Tractor supply?

[Kristin228]

At my store  half the employee's own chickens and all the stuff you are listing would get you a serious talking to from our manager and the manger supervises the placement of chicks and signs. I know the other stores in our district adhere to the same requirements and one of my co-workers was a farmer for 50 years prior to working here. He raised leghorns, pigs, and black Angus beef cattle. If employee's are caught doing this they should be reported to a manager as this is against the company policy. All new shipments must have signs replaced and boxes must never be mixed. Pullet and straight runs are not to be mixed and breeds are not to be mixed. Signs are also NEVER to be switched unless instructed otherwise by the manager or hatchery and once all chicks sell out in a bin the sign is to be removed and put away. 

All hatcheries send their shipment with labels for the breed and if it is straight run or pullets. Signs are placed on the box themselves and brought out with the chicks in that box. The sign is placed on the bin and the chicks accompanying that signs is put in the bin. Since only employee's are able to handle the chicks the chicks are not picked up and tossed into the wrong bin. If the hatchery sends red sexlink pullets we set up the sign for the redsexlink pullets and stick the redsexlink pullets in that bin. Once they sell out the sign is pulled down and put back with our sign collection. They have also sent us blank signs to write in for rarer or new breeds. All our chicks we get are sent a day old like normal so if the chicks have been in the store a week they are a week old. If they have been there for 3 days they are likely 4 days old. 

Oh wow I didn't know that! If it's not like that, I might talk to a manager or something then. Thank you for all of that info!

 

[Kristin228]

All TSC stores have different birds -- any of 50 or more breeds -- and that is based on what hatches at the hatcheries. You can also order online now and choose the breed you want -- http://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/catalog/poultry/poultry-supplies/live-baby-chicks-ducks---turkeys

True mine actually has a pretty good selection thanks!

 

[Kristin228]

   I've gotten chicks from many sources: shipped from hatcheries, from Tractor Supply and other feed stores, shipped eggs, etc, and I've always been happy with my Tractor Supply birds.
     They put them in bins inside a corral and they are labeled.  Only the store personnel, not the public, can handle them but you can tell them what you want and approve your choices.
    I've gotten six straight run bantams that were five girls and one cockerel and four ducks that contained one drake. The numbers don't get any better than that.
    I have friends who add replacements to their flock with a few production reds each year and are happy.  I wouldn't hesitate to buy from TSC.
    I know several people who have gotten incorrect birds from stores that allowed the public to handle the birds.

Okay thank you for the info and advice!

 

[Kristin228]

That's the most important aspect.... only staff members should be allowed to hold the birds. The TSC I go to in New Jersey only allow staff members to hold chicks, which prevents them from getting mixed up. And since I just went to the TSC a week ago in Ringoes, NJ, I'll tell you there selection that weekend. They got the shipment in on wed or Thursday.


30 Australorp Pullets
5 OEGB Bantams Straight Run
30 EE/Dominique Straight Run (Fairly easy to distinguish between the two breeds)
50 Straight Run Ducks (Probably Mallards or Pekins)


All the Sexlink and Barred Plymouth Rock Pullets were sold out.


So all in all, not a bad selection.

Okay thank you! Mine has a wider variety than that so I should be good!

 

[Kristin228]

Yea well that's pretty much what I consider a bad selection, and similar to what I see every spring at the TSC's here in Indy. It is cool that they have Australorps though, and if my TSC gets some of those in then I might get some. They always make sure to have ducks and bantams, and I'm not sure why. Another user took photos of what the Rural King (where I got my chicks this year) selection looks like. Take a look!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/730582/indiana-bycers-here/51100#post_18164924

Okay thank you!

 

[dekel18042]

That's the most important aspect.... only staff members should be allowed to hold the birds. The TSC I go to in New Jersey only allow staff members to hold chicks, which prevents them from getting mixed up. And since I just went to the TSC a week ago in Ringoes, NJ, I'll tell you there selection that weekend. They got the shipment in on wed or Thursday.


30 Australorp Pullets
5 OEGB Bantams Straight Run
30 EE/Dominique Straight Run (Fairly easy to distinguish between the two breeds)
50 Straight Run Ducks (Probably Mallards or Pekins)


All the Sexlink and Barred Plymouth Rock Pullets were sold out.


So all in all, not a bad selection.

While I can and do raise my own chicks, unfortunately I seem to get a high per centage of cockerels so I thought maybe I would pick up a few pullets from Tractor Supply. I was in last Wednesday and although they were set up they had nothing. The manager said they had gotten two shipments, one the previous week and one that week and they were sold out within 24 hours. Usually several hundred come in at a time so somebody must be buying.
Last year they had RIR's, red production pullets, brown or golden production pullets, bantams, ducks (had Khaki Campbell and Anconas that I know of, and pekins, ) Freedom rangers, Cornish crosses and Australorps. Those seem to be the breeds the majority in our area prefer but they do get others in sporadically.

 

[LadyVictorian]

Yay, walked into my store to find we have bantam Cochins. All the ones I wanted were sold almost instantly though. Oh well, maybe the next shipment.

We also had leghorns
Barred Rock
Red sexlinks/ISA Browns
Cornish Croses
Bantam Cochin
and another bantam breed that is white without feathered legs. That is the only mystery bantam's we had in the bantam bin. We already almost sold all our pullet.

 

[Nietz]

We picked up 8 TSC chicks this year and so far they seem great! all healthy and active. Our store here in CT had Barred Plymouth rocks, Leghorns, Tetra browns and a bunch of ducks. The girl we dealt with when we bought them said there were 2 more types earlier but they had all sold out, she wasn't sure what they were and the brooder tags were gone so who knows.

We bought 3 leghorns, 3 Tetra browns and a pair of the barred rocks. So far so good good luck!

 

[treslilbirds]

I'm new to chickens too. I just got my first 6 babies at the local TSC here. I went the day they got them in, and looking back, that's the only thing I might do different is wait a day or two. Because I lost one to what I'm sure was stress now that I've learned a lot on here. But the replacement chick that I got from the same TSC along with the others are just doing absolutely fabulous. No health concerns. We have a bigger feed store 40 mins north in Oregon, Grange Co-op....I'm gonna check there too next time only bc they have a wider selection . But I did personally like the basic selection at TSC too, it was good for a beginner like me. Good luck!

 

[Penguino1]

While I can and do raise my own chicks, unfortunately I seem to get a high per centage of cockerels so I thought maybe I would pick up a few pullets from Tractor Supply. I was in last Wednesday and although they were set up they had nothing. The manager said they had gotten two shipments, one the previous week and one that week and they were sold out within 24 hours. Usually several hundred come in at a time so somebody must be buying.
Last year they had RIR's, red production pullets, brown or golden production pullets, bantams, ducks (had Khaki Campbell and Anconas that I know of, and pekins, ) Freedom rangers, Cornish crosses and Australorps. Those seem to be the breeds the majority in our area prefer but they do get others in sporadically.

Just some food for thought. I saw a few bulk orders at the store. The guy before me bought all 30 Australorps, but not before I convinced him to leave me 6. So yes, it is highly conveincable that tractor supply would run out in 24 hours.