Tractor Supply Employee Knowledge About Chicks

[lolita117]

So I have something interesting to add to this thread. I called TSC the other night to see if they had chicks, and they did but when I asked them what they had again they said something that doesn't make since. "Production-Red straight-run" Oh well that wasn't what I was interested in getting. They told me they had speckled Sussex and that was what I wanted.
Here's my question/ experience with again TSC employee not knowing enough about their chicks...
The bin that was labels speckled Sussex had dark brown striped chicks in it (that's what I always though SS looked like) but they also had these yellow chicks with what appeared to be really faint stripes on them, so faint wasn't really sure about them. So here's my question are these too SS? I asked the employee and all he could say was "I don't know. They are in the same bin that is label Speckled Sussex." -Not much help ... surprisingly.
So I told the employee to only pick the dark brown ones (since now they are the ones that get the chicks out of the bin now, they even have them blocked off).
I just don't understand why if they have chicks every year they don't eventually learn something about them?

 

[CarolJ]

I was looking at the chicks at our local Tractor Supply yesterday, and I asked the clerk what breeds they had. After she told me, she asked me, "How long does it take to hatch them? I've had two customers ask me, and I have no idea."

I was happy to see that they'd cordoned off the area with the chicks and had a sign that only employees could handle the chicks. I remember last year they were in big tubs in the middle of the store and anyone could handle them.

 

[lolita117]

I agree with the bins being off limits to just anyone, but I think that if an adult want to purchase chicks they should let those adults be allowed to pick their chicks. I understand not letting kids handle them though.

I was looking at the chicks at our local Tractor Supply yesterday, and I asked the clerk what breeds they had. After she told me, she asked me, "How long does it take to hatch them? I've had two customers ask me, and I have no idea."

I was happy to see that they'd cordoned off the area with the chicks and had a sign that only employees could handle the chicks. I remember last year they were in big tubs in the middle of the store and anyone could handle them.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

Well I went and got 4 what i thougt were RIR's and look at the colors on them now

 

[rebelcowboysnb]

Still may be RIRs. They are red when born an red as adults but feather out all first.

 

[jdeoliveira74]

thanks

 

[Aeropennchick]

The TSC by us had a very knowledgeable woman working the chick bins, and we were first time chicken owners. She asked us if we were going to free range, if we wanted good layers, and if it was important for them to be handled. All yes. We walked out of there with four red pullets and two straight run buff orps - she was careful to choose pullets that ranged from light to dark and orps of slightly different sizes so we could more easily tell them apart.

I ended up going back in the store to thank the lady later on. The only thing I regret is getting a large bag of chick starter for only six chicks! But I feel that any mistakes we made were our own fault for not doing research before we jumped into this - we have the land and had always planned on eventually getting laying hens, but looked at the chicks and decided "now is the time!" without educating ourselves first.

BTW - when I went back in to the store to thank the lady, she was discussing tractor parts with another customer. Guess we are lucky to have a jack of all trades at our TSC!

 

[lolita117]

Your lucky to have such knowledgeable employee at your TSC about chickens. I'm sure most of the employees at ours are fairly knowledgeable about things that are always in their store, but I can't say the same about seasonal chicks. The other day I called mine to see what breeds they had and the employee answered "yellow and red ones." And when I asked when they were expecting a shipment she replied "We don't know until the post office calls us." Somebody has to know ahead of time to expect a shipment, maybe not the hour but within a couple of days they know, they have too. Just like hatchery send emails, or call to let you know when your chicks shipment and when to expect them. But that employee instead of asking a manager that would know, she instead left me with an unanswered question. I get really aggravated at our TSC during chick days. I wish ours, was like yours.

The TSC by us had a very knowledgeable woman working the chick bins, and we were first time chicken owners. She asked us if we were going to free range, if we wanted good layers, and if it was important for them to be handled. All yes. We walked out of there with four red pullets and two straight run buff orps - she was careful to choose pullets that ranged from light to dark and orps of slightly different sizes so we could more easily tell them apart.

I ended up going back in the store to thank the lady later on. The only thing I regret is getting a large bag of chick starter for only six chicks! But I feel that any mistakes we made were our own fault for not doing research before we jumped into this - we have the land and had always planned on eventually getting laying hens, but looked at the chicks and decided "now is the time!" without educating ourselves first.

BTW - when I went back in to the store to thank the lady, she was discussing tractor parts with another customer. Guess we are lucky to have a jack of all trades at our TSC!

 

[Aeropennchick]

I actually sent their corporate customer service department an e-mail about the chick days.

I told them I was impressed that they changed their policy to stop allowing customers to handle the chicks, that this will help protect the health of the chicks and the customers.

I told them that I had a good experience at the store I went to.

But I also told them that many people have had negative experiences, like observing unsafe conditions in the chick pens, dead or dying chicks in the pens, and customers given misinformation about their chicks. I encouraged them to develop a standardized seasonal educational program for at least a portion of the employees at all the stores who receive live animals during chick days.

You should do it too! The e-mail is:

[email protected]


We can make a difference!

 

[MrsHeeg]

I'm glad I'm not the only one. I just got into raising chickens, I felt like I knew next to nothing and would look stupid asking questions. I got there and the guy who helped me knew exactly NOTHING about the chicks. That would have been fine, I didn't expect him to be a chicken expert, but he was a jerk about everything. I'd ask something and all I'd get is "I have no idea". It was a bit frustrating, but at least I left feeling like I had done a good job in my research and I actually did know what I was talking about a little more than I thought!