TSC chicks keep dying despite ideal conditions

[Coralista]

Re PTFE (Teflon).

The problem with teflon is associated with off-gassing of PFOAs at high temperature (PFOA is, of course, and acronym for something none of us can spell, and need a deep breath before pronouncing). PFOAs aren't "part" of the teflon, but they used to be used in the teflon-making process, most of which were burned off in production. They've been either banned or phased out of use in first world countries and by major manufacturers for more than a decade.

Even if you have one of the old 1980s/90s teflon pans, and you've not scratched it to $#!+, at reasonable temperatures they are safe for use, even in confined environments.

Offgassing typically started around 500 degrees F, which is why you weren't supposed to leave the pan empty on high heat, or to slip in under your broiler. Total degradation (and REALLY toxic fumes) occurred closer to 650-700 degrees F, a temperature not achieved in home kitchens absent some other problem first occurring (many common fires aren't this hot, actually). For reference, sugar burns around 350, a grease fire 450-500.

I can state with absolute confidence that those heat plates are not achieving temperatures in the 500 degree range at point of contact, even if they still contained PFOAs, which they don't. The plastic housing would start melting at less than half that temp, assuming it was ABS, about 2/3 that temperature for nylons, some of the most heat tolerant plastics there are.

Whatever the issue, its not toxic chemicals being released into the air from the warm plastics.

As someone who works for a large corporate organization, I empathize with you. Like many places, most of the folks are good, and want to get the job done, with a couple of bad apples you just try to avoid. But the problems are leadership driven.

The problem is the latest post master general actively sabotaging the organization by removing sorting machines and eliminating overtime (which would be how they would compensate with the abrupt lack of sorting machines). There's a lot of burnout in the USPS right now because they're having to work super hard to catch up with all the delays caused by that man's shenanigans, and he's still there. The drivers that deliver to me are working multiple routes for the first time ever, and some are even driving back out, late at night, to ensure packages are getting delivered. IN MEMPHIS. I wouldn't make deliveries after dark here no matter how handsome the pay, depending on what part of town we're talking about. So it's definitely not a worker problem, it's a management (at the top) problem. They're currently looking at firing the entire postal board so that they can hire a new postmaster general since this guy has made such a mess of things and the postal board (who oversees and is technically said post master general's boss) has done diddly squat about his muckups.

I wouldn't want Fedex and UPS to take this stuff over, because they aren't obligated by service, they are obligated to profit. The USPS is a service for us, by us, and no, it doesn't use tax money. All of their funding is covered by the sale of goods and services. They have loss leaders just like everybody else, and cover it with things that make more.

As someone who works for a large corporate organization, I empathize with you. Like many places, most of the folks are good, and want to get the job done, with a couple of bad apples you just try to avoid. But the problems are leadership driven. I hope things can be improved soon, not just for the chicks, but for everyone that relies on the mail, from prescriptions to small businesses.

 

[Tilhana]

The problem is the latest post master general actively sabotaging the organization by removing sorting machines and eliminating overtime (which would be how they would compensate with the abrupt lack of sorting machines). There's a lot of burnout in the USPS right now because they're having to work super hard to catch up with all the delays caused by that man's shenanigans, and he's still there. The drivers that deliver to me are working multiple routes for the first time ever, and some are even driving back out, late at night, to ensure packages are getting delivered. IN MEMPHIS. I wouldn't make deliveries after dark here no matter how handsome the pay, depending on what part of town we're talking about. So it's definitely not a worker problem, it's a management (at the top) problem. They're currently looking at firing the entire postal board so that they can hire a new postmaster general since this guy has made such a mess of things and the postal board (who oversees and is technically said post master general's boss) has done diddly squat about his muckups.

I wouldn't want Fedex and UPS to take this stuff over, because they aren't obligated by service, they are obligated to profit. The USPS is a service for us, by us, and no, it doesn't use tax money. All of their funding is covered by the sale of goods and services. They have loss leaders just like everybody else, and cover it with things that make more.

I'm sure management is part of the problem, since it's so widespread. I would never assume that all or most employees of any organization are intrinsically lazy or unmovitated. And layoffs mean more work for the remaining workers, which leads to burnout, which leads in many cases to poorer performance.

But they definitely do use tax money, in addition to what they make selling goods and services. And I might point out that some of those services include selling your mailing address to retail companies so they can spam you with junk mail, which is why if you fill out a change of address form when you move, you suddenly end up with a metric ton of coupons and ads for places like Lowes and Bed Bath and Beyond. I don't know how that's "obligated by service". Service to whoever pays them, maybe.

But I generally would rather use a for-profit company than a government one because when there's a profit motive it means that if they fail to deliver, customers will go elsewhere. Companies that fail to deliver go out of business, unless they have a monopoly. USPS may have some lofty ideals about service and being for the people, but they have no incentive to live up to those ideals because there's no accountability or loss of revenue when they fail. As evidenced by your example of the postmaster general sabotaging the organization and not being fired or reprimanded.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

While I try to steer clear of politics, the US Federal Budget and the US Post Office are a "contentious" issue.

