Mad at TSC

[Soon2BChixMom]

I've been lurking around this site for the last couple years but this thread sucked me out of my little "quietly read and learn" corner and threw me over to the "maybe I can shed some light on things" stage I've been employed with TSC for four years in various management roles at store level and each year I've been the elected lead aka the "Eggs-pert" (not even kidding, that's the official title lol) for Chicks Days at our store. I'll apologize in advance for a lengthy first post, but hey, at least I'm through right?

As of spring 2018, TSC's company wide minimum purchase requirements are 4 chicks and 2 ducks (unless mixed with chicks to reach a 4 bird minimum, ex. 2 chicks + 2 ducks) The previous policy was 6 chicks, and/or 2 ducks. Some states do have a different minimum purchase requirement than TSC's 4 bird minimum, and state law trumps corporate policy. Those states and their requirements are as follows: AR, CT, KY, MA, NY, OH, and VT - 6 chicks and/or 6 ducks; RI - 12 chicks and/or 12 ducks.

Now why does TSC have such "dumb rules" that make you by a minimum number each and every time, even if your state doesn't have a law regarding this? Well, ultimately it boils down to doing what is best for the little fluff balls, and minimum requirements accomplish this in a couple of ways.
(1) Chicks and ducks are social animals and need a feathered friend or two.
(2) You have a bit of 'buffer' when you end up too many roosters or have one or two die.
(3) Mostly however, it helps to weed out the customers who seriously DO NOT need to own chickens/ducks! In all honesty I am amazed and saddened by the abundance of carelessness, ignorance and cruelty that I encounter during this event.
(a) Mostly you get the 'impulse buyer' who want "one or two" because "They're SOOOO cute!," "That would be perfect in the kids Eater baskets!," "Our 1- yr old would be so adorable holding some in his upcoming portrait session!" Often this individual is accompanied by their offspring (a.k.a. their walking/running/screaming advertisments for birth control). If the mini human is in the vicinity, they will typically begin pleading and begging for a chick, "cross their heart and hope to die" they'll take care of it (such declaration is made while they are busy trying to climb the fenced chick area (FYI those gates are held up with mostly zip ties and prayers, so PLEASE don't climb, pull on, or lean over them!). These folks see something cute and little and assume that they can play with it all day and the care it needs is equal to that of a house plant. They don't see an incredibly fragile and fast growing animal that is only little and fluffy for a few weeks, has a lifespan of several years and has special considerations for food and shelter. I give these customers a reality check: I give them a list of the supplies they'll need, and websites and brochures to read over. Some come back a few days later with clearer expectations and a healthier idea of what it entails. It's no longer an impulse, it's a commitment; both the family and the chicks are off to a good start.
(b) You then have the willfully ignorant individuals. It doesn't matter what you, science, or even common sense says; they just know they're right, even when they're wrong. True story: One lady complained to corporate that I would not sell her some ducks. I did so based on her own admissions: HOUSING - she had a wading pool set up for them inside an outdoor dog kennel (this was the first week of March in NC, and this was supposed to be where they stayed from the get go); HEAT - "it's not that cold out, all I'm wearing in a sweatshirt and light jacket! They're covered in feathers, why would they need a heat lamp?!" average temp was low 30s (night) to mid 50s (day); FEED - apparently I was trying to make her buy unnecessary items like starter/grower or Flockraiser because she already had a loaf of bread and some rice at home for them to eat. Corporate sided with me and thankfully I haven't seen her since.
(c) Thankfully I haven't had too many people wanting to get chicks for disgustingly cruel purposes. More than once however I've encountered someone wanting to buy a couple chicks just so they could see what would happen if they tossed it in their dog pen. These scum are reminded that animal cruelty is a federal offense now; we have their name, address, and phone number in our system (due to rainchecks, special orders, etc) and we donate ALOT of stuff to our animal control office (who operates within the Sheriff's Office). I might recommend that they find elsewhere to shop at from here on out.

All in all, those minimums help the little peeps have a chance. YMMV but I encourage my team to use their best judgement; if I have one of my regular chicken folk walk in and they just want the last two bantams, I can do that. Heck, I keep a running list of "adopters" who are willing to pick up any "sick" chicks (pasty butt, got too chilled in transit, getting picked on) for free. Those are the type of people that we can work around company mandated minimums for.

