What do you think of Tractor Supply’s new chick bins?

[cmobley]

I just left my TSC. Their new shipment is in the back of the store in bins till this evening. They had a leftover blue swedish from the last batch they wanted me to look at. The chick's all seemed really vibrant and acting like normal healthy chicks, maybe the shipping debacle is clearing itself and they're getting to the stores in a more timely manner. They were loaded down with barred rocks and sex links. And no i couldn't walk off and leave it lol.

 

[Finnie]

That was on Monday that I found them online, but couldn't purchase online. It said, this item can't be purchased online please remove from you cart. We picked them up yesterday in store. Today when I went back to look for some details in the ad, they aren't showing online at all. Even with the exact name and SKU number I had written down.

I noticed a similar problem. Every time I check, either they just don’t come up, or if they come up, it says “not available at this time”. I don’t think I will be lucky enough to stumble across one in a store in person. But if they are really popular, maybe next year they will have more available.

View attachment 2576003Here is the new brooder all set up.View attachment 2575980
Here is my little helping put it together with "her" tools. It was actually REALLY EASY to put together although a couple of the pictures could have had sections blown up a little. Second one took less than 30 minutes to put together.
View attachment 2575983
The top one with my youngest babies hiding under the heat plate at bedtime. I was concerned after reading everyone else's concerns with TSC that the the chicks would not be warm enough. This is the set up I had in my previous brooder of clear plastic totes. It works great and I can still use the nipple waterers that I love. It would be able to go most of the way up and still allow me to use them.
View attachment 2575985
These are my older chicks that are 3 and 4 weeks old. I was just checking to see what 20 chicks at 6 weeks old might look like. I would NOT recommend on letting 20 chicks grow to 6 weeks. (All of these will NOT be staying here - the 4 week olds are moving outside this weekend - I prefer to move them outside when I will be home all day so I can supervise their well being)

So you are using yours in the house? How are they doing as far as smell and dust?

 

[JCaseyHammond]

good news! My local tractor supply has dispensed with those new brooders with the cold screaming chicks! They are back to using the tub‘s and heat lamps and the chicks look healthy.

*****Edited to add:
In my local TSC store, the new stacked style brooders were too close to the entrance. The store temperature was quite cold, as it should be due to all the feed sacks.
I’m guessing IF the brooders were in a designated area towards the back of the store, surrounded by 6 foot baffle walls, or stacks of merchandise, THEN the drafts from the front door opening all the time would be blocked and the chicks would be displaying less chill stress.

But then the chicks wouldn’t be by the cash registers to get customers attention. What we appear to have here is marketing at the expense of animal care. Just my observation.

 

[RebekahTN]

So you are using yours in the house? How are they doing as far as smell and dust?

Better than the previous set up in the house! LOL They can't fly out of these as they get older and poop on the floor. There isn't bedding in there to get wet and stink.... Amazingly the poop, of even the older ones falls through the plastic coated wire flooring, even though it has pretty small openings. The pull out tray is easily taken in and out to clean.... so YES much much better than previous set up.

 

[RebekahTN]

good news! My local tractor supply has dispensed with those new brooders with the cold screaming chicks! They are back to using the tub‘s and heat lamps and the chicks look healthy.

*****Edited to add:
In my local TSC store, the new stacked style brooders were too close to the entrance. The store temperature was quite cold, as it should be due to all the feed sacks.
I’m guessing IF the brooders were in a designated area towards the back of the store, surrounded by 6 foot baffle walls, or stacks of merchandise, THEN the drafts from the front door opening all the time would be blocked and the chicks would be displaying less chill stress.

But then the chicks wouldn’t be by the cash registers to get customers attention. What we appear to have here is marketing at the expense of animal care. Just my observation.

I feel like there are way to many openings in this brooder for it to be a brooder. There would still be PLENTY of ventilation even if half of the holes were covered. It would help keep heat in as well.

 

[JacinLarkwell]

I feel like there are way to many openings in this brooder for it to be a brooder. There would still be PLENTY of ventilation even if half of the holes were covered. It would help keep heat in as well.

My tsc taped over most of the holes so that there was just a little for air flow

 

[JCaseyHammond]

I feel like there are way to many openings in this brooder for it to be a brooder. There would still be PLENTY of ventilation even if half of the holes were covered. It would help keep heat in as well.

Agreed

 

[Vacman]

I was just there this morning and saw them for the first time. According to one of the employees, in the old days, they used to put the chicks in stock tanks in the back room and keep them there for 24 hours so they would acclimate. Now they take them and immediately put them in these brooders. Plus they suspect some shipping issues that stress the chicks further.

 

[JustAChickenLoverOverHere]

How in god's green earth did I miss 14 PAGES of this???

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

They don't have chick bins in my TSC yet.
they may never do it out here since shipping is such a sweat in Hawaii.
Does anyone know if they will have the chick bins in locations like mine?
It's totally fine if no one knows, but I figured it would be worth asking!