The US Post Office operations, like Social Security, are "off book", but they absolutely ARE part of what the Federal Government spends. The US Postal Service' contributions to its pension and retirement programs are "on book" - it makes the Fed Deficit look (in some infinitismal amount) smaller. Also on book is a small contribution the Federal Gov't makes to support postal services to the blind, to which Congress routinely attaches riders to prevent the closure of small post offices in politically valuable (that is, votes for incumbents) places and to prevent the US Post Office from experimenting with different delivery models (such as 5 day a week delivery). Last I checked, the US Postal Service was some $160 BILLION in the hole, and no, that's NOT primarily because they were forced to budget for their retirees, and its NOT primarily because they were treated unfairly compared to a private company in their actuarial tables.

To put that in perspective, $160 Billion is roughly TWICE the USPS' total annual revenue, and they are losing (deficit spending) in an amount equal to about 10% of total annual revenue a year as well.

It is primarily because a substantial portion of their revenue model is from 1st class mail, which has been in decline ("free fall") since the 2000s and the public's broad access to the Internet, while their operating costs continue to climb (first link). Oh, and a lot of that political junk mail you receive from your mail carrier? Congress legislated that the US Postal Service deliver their re-election postcards free of charge. Same for certain other "public service" mailings. Its a drop in the bucket, but its not nothing.


Recent USPS Financial Results

 

[Birdsonghill]

Social distancing and other virus related mitigations have caused much of the last years problems at the post Office. Scapegoating began last spring, when the mail system delivery began to fail. Cost and efficiency measures that had just begun by the recent new postmaster, became impossible(and likely, should of been scrapped under the circumstances that developed) with the new, built in inefficiency, the unions demanded, in line with the emergency, Impowered CDC authorities. The only thing wrong with the post office is politicians, management and union officials. Many, of the problems did not start last year, but recent extreme demands on a strained and inefficient system, was too much for them to handle. What happened this past year, has never happened in peacetime, at the post office and is ongoing. It will not improve under the present virus work /public rules and may get worse, due to politics and built in government inefficiency. I pray for our nation and our Constitutional protections. I avoided partisanship in this remark and have only pointed to the post office failing under the circumstances imposed by the politicians,management and unions, regardless their political affiliation. You can make the connections if you wish more specific, but this is a non political and special place here at BYC, and I am not saying more that could become a political discussion. The delivery of live chicks depends on the USPS! That is the issue here! The post office tax $$ subsidy is larger than many countries entire annual budget and they receive fees from most of us users that are comparable to private industry fees for shipping. You decide if they are doing a good job. I just want them to deliver my chicks on time!

 

[Tilhana]

The only thing wrong with the post office is politicians, management and union officials.

I would agree, and I would say the same about many of the government agencies and programs. Many of these programs are great ideas, even essential to our values and our way of life. The problem lies in the fact that they are controlled by the government, and the government is just a bunch of career politicians looking for any vehicle by which they can enrich themselves and further their own careers. So they tend to make rules that allow them to gain power or curry favor with their financial sponsors, without much regard for the integrity of the institutions they're tampering with.

Unions are another matter and a whole other political can or worms that I don't want to open, but I'll just say that in some cases (like this one) they can exacerbate existing problems by making budgetary and staffing decisions much less flexible than they need to be.

I do hope that we can fix the problems with the post office, and with many of the other problematic government institutions that have been mismanaged by government officials. I'm not trying to imply that they (the institutions) are useless or should be thrown out. I just don't trust the government to solve the problems, and would prefer that citizens form bottom-up alternatives and solutions to meet their needs until such time as the body politic can be reformed or return to true democratic principles.

 

[FactoryReject]

I need help with that too. I bought 3 ducklings from Rural King (in the south), Had them for about 2 weeks and two of them dyed overnight, even tho they have everything.

 

[yakitori]

went to my TSC today for feed, the chicks were doing better, however there were quite a few with pasty butts. the chick feed they were feeding seemed way too large and the chicks were having a lot of trouble pecking them apart. When I mentioned it to the cashier, she said it's what they've been feeding for the past 5 years and the chicks did fine. *shrugs* oh well

 

[cmobley]

My tsc had a left over duckling from the week before in the bin in the back with a new shipment of chicks that'd just arrived. They gave me the duck because it was alone it died a few hours after getting it home. Whats the purpose of quarantine chicks if your gonna put left over sick ones in the bins with the new ones.

 

[riss]

I agree that the new brooders are a bit of a problem and maybe the lack of staff caring for them could be a factor too. I know a lot of people have complained about them and their tsc stores but everytime I go in my store they are doing exceptional. The staff at my store do a really good job with the chicks making sure they have food, water, clean bedding, and proper temp. They even clean the windows

 

[cmobley]

I think its still a shipping issue. But the chicks in the bins i saw were all doing great. But they had also just got to the store and I didn't go back to see if any died. I went yesterday morning the brooders were empty they sell fast on weekends. Wonder if I could sit out front and sell my healthy mutts I hatch.