Tractor Supply Rant

[twentynine]

The last hatchery I used was Ideal in Cameron Texas.
Ordered on Monday, chicks were at my home Thursday morning.
Shipping I don't remember the exact number but it was way less than $70.

And as pointed out by a previous poster, not all TSCs are the same, I should have not "painted" with such a wide brush.
I am well aware of what their job is, maybe even a little closer to it than you think. Do you think they were going to take the chick and bandage him up? The chicks are not sold to provide you with cheap chickens- they are sold so the buyer will buy feeders, waterers, and feed.
Just went to ideal hatchery and the online catalog is down for maintenance. So I cruised over to cackle hatchery. Barred Rock straight run. Shipping cost say I order 300 chicks (extreme number for me) that's $15 + (.10 x 300) = $45 total shipping. Now chick price, that's $175 per 100 or $1.75 per chick each. Or 300 x $1.75 = $525 + $45 = $570 / 300 = $1.90 each. The numbers are much the same for Cornish crosses $165 per 100.

 

[woodmort]

This kind of rant has appeared on the form before--not just Tractor Supply, but other feed stores--with the same kinds of replies. How the chicks are treated comes down, pure and simply, to who is responsible for it. Which, in the long-run, depends on who is hiring and supervising the workers. Complaining here won't help, go to the store and talk to the manager. Maybe, just maybe, the person in charge will hire someone who is knowledgeable about chickens to keep an eye on them.

 

[hennypenney]

I know this is an old thread but Tractor Supply has started something new and bringing in Chicks in September. What I saw today made me sick. Overcrowding of those poor chicks and I see no one buying. I wish I could of bought half of them to rescue them, but I cannot do that every time I see a situation like this. Told my husband I had to get what I needed and get out. Too sad. Feeling bad.

 

[barred2rock]

If you think that's bad (I agree it is), don't look at the animals at Petco or PetSmart. They give advice that will kill the animals. If you try to tell them otherwise they act like you're fool of it and they know better.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

I was REALLY bummed when I heard about Fall Chick Days at TSC. The conditions at my local TSC are the same as OPs. Thankfully, my state has a wonderful farm animal rescue organization that takes the 'broken chicks' for rehabbing and rehoming.

 

[hennypenney]

If you think that's bad (I agree it is), don't look at the animals at Petco or PetSmart. They give advice that will kill the animals. If you try to tell them otherwise they act like you're fool of it and they know better.

I believe it. so sad : ( the way animals get treated.

 

[hennypenney]

I was REALLY bummed when I heard about Fall Chick Days at TSC. The conditions at my local TSC are the same as OPs. Thankfully, my state has a wonderful farm animal rescue organization that takes the 'broken chicks' for rehabbing and rehoming.

Yes, me also! Enough! Why?? I want to contact them and ask why as according to an employee they just received another bunch in today and no ones buying them. The chicks cannot freely walk to get food/water or to get out of heat if need be. I took a picture. Not sure why. In case I need to explain how inhumane it is to have all those chicks literally stacked into a container.

 

[MilesFluffybutt]

Yes, me also! Enough! Why?? I want to contact them and ask why as according to an employee they just received another bunch in today and no ones buying them. The chicks cannot freely walk to get food/water or to get out of heat if need be. I took a picture. Not sure why. In case I need to explain how inhumane it is to have all those chicks literally stacked into a container.

As one person commented above, chicks are a means to sell the setup - lights, feed, feeders, waterers, pre-fab coops, fencing, brooder kits, bedding, etc.

I doubt TSC makes money on chicks. My TSC lost an entire shipment this spring when the birds froze to death during transport. They just ordered another truck and went on selling the goods and issued rain checks.

It drives me crazy that poultry is sold commercially like this. My state, Vermont, requires me to buy a minimum of six chicks, but it can't have it's agriculture employees check on on the conditions. Even when reported. Grrrrrr.

 

[CapricornFarm]

I agree with you to some extent, but if it's true that an employee walked away from an obviously injured chick, that's not "culture", that's completely on the employee. Even if they haven't gotten any training, it's their job to find someone who can fix it. What they make an hour has nothing to do with it. They'll get paid for the time they spend taking care of the problem. If I saw something like that, I would demand to see a manager, and in the case of a chain store, contact their corporate headquarters after taking pictures of the sick chicks with my cell phone.

What hatchery do you order from that costs the same as purchasing the chicks from TSC? I'm not trying to be obnoxious, I really want to know. I've been interested in ordering chicks for years because of the vast number of different breeds I could get, but I can't find one that charges less than $70 or so to ship. Money is tight as it is, and that just seems like too much to pay for what I can get nearby for free.

Hoover hatchery does not charge shipping fees. Every chick i ordered survived.

 

[hennypenney]

As one person commented above, chicks are a means to sell the setup - lights, feed, feeders, waterers, pre-fab coops, fencing, brooder kits, bedding, etc.

I doubt TSC makes money on chicks. My TSC lost an entire shipment this spring when the birds froze to death during transport. They just ordered another truck and went on selling the goods and issued rain checks.

It drives me crazy that poultry is sold commercially like this. My state, Vermont, requires me to buy a minimum of six chicks, but it can't have it's agriculture employees check on on the conditions. Even when reported. Grrrrrr.

Yes that's true. So sad how life gets treated