TX minimum chick purchase at TSC

[poultryman17]

TSC policy in Illinois is the same. Wanted 3 buff orpingtons (50%) off! Chad at the Galesburg store said minimum was 6. Company policy. I was ok with it. Now the flock is at 35 and all are doing great.

 

[vickifiveoh]

At TSC in North Carolina......You have to buy 5. I just hatch out my own and that way, I get what I want.

 

[LaynaDon95]

Similar law in Wisconsin - 6 minimum.

New Hampshire's minimum is 12.

Massachusetts prohibits sales of chickens less than two months of age, except for breeders or commercial breeders and raisers:
§ 80D. Living rabbits, baby chickens, ducklings or other fowl; sale, barter or gift No person shall sell, offer for sale, barter or give away as premiums living baby chickens, ducklings or other fowl under two months of age.
. . . .
Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the sale or display of baby chickens, ducklings or other fowl under two months of age by breeders or stores engaged in the business of selling for purposes of commercial breeding and raising; provided, however, that prior to May first in any year, such ducklings may be sold or purchased only in quantities of twenty-four or more.
This section shall not prohibit, however, the sale or donation of such chickens, ducklings or fowl to schools for use in classroom instruction.
Whoever violates the provisions of this section shall be punished by a fine of not more than one hundred dollars.

Pennsylvania's law is similar to Massachusetts, but it expressly prohibits the sale of chickens as pets; they can only be sold to commercial breeders and raisers.

Maryland's law reads similarly.

Lots of other states have these laws, I'm sure!

Wow! I guess it could be a lot worse here... 0.0

God bless Texas!

Amen!

 

[LaynaDon95]

At TSC in North Carolina......You have to buy 5. I just hatch out my own and that way, I get what I want.

I've done 2 hatches already, but the problem I run into is not having the breeds I want. I have tons of friends with lots of different breeds, but they don't necessarily have pure bred eggs. (Not that I have anything against mutts, most of my flock is made up of mutts right now.) But I would like a few good pure breeds. To get that I have to order eggs or buy from a local breeder, which cost enough that I may as well buy the chicks. I'm working on building up more pure breeds, so ultimately that won't be a problem. I'm ordering a Barnevelder rooster today to breed with my hen!

 

[Coop Deville]

This thread got me thinking: Are feed stores in some states only supposed to sell chicks to commercial breeders and raisers?

For example, here is Pennsylvania's law regarding sales of chicks:

(b) Regulating certain actions concerning fowl or rabbits.--A person commits a summary offense if he sells, offers for sale, barters, or gives away baby chickens, ducklings, or other fowl, under one month of age, or rabbits under two months of age, as pets, toys, premiums or novelties or if he colors, dyes, stains or otherwise changes the natural color of baby chickens, ducklings or other fowl, or rabbits or if he brings or transports the same into this Commonwealth. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the sale or display of such baby chickens, ducklings, or other fowl, or such rabbits, in proper facilities by persons engaged in the business of selling them for purposes of commercial breeding and raising.

It would seem to me that this law means you cannot sell baby chicks under one month of age as a pet, but you can sell such baby chicks for "purposes of commercial breeding and raising." Obviously a backyard chicken owner is not a "commercial" breeder or raiser.

So I wondered, can the average Joe go out and buy chicks in Pennsylvania at a local feed store without credentials as a commercial breeder or raiser, like I do here in Texas? It looks like you can. I did a quick Internet search for feed stores and chicks and found an example:

http://www.bowmansfeedandpet.com/chicks2012.htm

Would it not violate the statute to go in to this store and buy a few baby chicks as backyard pets?

 

[LaynaDon95]

Hmm... 0.o That's interesting. I'm just glad I live somewhere I don't have to worry about much codswallop like that.

 

[anbsmom]

I got my first batch of pullets from TSC and they lady there said you have to buy six. This was in NC. I went back to the same store a few days later to buy supplies and the guy at the register ask if we had chickens. I told him yes and that the kids wanted to get one of the new breeds, but that they didn't understand that we couldn't get just one. He looked all weird at me and I thought that maybe I had misunderstood when I bought the pullets. Apparently he didn't even know that they had a 6-chick minimum. I'll visit my local feed store next time so I can get the number I want...not the number TSC says I have to have.

 

[LaynaDon95]

I got my first batch of pullets from TSC and they lady there said you have to buy six. This was in NC. I went back to the same store a few days later to buy supplies and the guy at the register ask if we had chickens. I told him yes and that the kids wanted to get one of the new breeds, but that they didn't understand that we couldn't get just one. He looked all weird at me and I thought that maybe I had misunderstood when I bought the pullets. Apparently he didn't even know that they had a 6-chick minimum. I'll visit my local feed store next time so I can get the number I want...not the number TSC says I have to have.

Same here. I'll just have to call around to see what breeds the other feed stores get in. I don't mind if I want 6 or more. But it would have to be a pretty awesome breed for me to be willing to buy more I don't need. Or I'll just buy with a friend and split the cost.

 

[jrsckn]

When I got my last 6 chicks from TSC (thankfully I wanted 6 lol) the guy told me that it was because of the HSUS. The humane society said that chicks are flock animals and its cruel to sell them in small numbers so I'm sure it was an agreement between TSC and HSUS to keep them off their back for selling live animals. The HSUS is evil and belives all animal ownership should be abolished.

 

[LaynaDon95]

When I got my last 6 chicks from TSC (thankfully I wanted 6 lol) the guy told me that it was because of the HSUS. The humane society said that chicks are flock animals and its cruel to sell them in small numbers so I'm sure it was an agreement between TSC and HSUS to keep them off their back for selling live animals. The HSUS is evil and belives all animal ownership should be abolished.

That doesn't make sense. If that were the case, then make the limit 2. 2 chicks do just fine together. I can understand not wanting to only sell 1, because he would get lonely.

The whole situation is just annoying to me. :\