My apologies for the epic length novel here but hopefully I cleared up some confusion or misconceptions as to why we have to do what we do at TSC

I am a fan of my local tsc.

 

[Frazzemrat1]

I've been lurking around this site for the last couple years but this thread sucked me out of my little "quietly read and learn" corner and threw me over to the "maybe I can shed some light on things" stage I've been employed with TSC for four years in various management roles at store level and each year I've been the elected lead aka the "Eggs-pert" (not even kidding, that's the official title lol) for Chicks Days at our store. I'll apologize in advance for a lengthy first post, but hey, at least I'm through right?

As of spring 2018, TSC's company wide minimum purchase requirements are 4 chicks and 2 ducks (unless mixed with chicks to reach a 4 bird minimum, ex. 2 chicks + 2 ducks) The previous policy was 6 chicks, and/or 2 ducks. Some states do have a different minimum purchase requirement than TSC's 4 bird minimum, and state law trumps corporate policy. Those states and their requirements are as follows: AR, CT, KY, MA, NY, OH, and VT - 6 chicks and/or 6 ducks; RI - 12 chicks and/or 12 ducks.

Now why does TSC have such "dumb rules" that make you by a minimum number each and every time, even if your state doesn't have a law regarding this? Well, ultimately it boils down to doing what is best for the little fluff balls, and minimum requirements accomplish this in a couple of ways.
(1) Chicks and ducks are social animals and need a feathered friend or two.
(2) You have a bit of 'buffer' when you end up too many roosters or have one or two die.
(3) Mostly however, it helps to weed out the customers who seriously DO NOT need to own chickens/ducks! In all honesty I am amazed and saddened by the abundance of carelessness, ignorance and cruelty that I encounter during this event.
(a) Mostly you get the 'impulse buyer' who want "one or two" because "They're SOOOO cute!," "That would be perfect in the kids Eater baskets!," "Our 1- yr old would be so adorable holding some in his upcoming portrait session!" Often this individual is accompanied by their offspring (a.k.a. their walking/running/screaming advertisments for birth control). If the mini human is in the vicinity, they will typically begin pleading and begging for a chick, "cross their heart and hope to die" they'll take care of it (such declaration is made while they are busy trying to climb the fenced chick area (FYI those gates are held up with mostly zip ties and prayers, so PLEASE don't climb, pull on, or lean over them!). These folks see something cute and little and assume that they can play with it all day and the care it needs is equal to that of a house plant. They don't see an incredibly fragile and fast growing animal that is only little and fluffy for a few weeks, has a lifespan of several years and has special considerations for food and shelter. I give these customers a reality check: I give them a list of the supplies they'll need, and websites and brochures to read over. Some come back a few days later with clearer expectations and a healthier idea of what it entails. It's no longer an impulse, it's a commitment; both the family and the chicks are off to a good start.
(b) You then have the willfully ignorant individuals. It doesn't matter what you, science, or even common sense says; they just know they're right, even when they're wrong. True story: One lady complained to corporate that I would not sell her some ducks. I did so based on her own admissions: HOUSING - she had a wading pool set up for them inside an outdoor dog kennel (this was the first week of March in NC, and this was supposed to be where they stayed from the get go); HEAT - "it's not that cold out, all I'm wearing in a sweatshirt and light jacket! They're covered in feathers, why would they need a heat lamp?!" average temp was low 30s (night) to mid 50s (day); FEED - apparently I was trying to make her buy unnecessary items like starter/grower or Flockraiser because she already had a loaf of bread and some rice at home for them to eat. Corporate sided with me and thankfully I haven't seen her since.
(c) Thankfully I haven't had too many people wanting to get chicks for disgustingly cruel purposes. More than once however I've encountered someone wanting to buy a couple chicks just so they could see what would happen if they tossed it in their dog pen. These scum are reminded that animal cruelty is a federal offense now; we have their name, address, and phone number in our system (due to rainchecks, special orders, etc) and we donate ALOT of stuff to our animal control office (who operates within the Sheriff's Office). I might recommend that they find elsewhere to shop at from here on out.

All in all, those minimums help the little peeps have a chance. YMMV but I encourage my team to use their best judgement; if I have one of my regular chicken folk walk in and they just want the last two bantams, I can do that. Heck, I keep a running list of "adopters" who are willing to pick up any "sick" chicks (pasty butt, got too chilled in transit, getting picked on) for free. Those are the type of people that we can work around company mandated minimums for.

