TSC minimum purchase

[Sutherlandfarms]

I thought of something else unless you bought sex linked breed you got to figure that those original 10 some are going to be Roos you can’t keep. So starting with 16 will give you a better chance of having a good hen to roo ratio. Last year I started with 13 Silkies from a breeder and ended up having to rehome 5 that turned out to be Roos.

very true but I worry about the quality of homes that the Roos would go to! Best case I currently have 5 pullets and 5 cocks. I’d then keep two cocks and could reasonably rehome the remaining three to my Nana’s ranch as she currently has no hens and has three barns and 250 acres so if they needed their space they’d have it and they’d more likely get along with no hens. However beyond 3 Roos this year I don’t know that I could get her to take any more. This is he first time since my PawPaw died a few years ago that she will be having chickens again hence why she’s rather have Roos anyway since she thinks they can better protect themselves. Raccoons and snakes and even a stray alligator have eaten her chickens and ducks before farm life is rough

 

[Sutherlandfarms]

I thought of something else unless you bought sex linked breed you got to figure that those original 10 some are going to be Roos you can’t keep. So starting with 16 will give you a better chance of having a good hen to roo ratio. Last year I started with 13 Silkies from a breeder and ended up having to rehome 5 that turned out to be Roos.

But next year I definitely plan to do this! You have very good advice! I’m assuming you’re in NY by your username am I correct? I’m in Texas! Chicken friends across the country

 

[joydix]

if you JUST bought some from THEM it is very unreasonable. i know our feed stores wont sell ONE...but i did get them to bend the rules for me cuz i had just hatched and they were same age and i promised and they were great about it. i do NOT like TS. i boght chics there ONCE. they would not let me get even close to the chics to "choose". since they werent sexed i wanted to choose myself. once i got to manager he relented and let me NEAR it and he grabbed the ones i wanted. but i dont like their policy of selling same day they get them! let them settle for goodness sake esp the bantams!!! they did not look well. no one else will sell same day....plus the water was full of shavings so they had none..no one was paying attention to them. i do NOT LIKE THEM. not for chicks anyway.

 

[Sutherlandfarms]

Well my husband has said that I can go get four tomorrow since he’s awesome and hopefully they still have the silkies there weren’t many left I would buy from my local feed store but they let children walk by and I saw two little girls trying to see if the chicks could fly while no one was looking

 

[geina]

UPDATE: called the CS hotline and they are audited by the state ag department so even if I showed them my receipt of having purchased on Monday, the store would get dinged for selling one lone bird even if it’s to someone who has purchased already. I’m going to make a call to the state department Monday to make my concerns and suggestions known

im so frustrated with TSC minimum purchase of four chicks...I am selectively trying to add to my small flock and I don’t want to buy four birds I have ten at home that I fought from them. I just wanted a little white silkie I saw in store today and I wish they would find a better way to achieve their goal of not selling single chicks as Easter gifts. Maybe I’m alone in this but it is frustrating.

I am with you our local tsc has a min limit of six I also don’t want six.

 

[kittycat1356]

I once went to a tsc and they had one lonely chick in one of the bins, it was a broiler chick and couldn’t stand or walk very well, and since im a vegetarian I never had any particular needs to buy meat birds because they don’t have a decent life expectancy and most of my birds are basically just yard pets / hobby it was never an interest.

I was able to buy him, and someone else was looking at him, but they had no idea about chicken care etc. I offered him back to the couple saying I could walk them through the store quickly to get what they needed but they said they didn’t care for heating it etc, so I could keep it.

They Did sell/give him to me as a solo chick, and people at register didn’t want me to walk out, but since I had all sorts of chicken goods in my cart anyway they believed me. I didn’t have to pay since the guy in back said it was a convenience to turn lamp off etc. but still had to run it past front desk.

The chick did die a few weeks after I got him, and he was very attached to me and my gf because I basically helped him do everything, I even made him a little chicken walker that contstantly needed to be bigger but he kinda just sat in it anyway. The other chicks picked on him bad too, so he was a lone chick but was always with me except for at night he was put in a cage where he could see the other chicks but they couldn’t pick on him.

So... they WILL sell one chick if it’s alone lol

 

[venymae]

Our TSC has the 4 minimum rule. But the Orschlens down the road doesn't have a minimum.

 

[thumper650]

I was in TSC today, they didn't have ducklings, but they informed me you have to buy 26 at a time, chicks are a minimum of 6. I think he mentioned this changes with the time of year. Seems a little excessive but anything that keeps people from impulse buying animals is probably a good idea.

 

[Dragonflydore]

Might try posting to your local fb group to see if someone is buying some chicks soon and would help you meet the minimum?

 

[Sutherlandfarms]

Might try posting to your local fb group to see if someone is buying some chicks soon and would help you meet the minimum?

My husband has agreed to let me get four so I am going to be able to get them tomorrow however, I am still going to call the ag department in Texas and ask that they consider allowing smaller purchases for people who can show that they have other same age chicks