Why I Divested From Tractor Supply Co.

Cover photo by We Animals Media

This week, I divested from Tractor Supply Company — donating all personal stock in that U.S. retail chain to my Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, where the stock has been sold for cash to support animal protection.

For the last five years, I have invested my personal savings through an ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) portfolio that adds an animal welfare and wildlife conservation screen. Companies that primarily sell fossil fuels or meat and other animal products have been excluded from my portfolio, as have pharmaceutical companies that test on animals. Still, some of the portfolio’s investments fall in my ethical gray area — and Tractor Supply Company was one of these.

I finally divested from Tractor Supply because I have come to know many chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese through volunteering at farmed animal sanctuaries over the years — and I cannot in good conscience continue supporting the chain’s sale of live baby birds as just so many SKU numbers in their inventory.

The chain explicitly sells some of these balls of fluff as “meat birds,” while it sells the majority as backyard egg layers — taking advantage of consumer perception that raising one’s own hens for eggs is kinder and healthier than purchasing eggs from industrial farms. In reality, though, the entire backyard bird system is stacked against the chicks before they even hatch — resulting too often in their ill health and premature death.

Genetic manipulation: “Meat birds” have been selectively bred to gain weight so quickly that their legs often cannot support their body weight. Similarly, “layer hens” have been bred to produce more than 250 eggs per year — vs. their wild ancestors who laid just 10-15 eggs annually — which causes leg weakness, vertebral fractures, and paralysis from loss of skeletal calcium.

Predators and pathogens: Domestic birds are vulnerable to predation by wild birds and carnivorous mammals, and to numerous bacterial and viral infections. People who purchase backyard birds often lack the resources and expertise to install sufficiently protective housing and anti-biohazard systems, and may also have difficulty finding the specialized veterinarians required to treat their birds.

Overwhelmed owners: People who purchase backyard birds without thorough preparation will often become overwhelmed by the responsibility. Some will discover that their “layer” chicks grow up to be roosters. Other people will lose interest when their hens’ egg production inevitably declines after a year or two. They may then reach out to animal shelters, rescue groups and sanctuaries in hopes of re-homing their birds — but because these organizations have limited capacity, many such birds will end up abandoned.

Woodstock Farm Sanctuary in High Falls, New York — to which the Gregory J. Reiter Memorial Fund has contributed for many years — introduced a petition in March 2023 asking Tractor Supply to stop selling baby chicks and ducklings. I was proud to sign that petition, knowing that rescues and sanctuaries have been bombarded for years with requests to take in unwanted backyard hens and roosters. As of this date, however, Tractor Supply continues to sell vulnerable baby birds to anyone who walks into their stores.

What’s the alternative to purchasing birds at Tractor Supply? Most of us aren’t fully prepared, and shouldn’t be bringing birds home at all. If we are prepared, then the “adopt don’t shop” rule should apply, just as it does for cats and dogs — we should start by inquiring with our local animal shelter or sanctuary about adopting abandoned birds instead of buying young chicks. And as for the eggs — well, we would be giving our health a boost by transitioning to other foods.