My apologies for the epic length novel here but hopefully I cleared up some confusion or misconceptions as to why we have to do what we do at TSC

Welcome to BYC!!!! Thank you for your post!

 

[The Moonshiner]

(FYI those gates are held up with mostly zip ties and prayers, so PLEASE don't climb, pull on, or lean over them!).

Its great that TSC has such concern for their chicks and ducks but what about their concern for the mini humans (a.k.a. their walking/running/screaming advertisments for birth control)?
Isn't large gates held together with zip ties and prayers a liability or at least a safety concern?

 

[aart]

I've been lurking around this site for the last couple years but this thread sucked me out of my little "quietly read and learn" corner and threw me over to the "maybe I can shed some light on things" stage

Excellent post!!

 

[N F C]

I've been lurking around this site for the last couple years but this thread sucked me out of my little "quietly read and learn" corner and threw me over to the "maybe I can shed some light on things" stage I've been employed with TSC for four years in various management roles at store level and each year I've been the elected lead aka the "Eggs-pert" (not even kidding, that's the official title lol) for Chicks Days at our store. I'll apologize in advance for a lengthy first post, but hey, at least I'm through right?

As of spring 2018, TSC's company wide minimum purchase requirements are 4 chicks and 2 ducks (unless mixed with chicks to reach a 4 bird minimum, ex. 2 chicks + 2 ducks) The previous policy was 6 chicks, and/or 2 ducks. Some states do have a different minimum purchase requirement than TSC's 4 bird minimum, and state law trumps corporate policy. Those states and their requirements are as follows: AR, CT, KY, MA, NY, OH, and VT - 6 chicks and/or 6 ducks; RI - 12 chicks and/or 12 ducks.

Now why does TSC have such "dumb rules" that make you by a minimum number each and every time, even if your state doesn't have a law regarding this? Well, ultimately it boils down to doing what is best for the little fluff balls, and minimum requirements accomplish this in a couple of ways.
(1) Chicks and ducks are social animals and need a feathered friend or two.
(2) You have a bit of 'buffer' when you end up too many roosters or have one or two die.
(3) Mostly however, it helps to weed out the customers who seriously DO NOT need to own chickens/ducks! In all honesty I am amazed and saddened by the abundance of carelessness, ignorance and cruelty that I encounter during this event.
(a) Mostly you get the 'impulse buyer' who want "one or two" because "They're SOOOO cute!," "That would be perfect in the kids Eater baskets!," "Our 1- yr old would be so adorable holding some in his upcoming portrait session!" Often this individual is accompanied by their offspring (a.k.a. their walking/running/screaming advertisments for birth control). If the mini human is in the vicinity, they will typically begin pleading and begging for a chick, "cross their heart and hope to die" they'll take care of it (such declaration is made while they are busy trying to climb the fenced chick area (FYI those gates are held up with mostly zip ties and prayers, so PLEASE don't climb, pull on, or lean over them!). These folks see something cute and little and assume that they can play with it all day and the care it needs is equal to that of a house plant. They don't see an incredibly fragile and fast growing animal that is only little and fluffy for a few weeks, has a lifespan of several years and has special considerations for food and shelter. I give these customers a reality check: I give them a list of the supplies they'll need, and websites and brochures to read over. Some come back a few days later with clearer expectations and a healthier idea of what it entails. It's no longer an impulse, it's a commitment; both the family and the chicks are off to a good start.
(b) You then have the willfully ignorant individuals. It doesn't matter what you, science, or even common sense says; they just know they're right, even when they're wrong. True story: One lady complained to corporate that I would not sell her some ducks. I did so based on her own admissions: HOUSING - she had a wading pool set up for them inside an outdoor dog kennel (this was the first week of March in NC, and this was supposed to be where they stayed from the get go); HEAT - "it's not that cold out, all I'm wearing in a sweatshirt and light jacket! They're covered in feathers, why would they need a heat lamp?!" average temp was low 30s (night) to mid 50s (day); FEED - apparently I was trying to make her buy unnecessary items like starter/grower or Flockraiser because she already had a loaf of bread and some rice at home for them to eat. Corporate sided with me and thankfully I haven't seen her since.
(c) Thankfully I haven't had too many people wanting to get chicks for disgustingly cruel purposes. More than once however I've encountered someone wanting to buy a couple chicks just so they could see what would happen if they tossed it in their dog pen. These scum are reminded that animal cruelty is a federal offense now; we have their name, address, and phone number in our system (due to rainchecks, special orders, etc) and we donate ALOT of stuff to our animal control office (who operates within the Sheriff's Office). I might recommend that they find elsewhere to shop at from here on out.

