Tractor Supply Company Petition - Please Consider Signing

[19hhbelgian]

Before I start, just want to say that I am not trying to "pick" on any person or group of people. We are all entitled to our opinions, so I figured I'd post...

It's funny, if TSC wasn't such a large company they wouldn't get so much face time on here. Do people honestly think they are the only place that gets hurt chicks in? How many posts do we see on here about people getting their chicks in the mail and they didn't make it, or they seemed healthy now they're dying? Why don't we all post on here when we have sick/injured chicks that need help, and someone needs to take them off our hands? There are decent employees who do care, but unfortunately we can't be at the chick bins every hour of the day. We do what we are able to, sometimes we cannot take a chick out of a bin as soon as it passes - doesn't mean it just stays there though. While I'm on my "rant", people should also start reading the signs we have posted. "PLEASE ASK A TEAM MEMBER FOR ASSISTANCE HANDLING THE CHICKS AND DUCKS". We have parents who think those bins are babysitters, then walk away after their kid squeezes a chick to death. Meanwhile we have to politely ask them to not handle the chicks... Basically you're right, probably won't post on here, but that doesn't mean nobody cares what happens. Shoot, I just brought home a blind white leghorn chick yesterday... Sorry, don't mean to go off on a tangent.

 

[Aemelia]

I signed it too!

 

[Aemelia]

I took my kids to our local farm store for years (not TSC) and I never let my kids pick up the babies, forget about leaving them alone there I don't leave my kids alone anywhere well except at home but they are big kids now.

 

[definetlydeb]

...I signed, too!!!! Sure would be great if we could all work together....everyone would benefit and save some precious chicks too!!!

 

[Relheok]

I think that this is relative to where you live. I am in a Rural area where the people working at TSC have grown up on farms and understand chickens/livestock etc. A TSC in an urban area with people who have never grown up with animals won't take care of animals the same.

 

[FMAFarms]

I agree... it would be great if we could all work together. But every journey has to start with the first step, and I am hoping that this will be the first step.

 

[txhomegrown]

Quote:
Good for you, but you are not every parent. I have been in places(not just TSC) where I have seen kids loving chicks to death while their parents watch. And then they put the injured chick back in the bin for an employee to deal with.

As far as the petition goes, I believe most TSC stores are franchise operations. The parent company doesn't have a lot to do with how they are run day to day. If you send the petition to the corporate offices, they might send a memo to all the individual stores with recommendations as to how they should handle live animals, but they will not be sending out the chick police to guarantee compliance.

If it makes you feel better, sign the petition, but don't expect things to actually change.

 

[flgardengirl]

Last spring, I took in a chick from TSC that had a golfball size of poop on its butt. I had to talk the manager into letting me just buy 2 instead of several at a time. (The 2nd one was for a companion for the first one). The chick with the poop was already acting very sick. I told them they needed to clean it and it would be fine but they acted like it was too gross of a thing to do and finally let me buy the chick and a friend. I had previously bought 6chicks from them a few weeks prior but felt like they were too old to put in with the day old chick. I didn't really need more chicks but felt sorry for the poopy butt chick that they were letting suffer.
On a separate visit I watched an employee drop a chick from a high position and it broke its leg. I don't belive it was on purpose but he was holding it in a careless manor, flat on his palm. I probably am not going there to buy any more chicks.

 

[Sunny Side Up]

Perhaps it would be more effective to talk with the owner of each local TSC and figure out a way they can contact chicken-keepers in their area. Through an e-chain, or a Yahoo group. My local feed store (not a TSC) has an email list they use to send weekly advertisements. You sign up for it at the store. It would not be as effective to advertise on a forum with an international membership.

I also wonder how widely they would wish to advertise free injured chicks for adoption. You know how so many folks are looking to take advantage, would find fault with chicks and pester to be allowed to take it for free. Again, it might be better to approach your local TSC manager and make special arrangements with them for these chicks. If they know you as a steady customer they may be willing to give you these chicks for free, or for a reduced price.

Just my $.02 on the matter. I just wish there was a TSC in my community.

 

[Aemelia]

That's just so wrong. I mean you break it you buy it has always been the standard where I live. I don't allow my kids to pick them up but if my 4 year old got away from me and loved a chick to death I would take to a clerk and pay for it, and take it out of my kids allowance. I can't understand why people would allow their kids to do that and then just walk away. It's stealing plain and simple in my eyes.