WTH is wrong with TSC? Chick purchasing nightmare.

[stone_family3]

That would irk me seeing how I'm not supposed to even have chickens without a permit. If I want sales ads I'll sign up for them.

i've known stores to use your phone number to look up your address so they can send you those sales flyers in the mail.

 

[TanteK]

My neighbor called me to inform me that TSC had just received their shipment of RIR today. I beat cheeks up there as soon as I got off the phone with her because she said the last shipment they received, they had sold out of chicks within two hours!

I immediately headed off to TSC. Sure enough, the chicks had only recently arrived because they were still in their delivery box. I let one older employee know that I was there for the RIR. She told me that I would have to wait 20 minutes after she placed them into the brooders because she wanted to make sure they were eating and drinking well. I told her that I had chicks at home in a brooder of their own and that's where the RIR were heading. Nope. No go. She made me wait. I've been to many feed stores as they were unloading the just delivered chicks and I have never, ever heard any of them once say that a customer had to wait to buy them. Most of the time, I've seen them go from the delivery box to the "take home" box.
It gets better.
When the 20 minutes (or so-she was taking her sweet time

) was up, she comes over and gets ready to start grabbing chicks for me to place into my box. I asked her if I could pick out my own chicks. She told me no but she would "try" her best to grab the ones I wanted!!!

She said that it's TSC's new policy that only the employees could handle the chicks because of issues they've had in the past with children. Ummmm...I'm a freakin' adult the last time I checked and they know darn well that I raise chickens! I was insulted to say the least. If she wasn't going to grab the chicks I wanted, I was going to tell her to go pound sand and then I would have left.
So, I got the chicks I wanted, finally. I headed to the check out counter. Paid for my new fluffs-6 of them, of course. I was then handed a spiral notebook from the cashier and she said that I needed to write my name, address, and how many chicks I was purchasing. She went on to say that it was a new state mandate.

New one to me. I left false information. Whether or not it was a state deal, I didn't think it was anyone's business who I am, where I live, or how many chicks I was purchasing!
Has anyone else had any recent, weird issues with purchasing chicks from TSC?

WOW!! Our experience was nearly like this... And yes, I realize this is from darn-near two years ago...
We didn't get to hand pick the birds either (boo) but that the guy helping us did offer to catch the "color" we wanted. Can you tell we're kinda new to this?? I digress... We didn't have to write down any info either... thank goodness... I'd have been very upset!

Take care!

 

[tinydancer87]

I had already decided this year that I was NOT going to TSC, after I spent nearly every day in the store last spring trying to buy chicks. They only order 25 at a time and they sell out within hours. In fact I went in two days in a row, 1st day nothing, second day empty brooder bins that I could tell had chicks in them at some point. Also the chicks are corraled off and never any employees around.

I go to a locally owned general store that puts on their facebook page when the chicks are coming and what kinds. And they order lots! They do not fence off the chicks, you can pick your out, and the employees literally hover around the bins making sure the chicks are safe.

I got bantams, americana, buff orpington, and golden comet.

 

[Toshi]

Well i was reading through, and i am so glade i have a good TSC. Yes some of the people working there don't know much or anything about the chicks but they are helpful.

I bought chicks there 2 years ago. I didn't know much about them at all. It was my first batch, they had SR and the meat birds. So i took my chances with the SR. I did ask one lady how you could tell them apart, and she was a little snoddy. But one of the guest helped me with feather sexing. Still to this day i avoid that lady a bit, but everyone else is so nice! I didn't have to sign a notebook, they didn't have a pen around them yet.

But i like the fact they have the pen around them, safer for the birds. But i also think they should let the people over 18 pick out their own birds. I understand why they do it, because of the little brats that are not being watched. But someone who is 18 and over should be able to handle the chicks they want to buy.

This year though TSC doesn't have what i really am looking for, so i plan on buying from a smaller feed store like 11 minuets away from my house. But i have to wait for the 14, ugh.. such a long wait!

It really stinks that most of you guys have bad TSC's and some of what i read that they were rude to their coustomers no, thats a no go. I work in retail. And we are supposed to be nice to our guest even if they are in a foul mood!

 

[stake]

I'm from PA and bought from a local outlet(not TSC). I had to sign for the birds...I assumed that if there was an avian flu/west nile problem, the CDC really wants to know who has birds...also, I've been told that if you're getting game foul, you need to sign also....

 

[Dogchickenboy]

I went to my local TSC in NC and I got ameracunas, Cornish rocks, assorted reds, and Rhode Island reds. The guy that helped me was helpful. There was even a white Ameracuna who would have thought. Im sorry for the people that had jerks help them. I had to sign the book and the place was blocked in too but it wasent that bad.

Heres the white Ameracuna and some of the other chicks.

 

[sdsmowen]

We are in Indiana they have the chicks blocked off here too. Our local TSC is great and the staff is very helpful we got 12 chicks and they took the time to catch the ones we wanted. We did have to sign the book at checkout but i think i had to do that last year also. There was a nice variety to choose from we got Red pullets, Light Brahmas, and assorted bantams

 

[eggorthechicken]

I'm in WV and my local TSC does keep a gate around the chicks and I had to sign for mine as well. I don't think it's a bad idea not having a lot of people grabbing them and handling them. When I got mine...they let me in to pick mine out. They know me very well there.

 

[eggorthechicken]

We are in Indiana they have the chicks blocked off here too. Our local TSC is great and the staff is very helpful we got 12 chicks and they took the time to catch the ones we wanted. We did have to sign the book at checkout but i think i had to do that last year also. There was a nice variety to choose from we got Red pullets, Light Brahmas, and assorted bantams

OOh..what's that's black and white/cream one?

 

[alogue5173]

At my local TSC store, I had to give them my driver's license to purchase chicks. They weren't rude about it. What is sad is I live in a small town where everybody knows everybody.