Mad at TSC

[lazy gardener]

Yeah, but I went in the other day and they have two little pitiful cheeps left sitting there. They need to be able to count (and divide by 6) if that's the rule. Just saying.

As Paul Harvey would say, "And, now.... the rest of the story!"

When I did purchase from TSC I didn't have room for 6 only for 4 so I did something a little bit terrible. I waited until they boxed them up and left, pulled out 2 put them back in the tub and checked out with the 4 I had accommodations for. I reverse shoplifted chicks. I'm not proud of it, but it was better than them being cramped up. Don't worry, the two I put back were scooped up before I even left the store.

 

[Chickassan]

Those were not mine LG! Maybe those were just extras.

As Paul Harvey would say, "And, now.... the rest of the story!"

 

[georgieboy11]

My local feed store has a minimum of four chicks and it doesn't have to be all of one breed you could get one turkey and three chicks or one duck and one turkey and two chicks etc.

 

[jimmywalt]

I heard this years ago about TSC. They are doing it because of PITA and all the grief that TSC was given by that group. It's really stupid on TSC's part because at our store we often see the chicks discounted to $.59-cents as they get over a week old because no one wants them. They have most of their chicks labeled as "straight run" too. Whereas Family Farm & Home can't keep chicks in stock at $2.99 and they are labeled as pullets.

 

[aart]

PITA

That would be PETA(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals)....
who can be a PITA(Pain In The A$$).

 

[Mysimplewyominglife]

PETA the same group of people from what I read had a helper(s) go out and pick up strays for some place can't remember where but one "stray" they picked up was a small dog chihuahua I believe they said, it was chipped and or had a tag something like that and that state law/ local law required the owners to be told and they had a week to respond dog was a young one under 2 I believe instead of letting the owners know they put the dog down the day they caught it. In PETA's head it was better for a dog who they = to a slave to be killed then be a pet. Guess who won in the court case.

 

[lazy gardener]

People
Eating
Tasty
Animals.

 

[Agteach]

ok so I am getting 12 chicks. Was gonna get three black austrolorp chicks at TSC and get three SLW tomorrow from a local feed store. Then six EE the 28 from the same feed store. I had the guy get three and was like that’s it. He said it is Ky state law I have to buy six at a time. I am sure I seen people get less than six before ( yes I have been to TSC getting chick fixes till I could get the rest ). So I called the feed store and he said get how many I wanted! So now I am not getting the BAL. This makes me sad and mad. My house is only large enough for the 12 I wanted a small variety in my ladies but I quest I’ll have 6 and 6.

It is state law in KY. KRS 436.600

 

[N F C]

It is state law in KY. KRS 436.600

 

[dixie.diva]

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