NYS State Law about chicks

[woodmort]

That law has been on the books for a long time in NYS for chicks and ducklings. I have had feed stores where they knew their customers sneak around it but it is a good law despite the inconvenience to someone who wants only a couple of chicks. Like suggested above, find someone else that wants less than 6 and split the order.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

THe purpose of the law is to prevent impulse purchases of living animals. Most folks think twice before buying a $25 or $50 mutt kitten or dog, but at less than $2 a chick--many will buy first, then think later. While I applaud the goal, I dislike the idea of a minimum number. I think there are better ways to resolve the issues.

 

[averytds]

So is it a law or a company policy thing? I don't have a TSC local, so I haven't purchased too many chicks from them. If it's a company policy thing to prevent the stuff suggested above, maybe they have other policies that allow them to be lenient for serious buyers. Policy or not, I can't imagine my local feedstore not selling me even 1 or 2 if that's all I wanted, but they've also sold me enough poultry supplies that they've got to be pretty sure I keep birds as a permanent thing.


Have you checked local ads? I know there are a lot of people who only want a few and yet buy from the hatcheries with 25 minimums. They intend all along to sell off the extras and this is the time of year to be looking. Same for breeders. It's just that time of year. Something to keep in mind also breeder does not necessarily equal expensive, especially when you're talking about chicks.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
It's a law.

I remember last year I was looking up the law for NY and it said something about the 6 chick minimum was for feed stores or if you travel off your property to sell chicks, not if you sell them off your private property. Though, I did go to sales and nobody was selling chicks in sets of 6.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

It MAY be a company policy that is carried on everythwhere--don't know-there are not any TSC stores within hundreds of miles of me. In SOME states, there IS a law requiring that chicks under a certain age be purchased in certain quantities. New York and several other eastern states are among those with minimums. Note that by purchasing older birds, this is not an issue, and depending on the state, you may be able to purchase from individuals (as compared with stores) for fewer than the minimum number. Pretty sure that any orders filled by a hatchery to states with minimum purchase laws would also have to follow the law. So, while My Pet Chicken hatchery will sell as few as three chicks, I doubt that they will sell that few to someone ordering from New York. But to someone ordering from a place with no required minimum, they will sell only three.

 

[Mak]

Quote:
Not in NH. I can order as few as I want from a hatchery and get them. But go into TSC or a feed store and there are signs saying "in compliance with NH State law, you must purchase at least a dozen chicks." My guess would be that while it would make impulse (or joke or the "Oh wouldn't it be cute to get the kids a chick for Easter") purchases less enticing, the shipping costs for hatchery chicks would do the same thing.

 

[ronkonkoma]

Can someone actually find this law on the books and show it to me. Want to know if it’s for big stores or also small hobby breeders.

 

[woodmort]

Can someone actually find this law on the books and show it to me. Want to know if it’s for big stores or also small hobby breeders.

Here is NYS Poultry Laws Article 26 § 354. Sale of baby chicks and baby rabbits.
(I boldface #3 which pertains here.)
"1. No person shall sell, offer for sale, barter or give away living baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or baby rabbits unless such person provides proper brooder facilities where appropriate for the care of such baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or baby rabbits during the time they are in the possession of such person. For the purposes of this section, a baby rabbit shall be a rabbit of less than two months of age.
2. No person shall sell, offer for sale, barter or display living baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or baby rabbits which have been dyed, colored or otherwise treated so as to impart to them an artificial color.
2-a. No provision of subdivision two shall be interpreted or applied to prevent or restrict teachers and qualified instructors of youth under the guidance and supervision of the New York state cooperative extension service from using eggs for non-profit educational purposes or from observing fowl hatched from such eggs for non-profit educational purposes.
3. No person shall sell, offer for sale, barter or give away living baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or baby rabbits under two months of age in any quantity less than six.
4. A violation of the provisions of this section is a misdemeanor, punishable by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or by both."

 

[ronkonkoma]

Thank you!

 

[JKAILEY]

Try to find a local breeder. I was told that the 6 chick minimum only goes for stores, not breeders selling chicks off of their private property.

NYS: "3. No person shall sell, offer for sale, barter or give away living baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or baby rabbits under two months of age in any quantity less than six."