly educate the customer, they could net the store
a good amount of money in sales for clamp lights, heat bulbs, feed, feeders, waterers..And repeat business for years to come.
3- The customer will complain and will want re-imbursement for his dead chicks, he will tell his neighbors and family about the
bad service and bad attitude of the store employees. He may complain to the humane society or animal control that the clerks are
killing chicks to make room for the next shipment.
Tell them for lack of some simple training, they cost the store money, not only by giving bad advice, thus endangering the lives of
a living creature, and probably giving them a death sentence...
They also cost the store money in sales in feed, and all the other stuff that is carried to help care for fowl, now and in the future.
Each sale of chicks can net 30-50 dollars AT LEAST.... and then another 7-15 dollars per bag of feed that could be sold.
And due to that lack of simple training, they could have brought in unwanted phone calls and publicity from irate customers and animal
advocates.

 

[RHRanch]

I have seen that kind of thing time and again with feed stores. Whats almost worse is the feed store employee who is passing along nonsense and wives tales. I have on occasion stepped in when I heard misinformation being passed on in the feed store by a manager at a rather large store only to have her tell me that I am incorrect. This lady always misidentifies chicks each time I buy from this store. Last time I contradicted her and said: "Thats an orpington, I want a minorca." and she said, this is a Minorca. and I said "No, its an orpington, and I want a white egg layer. " And she said "All of these chicks lay brown eggs." and I said "Not Minorcas." And she said: "No, they don't." So I tried to explain the difference between a Minorca and an Orpington. And she just didn't care what I had to say. She is convinced that she knows it all and doesn't have any interest in really learning or changing her opinion. I will not go to that store any more. On top if it, she is incredibly rude.

 

[BunnyMomma]

It is no wonder that people have such bad experiences getting started with chickens. I raise and sell many nice breeds of chickens, and I am licensed by the state as well as NPIP clean. I talked to the manager of a local feed store and asked if I could set up and sell some chicks at one of our local feed stores this spring. The feed store I'm talking about is a small, local store that is just a retail based store. They do not make or mix their own feed. They had never sold chicks before either.

Instead of having me come and sell my "Local" beauties, they ordered chicks from a hatchery so that they could make some fast cash. They do know about chicks, but I was dissapointed that they didn't buy "local". It is easy to see why these places sell chicks. They sell a lot of "Chicken" goodies to go with the chicks. Consumers should do their research to learn as much as they can before they become chicken owners. It is really not the job of the retailer to educate the consumer. Too many people are sucked into an impulse purchase before they are ready. There is a lot more to chicken ownership than meets the eye.

 

[Jkioneil]

It is no wonder that people have such bad experiences getting started with chickens. I raise and sell many nice breeds of chickens, and I am licensed by the state as well as NPIP clean. I talked to the manager of a local feed store and asked if I could set up and sell some chicks at one of our local feed stores this spring. The feed store I'm talking about is a small, local store that is just a retail based store. They do not make or mix their own feed. They had never sold chicks before either.

Instead of having me come and sell my "Local" beauties, they ordered chicks from a hatchery so that they could make some fast cash. They do know about chicks, but I was dissapointed that they didn't buy "local". It is easy to see why these places sell chicks. They sell a lot of "Chicken" goodies to go with the chicks. Consumers should do their research to learn as much as they can before they become chicken owners. It is really not the job of the retailer to educate the consumer. Too many people are sucked into an impulse purchase before they are ready. There is a lot more to chicken ownership than meets the eye.

That is frustrating. I would much rather buy local! We go to the hatchery a few towns over and get them. The very nice man who runs the hatchery..... whose name escapes me at the moment... is so knowledgable and awesome. It is nice to see how the chicks are raised and he hens and roosters are free ranging a large piece of land. I would love to see his chicks in the store with him giving the knowledge. I would think that would be a selling point. all feed stores have chicks but one with local chicks and the owner giving info would be awesome!

I agree too many people should do research... but too many don't and thats just a fact. They trust feed store employees to have done the research... like a librarian. I would expect to go to a library and get help finding a book even if i am not sure what i am looking for .... it is their job to ask questions and figure out what book might be right and go and help you find it. i think people assume if you work at a feed store you should know what the heck you are selling. It should be their job for the simple fact that TOO many people come in without knowledge. It seems like the ethical thing to do. I am calling them tomorrow to have a nice chat with the manager. Hopefully he is receptive.

There is a lot more to raising chickens than gathering eggs. If nothing else maybe post a sign about research or where to find info.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Often there are regulations regarding where stores can purchase animals to sell.

 

[Mattemma]

Good of you to step in like that.Maybe you should take them up on their seasonal employment offer!

 

[speckledhen]

I'm not a bit surprised. It's actually fairly typical. And that's all I'm going to say 'bout that, in the immortal words of the great Forrest Gump.

 

[SillyChicken]

there is no shortage of ignorance.........

I got some silkies from TSC a few weeks ago, the girl said all the ckicks with feathered feet were silkies... so I wonder how many people left the store with a box of d'uucle chicks!

I had to tell her she was incorrect, and showed her the silkies vs the other chicks. Black skin, dark beak legs and 5 toes were the easiest way to tell the difference.