TSC rant

[Frazzemrat1]

I've never purchased chicks from them. I got my first batch from our local agway, the second mail ordered from meyer. What I've gotten since then has been from breeders, either local or mailed.

 

[Beccazon]

I feel your pain. My TSC this year had all of their chicks miss-labeled.

That said, your BSL... well, those are cross breeds. They are mutts. They're supposed to be.
Anything with black... is supposed to sheen. That's the nature of black feathers. Check out the foot bottoms. Yellow means black jersey giant, pinkish gray means austrolorp. Your leghorn sounds interesting. Can we see pics?

These are my BSLs
Pride is the cockerel, Raven is the all black with black eyes (that are always fully black) and blackish comb, the other is the one that is neither as pretty and distinct or as black on black as the other two. Same age (nearly 3 mos). Same "bin". BYCers have dubbed Pride several things. Brahma hybrid being the title from the most experienced input giver lol. Regardless he is gorgeous! All have black-bottomed feet. Raven has no yellow barring on her legs as the other two do.

 

[cmom]

All farm stores such as TSC use hatcheries and even the hatcheries are milsleading as sell some of their chicks as pure (heritage). They are not. If you really want some quality chicks look for a breeder who breeds the breeds you are looking for. Breeders selectively breed their birds where hatcheries don't. This is called flock breeding.

 

[cmom]

The TSC in Dunnellon, Florida is fantastic.
I told the girl which chicks to pick from the straight run and I got 5 pullets and 1 roo.
Exactly what I was hoping for.
He was magnificent.
My Dixie Rainbow pullets from TSC now weigh 11 and 12 pounds apiece.

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We have a couple of monthly farm swaps at the Dunnellon, Florida TSC. The people who care for the chicks are more conscientious about the chicks.

 

[Beccazon]

All farm stores such as TSC use hatcheries and even the hatcheries are milsleading as sell some of their chicks as pure (heritage). They are not. If you really want some quality chicks look for a breeder who breeds the breeds you are looking for. Breeders selectively breed their birds where hatcheries don't. This is called flock breeding.

This is good info and my plan in the future should I want a specific breed. Luckily when I got started with Chickens, all I was truly looking for at the time were some chickens to get started with. Now with so much more information, I know that what you have shown is the only way to truly get the breeds you want. I am happy with the birds I have, technically. More irritated that people, businesses, hatcheries can rarely be trusted to have what they CLAIM. Errors happen. But it's frustrating that they have become the darn norm ya know? Grrr lol

 

[cmom]

If there are any poultry shows that you can go to, they are a good place to meet breeders and quite often have birds for sale.

 

[Beccazon]

If there are any poultry shows that you can go to, they are a good place to meet breeders and quite often have birds for sale.

I don't know but I am off to look that up right now! Thank you!!

 

[AltonaAcres]

Poultry Show Central is a website with every poultry breeder in the US, sorted by breed and location. It has been really helpful to me. Murray McMurray Hatchery also has high quality chicks, though not usually show quality.

 

[cmom]

https://www.poultryshowcentral.com/Michigan.html

 

[ChickenLeg]

I went to TSC this year for a few extra chicks, my first year to purchase from them.

Got 2 SLW females, but 1 turned out to be male.

Got 2 straight run turkens. 1 female 1 male.

An extra turken was injured and they gave it to me for free, I tried to help him but he was born too deformed to save so I put him down after a few days.

The clerk advocated to her manage to order some breeds of her choice, therefore she picked turkens and another unique breed. Then they had standard easter eggers, silver laced wyandottes, black australorps, and white leghorns.

Once a month we usta have a chicken swap in the parking lot, I havent been in years. At least 5-10 of us would sell/swap chickens there.