Tractor Supply chicks: Breeds?

[CliffB]

They do indeed get that many. I did not know that. I was told they've had a quite few doa.

We had a few at the beginning when the weather was much colder but the shipments we're getting now are very healthy and the last few didn't have a single bird even lethargic upon arrival.

 

[rancher hicks]

We had a few at the beginning when the weather was much colder but the shipments we're getting now are very healthy and the last few didn't have a single bird even lethargic upon arrival.

I start my chicks with sugar water for the first few drinks. Perks them right up.

 

[CliffB]

These were DOA.

 

[Blooie]

We had a few at the beginning when the weather was much colder but the shipments we're getting now are very healthy and the last few didn't have a single bird even lethargic upon arrival.

I thought I read that you are a TSC employee, and I wanted to apologize if I offended you with some of my impressions. But it sounds very much like you actually know what you are doing there, and that's nice to see! Unfortunately it's also unusual. I always wonder why, knowing that TSC has a large and steady customer base, they don't invest a little time so that all of us could get the right chicks, in the right bins, with the right breed information and the right person (like you!) helping us. Thanks for what you do!

 

[CliffB]

I thought I read that you are a TSC employee, and I wanted to apologize if I offended you with some of my impressions. But it sounds very much like you actually know what you are doing there, and that's nice to see! Unfortunately it's also unusual. I always wonder why, knowing that TSC has a large and steady customer base, they don't invest a little time so that all of us could get the right chicks, in the right bins, with the right breed information and the right person (like you!) helping us. Thanks for what you do!

As someone said above and the first time i have seen someone besides myself make the point. We sell chicks for just short of 3 months.When you consider how much training would be involved to get everyone up to speed on the breeds, the differences, and be fairly knowledgeable about the whole process the season is over and it's irrelevant for another year. Just because someone works in a farm store doesn't necessarily mean chickens are their forte. Believe me i worked at Home Depot for 8 years and there were some very unqualified people working beside me. We have 3 employees who are very knowledgeable about chickens and those are the 3 who answer the detailed questions. If someone wants a chick anyone will grab what they ask for and take care of that customer but the moment the questions go beyond the basics then everyone knows to grab one of the more knowledgeable people to answer the specific questions. It works out very well for us. As i stated in my rant somewhere else in this site, I would never ask the bag boy how to make lasagna simply because he works at the grocery store.

 

[CliffB]

I thought I read that you are a TSC employee, and I wanted to apologize if I offended you with some of my impressions. But it sounds very much like you actually know what you are doing there, and that's nice to see! Unfortunately it's also unusual. I always wonder why, knowing that TSC has a large and steady customer base, they don't invest a little time so that all of us could get the right chicks, in the right bins, with the right breed information and the right person (like you!) helping us. Thanks for what you do!

Also not offended at all. It blows my mind to read about some of the TSC's across the country. We have one less than appealing store near us and i hear stories a good bit about them but it's something that happens. It's unfortunate but it is still a reality. I have one employee that told a few customers that he would use galvanized wire because it won't rust as quick as aluminum. You should have seen the shock and awe on my face.

 

[Blooie]

As someone said above and the first time i have seen someone besides myself make the point. We sell chicks for just short of 3 months.When you consider how much training would be involved to get everyone up to speed on the breeds, the differences, and be fairly knowledgeable about the whole process the season is over and it's irrelevant for another year. Just because someone works in a farm store doesn't necessarily mean chickens are their forte. Believe me i worked at Home Depot for 8 years and there were some very unqualified people working beside me. We have 3 employees who are very knowledgeable about chickens and those are the 3 who answer the detailed questions. If someone wants a chick anyone will grab what they ask for and take care of that customer but the moment the questions go beyond the basics then everyone knows to grab one of the more knowledgeable people to answer the specific questions. It works out very well for us. As i stated in my rant somewhere else in this site, I would never ask the bag boy how to make lasagna simply because he works at the grocery store.

I agree completely. I think that might have been me talking about the short window of chick sales. Don't misunderstand, I wouldn't know a day old Leghorn chick from an Orpington! So many of those little guys look so much alike. That would almost prevent employees from learning all of them on sight. It sure would prevent me from knowing it! My complaint is primarily aimed at the stores (and TSC is not the only one, by far) who open the boxes, put a bunch of chicks in a bin without even noticing that the compartments are marked with the breed and whether those are pullets or straight run. The hatcheries make mistakes in labeling too, but for the most part at least there is some inkling of what is in which compartment. The waters get muddier after they are put in the stock tanks. I wish you could be cloned!

I'm so glad you weren't offended. Sometimes my tongue gets in front of my eye-teeth and I can't see what I'm saying!

 

[CliffB]

I agree completely. I think that might have been me talking about the short window of chick sales. Don't misunderstand, I wouldn't know a day old Leghorn chick from an Orpington! So many of those little guys look so much alike. That would almost prevent employees from learning all of them on sight. It sure would prevent me from knowing it! My complaint is primarily aimed at the stores (and TSC is not the only one, by far) who open the boxes, put a bunch of chicks in a bin without even noticing that the compartments are marked with the breed and whether those are pullets or straight run. The hatcheries make mistakes in labeling too, but for the most part at least there is some inkling of what is in which compartment. The waters get muddier after they are put in the stock tanks. I wish you could be cloned!

I'm so glad you weren't offended. Sometimes my tongue gets in front of my eye-teeth and I can't see what I'm saying!

Not to derail this thread any further but my Friday shipment of 100 chicks, 50 pullets and 50 straight ended up being mislabeled from the hatchery. On one side of the box were black and red pullets and on the other side were....you guessed it, black and red straight runs. Apparently when the employee went to label each quadrant he/she forgot which side were the pullets and which were the straight. Luckily one of our 3 chicken farmers at our store wanted to check out the Asian Blue pullets up close and happened to notice none had secondaries.

 

[TheEggCollecter]

definitley see a couple roos in there

 

[Blooie]

Oh good grief! Like what you do isn't hard enough? Okay, I'll go away now. But just want you to know that when folks get it right, they deserve to hear it. So thanks for doing it right.