All in all, those minimums help the little peeps have a chance. YMMV but I encourage my team to use their best judgement; if I have one of my regular chicken folk walk in and they just want the last two bantams, I can do that. Heck, I keep a running list of "adopters" who are willing to pick up any "sick" chicks (pasty butt, got too chilled in transit, getting picked on) for free. Those are the type of people that we can work around company mandated minimums for.

My apologies for the epic length novel here but hopefully I cleared up some confusion or misconceptions as to why we have to do what we do at TSC

Good to hear from the TSC side of things!

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

Its great that TSC has such concern for their chicks and ducks but what about their concern for the mini humans (a.k.a. their walking/running/screaming advertisments for birth control)?
Isn't large gates held together with zip ties and prayers a liability or at least a safety concern?

How about leave that to the parents? I mean parenting skills are quite lacking these days, so I see why people think others are responsible for the lack there of. I am not that old, but never let my kids run around a store and climb on things. As well, I know a few things about managing a whole group of children too as my professional background dictates it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

How about leave that to the parents? I mean parenting skills are quite lacking these days, so I see why people think others are responsible for the lack there of. I am not that old, but never let my kids run around a store and climb on things. As well, I know a few things about managing a whole group of children too as my professional background dictates it.

I am old and not lacking in parenting skills. My oldest is grown and youngest is still a toddler.
Its a far cry from expecting others to parent someones child to assuming a business has enough safety awareness to realize maybe there's a better way then zip ties and prayers.
I watch my children and also don't let them run amuck through stores. But lets be honest if you put a tub of peeping chicks in front of a child that isn't tall enough to quite see in and then put something that looks like a ladder in front of them that some may decide to try to get a better look.
Just wondering why not use something better as a safeguard then a zip tie.
Now days there certainly are a lot of people that want to sue anyone for the most ridiculous things.
Just seems like a risky move for TSC when it would be such an easy fix.

 

[Soon2BChixMom]

I am old and not lacking in parenting skills. My oldest is grown and youngest is still a toddler.
Its a far cry from expecting others to parent someones child to assuming a business has enough safety awareness to realize maybe there's a better way then zip ties and prayers.
I watch my children and also don't let them run amuck through stores. But lets be honest if you put a tub of peeping chicks in front of a child that isn't tall enough to quite see in and then put something that looks like a ladder in front of them that some may decide to try to get a better look.
Just wondering why not use something better as a safeguard then a zip tie.
Now days there certainly are a lot of people that want to sue anyone for the most ridiculous things.
Just seems like a risky move for TSC when it would be such an easy fix.

I wasn't referring to your parenting skills. I will not comment on the rest as I already stated my position on it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

I wasn't referring to your parenting skills. I will not comment on the rest as I already stated my position on it.

I understood that but just wanted to clarify that as someone that does still believe in being responsible for their own children that it seemed a little concerning that they weren't more secured than that.
I actually went to our closest TSC the other day. I did see signs saying to stay off of them but didn't notice if they were zip tied or something else.
After reading so much negative things about them I must say ours didn't seem like others.
They had nice clean brooders with clean water, plenty of food. Secured heat lamps in the right positions and believe it or not everything was labeled correctly.
Now our Orschelins was just the opposite. Correctly labeled but super overcrowded and disgusting conditions. Two chick minimum.

 

[JDN]

TSC and their dumb rules stink! I boycott TSC! We have Family Farm and Home too. They will let you buy just 1 chick if you want!

Whatever. My local TSC has a 4 chicks, 2 ducks rule.

As much as anything I think its about preventing people from saying, "Neat! A chick! and for $1.99!"

I mean, that's about what a goldfish costs. But they require a different level of space and commitment than a goldfish. They aren't quite on the level of a dog or a cat, but nonetheless...

Every farmer I've met has a level of respect for the dignity of life of their animal charges, even commercial factory farmers, and that needs to be preserved. Chicks don't belong in the Easter Basket unless you have a coop and a brooder box.