!!!!!!WARNING!!!!!!

[M Brennen]

Yeah, the lady who takes care of the fowl at our local TSC has chickens of her own. We chit chat every now and then when I go in there. She tried to talk me getting a few Bantam chicks they had today actually lol.
But she seems to take good care of them and doesn’t just put them in the tub and walk away. I’ve seen her before hovering over the chicken area keeping an eye on them before.

That’s good to know. It probably depends on who is on for help on any given day.

 

[Yep I Talk To Chickens]

We had a nice feed store owned by a local. But it went bankrupt

 

[Mamatomany123]

My tractor supply does great. Pur first batch of chicks were EE and production blues. All were healthy, never had pasty butt, and did end up being pullets. My second batch I got from a different tractor supply. I got sexlinks so I knew for sure they were going to be pullets and they had just gotten the shipment in while I was there but they are now 5 weeks old and healthy and also never had pasty butt. I also brooded this latest batch outside in the coop.

 

[ladybrasa]

My closest TSC is decent. Chicks are clean and have food and water. My impression is that the employees are hired with minimal knowledge and are only given minimal knowledge about things related to the items they sell in any section of the store, much less just the chicks. A few weeks ago I asked a question about hardware cloth and he was trying to be helpful, but clearly didn’t know what it was. Earlier this week I pointed out that the signs for spangled hamburgs and light Brahmas were mixed up. Lady was very receptive and told her why I thought they were mixed up (feathered legs were kind of a giveaway!!). She chatted on and asked me about a chick that appeared to have pasty butt. She said she was going to clean her up in a little while. I also have heard that the employees aren’t told what kind of chicks they are getting or if they are getting them, they kind of just arrive. People at my TSC are friendly at least. I figure if I worked there and had no personal interest in an area (like hardware or something) and wasn’t trained, I sure as heck wouldn’t waste my personal time researching it!

 

[JacinLarkwell]

Mine is excellent as well as the two in the city next to me. Never have dead chicks when we come in (we come in early too when they first open so we don't have to deal with people.)

 

[Folly's place]

Some stores do better than others, and it's a management issue, and having employees who care enough to do the right thing. Understaffed stores with unhappy staff members are out there, and it could help to complain, politely, to management.
Then there's the mislabeling that goes on about everywhere! Have some idea of what chicks of the breeds you are interested in actually look like! Store staff likely doesn't have a clue...
Mary

 

[rosemarythyme]

I've only been to TSC once but the chick area looked clean and was fenced off to keep customers from reaching in and messing with the chicks. From a glance they looked properly labeled as far as breeds.

I get my chicks from local feed stores and they're pretty good about posting schedules for chick arrivals as well as breeds. Chick bins are properly labeled every time I look however started pullets are a crapshoot, as they're all mixed together so you're either guessing on breed or hoping an employee can guess on breed.

 

[Folly's place]

Around here the local small feed stores don't have many chicks, or none. Family Farm & Home has stores nearby, and they tend to have a wider selection of chicks, but all in brooders available to customers, not good.
Mary

 

[City Farmer Jim]

My local feed store is the only place I will get our chicks. The local TSC doesn't seem to care for them, breeds are often mixed together. Normally not much water and what is there is dirty and appears to have been that way for a long time, food is minimal. Most of the staff is kinda young and seems like its just another product to sell ...its hard to get good help anymore. My 2 cents worth.

 

[Yep I Talk To Chickens]

My closest TSC is decent. Chicks are clean and have food and water. My impression is that the employees are hired with minimal knowledge and are only given minimal knowledge about things related to the items they sell in any section of the store, much less just the chicks. A few weeks ago I asked a question about hardware cloth and he was trying to be helpful, but clearly didn’t know what it was. Earlier this week I pointed out that the signs for spangled hamburgs and light Brahmas were mixed up. Lady was very receptive and told her why I thought they were mixed up (feathered legs were kind of a giveaway!!). She chatted on and asked me about a chick that appeared to have pasty butt. She said she was going to clean her up in a little while. I also have heard that the employees aren’t told what kind of chicks they are getting or if they are getting them, they kind of just arrive. People at my TSC are friendly at least. I figure if I worked there and had no personal interest in an area (like hardware or something) and wasn’t trained, I sure as heck wouldn’t waste my personal time researching it!

At the local one in talking about only a handful of people are friendly to me