TSC chicks keep dying despite ideal conditions

[U_Stormcrow]

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

No replacement for good staff. Simply invaluable.

 

[Birdsonghill]

No store is any better than it's manager and /or employees. I have two TS stores in my area, one has obviously more engaged employees and better training/management, in regards to chicks and animal supplies. Excessive deaths, one to two weeks after hatching is not likely from shipping issues! Either, the hatchery delivered infected chicks (coccidiosis or something else) or they are getting stressed/sick in the brooders or in the customers brooders, at their homes.

 

[aart]

the chick feed they were feeding seemed way too large and the chicks were having a lot of trouble pecking them apart.

I noticed this too......IIRC wasn't that way before.
I didn't ask about the feed, but when I asked the cashier(long time employee) how she liked the new brooders, she grimaced and didn't say a thing.

 

[Bantamchick86]

Sorry about your chicks, it’s always a kick in the gut to go from watching the antics of fluffy little happy guys, to pulling the deceased out of the brooder.

This may or may not apply here, but I’ll throw it out in case it helps someone... most of us know, the fumes from non stick cookware can kill birds indoors in enough concentration. Many of the floodlight and heat lamp style bulbs have a “anti-shatter” coating on them now, which if used in close proximity can kill birds, especially young stressed chicks in an environment meant to be free of drafts. I now use only brooder plate style heating. I buy off season so they aren’t so spendy.

Another thing I’ve found is if chicks have been started on medicated diet, it’s better to not switch out right away, and I’ve also learned to spend the money in “organic” chick starter for anything I’ve hatched at home because it’s more expensive, but I have zero issues with pasty butt. Could be any number of reasons, but on the scale I hatch, it simplifies my life to just pay a couple bucks more and not hassle with it.

I hope you get to the bottom of it.

Funny you mentioned that you feed organic. I was in TS this past Tuesday and a lot of the bantams had pasty butt. When I mentioned something to someone who worked there he said they feed them organic and he’s never seen anything like it. They also have the new brooders. I’m from Southern Tier region of NY

 

[Birdsonghill]

I wonder if the feed is the same every store?

 

[Coralista]

I hope this isn't against the rules to post these links, but I stumbled across this video, and petition, discussing TSC, looks like an everywhere issue.

https://www.change.org/tractorsupply

 

[saysfaa]

I don’t know why anyone buys chicks from TSC. Low quality, tons of sexing and breed mistakes and really high mortality. I LOVE Meyer Hatchery for hatchery chicks. Tons of breeds, really nice quality, healthy chicks and they arrive at your local post office in a day or two. Great, family run company.

Six black austrolorp pullets from tractor supply cost about $24.00 and I can take live birds home when I see them.
Vs
Six black austrolorp pullets from Meyer also cost $24.00.... plus either $50.00 shipping (3-14 chicks) or $39.00 ($15.00 shipping plus $24 for the cheapest way to get the 8 chicks that I don't want in a way I can tell them apart from the ones I do want). And July 19th is the soonest I can get more than 1 black austrolorp pullet. And I still need to hope they survive any shipping delays or other problems.

If I were to spend $75, I'd spend the other $25 it takes to get the black javas that are my first choice.

I don't know anyone to buy chicks from locally. I've seen a few notices but for breeds I don't want and the closest has been about an hour drive away... that is $50 in gas.

I've seen the chicks unboxed at TSC several times this spring so I know they come from the nearest hatchery so shipping problems are minimized. That hatchery has a good reputation in this area. It isn't Hoovers (not saying Hoovers doesn't have a good reputation; I don't know either way.)

My plan is to pick them up as they are unboxed at TCS (or the other nearest feed store) to avoid mixups and avoidable changes.

 

[Birdsonghill]

I don't have any TCS chicks and never have. However, I know a lot of chicken people in the area that have got most of their chicks for years there. No unusual mortality. I hope these issues can be solved, soon. I have bought most of my chicks over the years at a long closed local hatchery or from Murray Mcmurray. I also have purchased mail order chicks from several other mail order nurseries. The quality has always been acceptable from them all. The only problems I experienced were handling/delivery related. If the chicks are looking healthy, active and happy, I would buy them.

 

[adrikeen]

I'm glad I stumbled on this thread! My thoughts go out to everyone! Same issue here in DE/MD. I purchased 6 bantam chicks on Wednesday from one of my 3 DE TSC stores and as of this morning 3 have died. I have done mail order chicks and TSC for the past 20 years and this is a first for me as well. I think I have managed to stabilize the remaining 3 thank goodness. That TSC had the "old fashioned" brooder bins/metal tubs but after the TSC employee starting scooping up my chicks there were clearly dead ones beneath the "healthy" ones. I went home with my 6 peeps but was worried...and clearly I was right. I went to the MD TSC by me this morning to see what they had. That TSC had the new plastic tower brooders and I wanted to vomit at the state the chicks and ducklings were in. I didn't purchase any more and am just hoping for the best with my remaining 3. I had done a My Pet Chicken order back in September and was panicking as that was during the height of the whole post office mess....but that went great and I got the chicks in record time....all 10 happy and healthy and thrived...now getting eggs!

 

[EllieandOlive]

Ours too! I've lost around 20 birds from TSC. We are in Southeast TX, and they use Hoovers Hatchery. All of my local FB chicken groups are angry because they are having the same issues. Birds dying right and left from TSC even with proper brooder set ups, cleaning often etc.
Within a week all of my brooders came down with coccidoisis. I have 4 brooders with about 12 chicks each in them. It started in my tsc chick brooder and spread even to my own hatched chicks. I lost almost all of the TSC chicks and 1 of my own self hatched chicks that was a month old. We'd never had cocci before, it was awful! Thankfully the corid treatment seems to have worked well for those who weren't too far gone.