What are people thinking these days? Venting time!

[Red Barn Farms]

I found this video on Youtube. The title is "Cutest-Ever Baby Easter Chicks - up close and personal!"

Personally, I find it wrong and distasteful and think it needs to be outlawed in ALL states.


The dye is injected into ordinary chicken eggs a few weeks before hatching. Even if they use vegetable dye it can still be potentially harmful to the chicks. They are dyed to be more attractive to people who would not normally want chickens. Potentially, this can be harmful to the chicken because that person may not be educated enough to care for them properly. Like any animal, chickens have the right to be healthy and well cared for.




editing to add second video


I would title this "cruelty to animals!!"

 

[Caribear]

It is disturbing. Do people really buy neon blue chicks? What I really wonder is what the thought process was when they first came up with the idea. "You know, baby chicks just aren't cute enough. What can we do to make them cuter? I know, let's dye them all kinds of unnatural colors! There's nothing cuter than an electric pink chick!"

Yuck.

 

[Caribear]

I also wonder what this does to the chickens long-term...does the dye fade, and does it cause health problems later on? Can a green chick grow up to be a normal chicken? I wonder...

 

[Godsgrl]

The chickens return to their normal color when they get their adult feathers, and molt the colored ones. Unfortunately, that is when the new owners decide chicks aren't so cute and discard them.

 

[animalsRawesome]

So, other than attracting neglectfull owners, does this cause any harm to the chick?

 

[Red Barn Farms]

It is disturbing. Do people really buy neon blue chicks? What I really wonder is what the thought process was when they first came up with the idea. "You know, baby chicks just aren't cute enough. What can we do to make them cuter? I know, let's dye them all kinds of unnatural colors! There's nothing cuter than an electric pink chick!"
Yuck.

I guess they think it makes them even more attractive for the Easter time selling market? The problem in this is enticing more people to by them for their children and not taking into consideration what all they actually require as in food, a heat source. etc.

I observed this when we made a purchase at our local farm tractor supply store Easter weekend of 12 chicks. At the check out counter a young couple in front of us with two children were purchasing 6 chicks. That was their total purchase. I casually asked them if they already had the food, water dish and heating required for keeping young chicks. They looked at me kinda funny and answered that they had not even thought about needing anything? Go figure?

 

[galanie]

I suppose that's one way to get rid of extra roosters w/out having to kill them as chicks but yeah, I hope it gets outlawed in every state.

 

[Red Barn Farms]

PROS

I think dying embryos has been done for some years now but only as a means of observing movements of wild bird flocks, etc. I see it as 'ok' when used for a better scientific purpose.


http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/resources/egg_to_chick/coloring.html



CONS


In a classic holiday outrage story, The New York Times brings news of animal rights' groups opposition to the practice of dying chicks for Easter presents, but the practice also looks less like a chicken catastrophe and more like an opportunity for farmers to double-dip on chicken sales. The main objection to selling multicolored chicks as holiday novelties comes from the fact that kids tire of them quickly and they're cast aside. But one smart farmer told the paper he took the birds back after their pet appeal wore off. Per The Times' Jennifer A. Kingson:


http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2012/04/are-dyed-chicks-just-short-term-rental-birds/50618/

 

[animalsRawesome]

Well, if the actual dyeing process doesn't harm the chick in any way, then I feel that our government has no right to tell us that we can't market a product how we want. I dislike people mistreating animals as much as anyone, but I think that it is a bit controlling of a government to tell us how to market a product. I respect everyone elses opinions though, and understand where you're coming from.

 

[pichuris]

That just isn't normal. Seriously I don't think they look cuter. That is just plain disturbing.