Dyed/Colored chicks @ Ideal Poultry?! Disturbing!!

[Aimless Farmer]

I clicked on the advertiser link for Ideal Poultry, and was horrified to see that they sell dyed chicks for Easter, both chicken and ducks. All male and straight runs. I think this practice encourages impulse buying of live animals at Easter time, and, consequently, many, many mistreated and homeless birds. This happens with rabbits, too, around Easter.

People who have no clue about the necessary care of such an animal, but who are enticed by cute, living "toys", purchase Crayola-colored chickens, ducks and/or rabbits, and bring them home, and quickly lose interest. Then the neglect begins. "Lucky" chickens, ducks and rabbits find their ways to shelters and rescues, many of those with deformities and/or injuries due to malnutrition and/or improper housing. You can imagine what happens to the "unlucky" ones.

I strongly feel the selling of live animals as "novelty gifts" is an unforgivably irresponsible practice, and was disturbed to find this Hatchery as an advertiser link on this site. I find that the BYC site otherwise promotes good, caring practices. I feel, therefore, that BYC should consider discontinuing Ideal as an advertiser if they (Ideal) have no intention of discontinuing this practice.

My next email is to Ideal with a copy of this email.

Anyone else see the hypocracy in giving this hatchery audience on BYC? I'm interested in other's thoughts on this topic...

Amy

 

[jenichick]

I think they are cute, and I fell in love with them when I was little my dad would bring me one or two home at Easter and we'd raise them with our other chickens. That's when I first started loving chickens over 30 years ago. I don't think that the fact they're colored is going to make someone neglectul any more than they already would be, IMHO.

 

[lurky]

I also think its not necessary either. I say go to the store and buy colored marshmellow peeps for a novelty.

 

[Aimless Farmer]

The coloring wouldn't make someone anymore neglectful if they were already caring chicken owners, such as yourself. However, it does make chicken owners out of people who would never otherwise want to own a live chicken. Check out the shelter websites the months after Easter (those few that will actually accept poultry), and see all the chickens, ducks and rabbits no longer wanted... Roosters don't belong in apartments, afterall, and ducks can't live their entire lives in the bathtub, and neither can live healthy lives on Fruity Pebbles...

 

[jenichick]

That's a good Idea, maybe I can rescue some and get the free or cheap. By then my little ones shold all be outside and I'll have a quarantine area available.

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I first fell in love with baby chickens last easter when our local feed store was doing this buy a bag of feed get three free chicks- so I went and got my very first babys ( orange,pink, & blue LOL ) when they started getting thier feathers I ended up with a white,buff and a brown colored chick - I did not see any harm in them being colored for easter I would have gotten mine colored or not.
I think people might put more thought into " oh what a cute pink chick " than you think - feed stores have been doing this for easter for years and if it were that much of a problem ( at least here ) I dont think they would still do it.
I know when easter comes around I will be first in line to see the new babies and I am sure to come home with a couple pink,blue,green and purple chicks.

Julie

 

[lurky]

Aimless Farmer.....i think people are taking it wrong......i understand what you are saying. There are people out there who will buy them because they are cute, for some kid in the family that is 4 yrs old and there ends up being no responsible care taker......no planning....no coop....no knowledge of poultry or needs. AF was not talking about the people who DO care for the colored chicks. I think its clear what the meaning was and it does not mean you should not think they are cute. Seriously though....a baby chick does not need help being cute anyway

 

[Aimless Farmer]

Thank you, Lurky. I thought I was pretty clear in my first post, but I guess not. You hit the nail right on the head. We are all chicken lovers here, and very educated in the ways of caring for chickens, or at the very least here to learn HOW. How many people who come home with an adorable Crayola-colored chick are as educated, or inclined to become as educated?

THANK YOU!!

 

[Crazy4Chicks]

I agree Lurky they need no help being cute - I looked at all the colored babies and man it was very hard to not buy all the bags of feed so I could walk away with all the babies LOL
I understand what AF is saying about there being alot of unwanted babiess after the easter holiday and now that I have a coop/run set up I plan on putting an ad in the paper about 2-3 weeks after easter when the dye starts growing out of the feathers and asking for any unwanted chicks/ducks - I will take as many as I can and try to find better homes for them - dont know if this idea will work but I am willing to give it a try. LOL

DH might not be to happy, but oh well he will get over it LOL

Julie

 

[blue90292]

do you know what happens to those roosters that don't get sold as crayola-colored chickens the rest of the year??