Is it really a NY state law???

[lauralou]

I believe it is a law in Virginia as well. A minimum of six chicks, unless they are over a certain age, like maybe 8 weeks. I could be wrong about the minimum age, though.

 

[cluckychick]

I was also told it's for safety and warmth but I did get to pick out my own chicks. Had they told me I couldn't then I would not have purchased them. My local feed store does their chicks alittle differently, they don't just order a bunch of chicks and haul them in and hope they sell them. You go in and on the wall are pictures of different breeds they offer and you order what you want and it takes like 4 weeks or whatever the date is they set up and then you go back and pick up ur chicks. I'm sure their chicks come from Cackle as its not that far from us.

 

[SeaChick]

We have the same law in Maine. I specifically called the state capitol and inquired about it. It is in fact to prevent impulse-buys of chicks that would then be neglected, so it has a good basis, I think.

However, there are usually a few renegade feed stores around who don't like rules and will let you buy less.

 

[Miltonchix]

I guess in Florida they allow us to be adults. I purchased 2 day before yesterday. Then went back and got 2 more. Didn't want the last 2 they had to be lonely I guess.

We can actually legally own a........shhhhhhhh..........a handgun.

 

[BradyMSU]

I think these are excellent laws which prohibit people from purchasing just one or two chicks or ducklings. Given the very low price of purchasing just one or two chicks and how cute they are when they are small, there is a very real temptation for people who have no knowledge of how to care for them or their social needs to purchase them usually condeming the chicks to a very sad and very short life. These laws exist for humanitarian reasons.

My guess is these laws have very small penalities that are rarely enforced against the stores. The existence of the laws with minimum penalties gives the stores the ability to defend its refusal to sell just one or two chicks to people who are buying them on the "cute and cheap" factor yet still look the other way and sell a couple chicks to a responsible hobbyist or a customer willing to make the investment in a heating lamp, feeder, waterer, wood shavings, feed, etc.

 

[annrich]

Quote:
I got hit with the same law at TSC. with ducks and chicks. I only wanted 3 ducks. There were 9 left. The customer service guy let me box 3. Cashier made me get 3 more. I ?? how they were going to sell the remaining 3. They had no answer for me.

 

[mooman]

Flame me if you wish but.........Aren't the governements hands in enough cookie jars without having to make laws concerning the purchase of chickens? I understand the reason for it, I just don't think it is anywhere near a GOOD ENOUGH reason to make a law. MAYBE on a very local level (that's what local governments are for) but state wide? No way.

If I really wanted only a couple chicks (say to replace some killed by predators) and did not have room for thier minimum. I would buy the minimum and carefully set them on the floor as I walked out the door. Better to pay a little more than get stuck with birds you don't have room for.

Better yet, find the person responsible for passing the law (say whoever sponsered the bill) and drop them off in his/her mailbox with a letter explaining why you only needed X number of chickens and tell them to GET BACK TO WORK!!!

 

[s6bee]

Quote:
I totally agree. I see the point and it is valid, I just guess that there are other areas where it would be nice that they get into governing. I know that sounds crazy, but they are involved where it shouldn't matter and not where it should. JMO, but I don't want this getting spun.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
HEAR, HEAR!!

Do ya'll have to make an appointment with the local authorities to use the bathroom too? These invasive laws are just RIDICULOUS!!

 

[flakey chick]

So if you live in town and are only allowed to have up to 3 hens, but you have to buy a minimum of 6 (or even 12) chicks, well something is going to happen to the little fellers. Thats 3-9 chicks "disposed of" instead of the the one or 2. If they are going to set a minimum, 3 would be more reasonable.