Improper handling/catching of baby chicks?

[Callender Girl]

Glad to hear they are coming around. And, it sounds like you have a good attitude and a good plan for handling the store situation. Let us know how it goes.

 

[Swbertrand1]

That's not OK! There should be a customer service survey link at the bottom of your receipt. I would definitely bring this to their attention. If that employee is so averse to handling the birds, she should have called another employee over to do it. Surely there is someone at the store who will treat the chicks (and customers) with the respect they deserve.

Screw that! I'd call (or better yet, go back to) the store and have a pleasant "chat" with the owner or general manager about this.
There is NO EXCUSE for rough handling of baby chicks or any docile animal for that matter!

 

[CalBickieMomma]

Hi all,
Hope this is the right place to ask this.

Today I was in TSC to pick up some feed and decided to get a few more chicks while I was leaving lol. The chicks were all fine and active in the bins. I l studied the ones from the bin I was choosing chicks from for about 10 minutes while waiting for an employee.

Everything seemed well with the chicks. Now that we're home, have been all night, the chicks seem... off. They're not active at all. Won't eat or drink. Won't walk. I've never experienced this before.

I'm wondering if a problem could have been caused by the way the employee handled the chicks while grabbing them for me. I tried to insist I could grab them, but she ignored me. The way she picked them up shocked me and I'm wondering if this is normal? I've never known anyone to handle babies in this manner. She seemed almost scared and grossed out to touch them looking back at the interaction. When she would finally grab one, she really grabbed it. As in grabbed it by one leg and somewhat flung it upside down into the box. I was horrified, but thought maybe this is a normal technique I didnt know of, even though my mind was screaming this was wrong.

Can someone confirm if this is a bad way to handle chicks? I really feel that it is, but I could be wrong. And these that were handled in this manner are the only chicks I've ever had problems with after settling at home. I've done nothing different on my end than I've always done brooding dozens of other chicks. I'm very worried I am going to lose them.

Thank you so much for any help.

Not okay at all! I would have insisted she stop and ask for someone else to help me, and might have even informed her that those were babies she was treating that way (and I’m really not a confrontational person at all). Heck, I might have even started crying . Would you treat a puppy or kitten that way? She may just be uneducated about handling chicks, or truly doesn’t like chickens, but then she shouldn’t be the one dealing with the chicks. Hopefully yours improve soon. Maybe they just need some snuggles. For all they know, their ‘mama’ just treated them like a sick member of the flock who needed to be ousted.