San Diego Chicken meetup and Chat thread

[hcrossn]

Yes they sell Hay, shavings & Straw. It's opening right across the street from Elston hay and grain on main st

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

It's my understanding that TS is opening in August in Ramona. The local feed stores did try to stop it, but the Ramona town council approved it. The small stores keep saying that they're offering better service. I've notice already that they are trying really hard to keep business. I feel bad for them, but heck, many times they don't have what I need. Nobody carries non-medicated crumble for example.

Okay, on another note:


NEXT MEETUP IS JUNE 7, 2014 at the RAMONA FAIRGROUNDS. 10 am

In conjunction with the Wild West Serama Club's show. There will be a concession stand there so you can either
buy your meal there or bring your own. We'll have a few pop up tents set up. Please join us outside the hall on the
grass, near the concession stand.

Chicken costume contest Sat. during the lunch break of the show.

Bring birds to sell, trade, buy. Bring a box to take them home in. You can sell items, bring a table. Raffle table will
benefit Wild West Serama Club. Bring any items you want to donate to the raffle table upon arrival.

The Serama show will be a coop in show Friday night, table top Sat. morning, so if you're interested in showing contact www.wildwestseramas.com/

 

[dfdesigns]

Here's the link to the meetup's Facebook page, too: https://www.facebook.com/events/279809332172194/

 

[hcrossn]

yes, I can only get the non-medicated crumble chick feed at one feed store in the area and they are sometimes out.
Local feed stores can't possibly carry everything, none of them have much in goat supplies. They primarily carry horse products
I've had to drive far distances to get things or order online and wait.Tractor Supply will alleviate a lot of frustration and the price
difference is just to much. As far as customer service, in the past I will have to be honest and say most of the time
I haven't experienced personalized, caring service. Only one place has truly been very nice.

 

[hcrossn]

I forgot to mention TS is open from 8am to 8pm daily. That will be a huge help for us. I have to wait for my boyfriend to get home
with his truck then race to the feed store to get their before they close. That in it's self is stressful for me, I hate rushing
ultimately I end up forgetting something or purchasing something and trying to make it work. I also really like that you can
order online all the stuff you need and TS will have it ready for you to pick up at the store when you get their. When it comes
down to it, it's about the convenience & prices. I'm sorry for the local feed stores but I've asked for things and been told, "we
can order it for you" I can do that to and pay so much less. What would they do as a customer? Pay double the price and
still have to wait, then make another trip? The nearest feed store is 15-20 minutes from us.

 

[UrbanMamaHen]

For those of us who live an hour away from the future TSC store in Ramona, the store's opening won't change where we buy our feed. The feed stores within a 15 mile radius of the TSC Ramona location may experience a drop in customers, but I doubt if others will. With gas prices the way they are, the savings I get on the feed may not make up for the extra cost of gas to drive to Ramona. Now, if someone who lives in San Diego city is willing to do a feed-run every couple months to the TSC and cost for gas is shared among a small group of folks, that may make economic sense for the city dwellers. But that would require coordination effort by someone with a truck, and I wouldn't expect someone to volunteer to do this long-term.

 

[hcrossn]

They are opening a TS in Lakeside This summer, on olde hwy 80

 

[UrbanMamaHen]

Quote:
OMG, with several new locations, I may have no choice but to buy feed from the nearest TSC store. Does this mean I could double my flock size since the cost of feed will be halved? I think I like this chicken math.

 

[ozexpat]

The first boxes of clothes that were given to me at @OffGridMAMA s meet-up arrived in the Philippines last Friday. The remainder will arrive at the end of this month.

Altogether I shipped more than 300lbs of clothing and shoes from generous BYCers.

A huge thank you my friends.

The clothes will be dispersed to The Holy Infant Orphanage in Bacolod and to needy locals.

I am unable to attend the June 7 meet-up as I will be attending my daughter's birthday in the Philippines and taking on the task of sorting 300+ juvenile chickens in order to come up with 120 that I will be donating to 30 needy families in September as part of the Chicken Mission detailed in my signature.

If there is someone willing to collect for me, it would be great if I could find a volunteer to save bags of clothes for me.

If I can get a response, then I would like to make a plea for more. I need mostly summer clothes in all sizes from infant to medium adult sizes as well as jeans and mens slacks in sizes up to 34, womens dresses in sizes up to medium and childrens, mens and women's shoes. Also underwear in all sizes and bras up to 34A-C. I can handle sheets and towels as well. Long sleaved tops and wind breaker style jackets are also good but please no true winter clothes. If they invariably end up in my collection I will give them to Goodwill as I need to get as much usable clothing in each box.

Clothes you consider worn may still have many many more wears in them. Stains that you thought may be indelable can be removed with persistance by someone who would value the shirt or trousers. Scuffs on a shoe are not a reason to hold back. These people literally have two or three shirts and pairs of shorts to their names.

If there is nobody that can volunteer to collect for me this time around, please consider "the Chicken Mission" when you do your next clothing cull when we can next meet up.

I will ship the clothes at my expense and will not sell nor profit from anything ever donated to the cause. I generally ship boxes each month as my budget allows.

There is a meet up on the So_Cal thread for the weekend before and I have posted the same request there.

Cheers

Oz

 

[ozexpat]

Tractor supply has been opening many stores in California this year. They opened one last month in Norco and are opening two in San Diego this summer.
If I owned a feed store anywhere near where they are opening I would sell the inventory and close. Sadly their is no way to compete with their prices.
For example a little Giant incubator is 117.00 at the local feed store, it's 60.00 at Tractor Supply. Chicken feed is $6.00+ a 50lb bag cheaper for the same feed.
They are the Walmart of feed stores.

I posted a very similar comment last night on the So-Cal thread.

The smart local feed store will sell off major ticket items and reposition themselves as a "convenience feed store".

The home depos and TSC have their advantages but remember the days when you could buy three screws at a local hardware store for 3 cents a piece - now you have to buy 6 in a blister pack for $2.99.

Times are changing everywhere.