Hey did you know HOW they only have DYED cockerels? Obviously it isn't injected into the egg. They sex the chicks (which are normally colored when they hatch, btw). And then they put food coloring on the cockerels. You can't tell me you haven't written on a letter in sharpie, or put a strip of paint on a chicks back just to watch their individual performance of that chick. And it didn't harm him. Food coloring last time I checked didn't hurt anyone. I think that's why we put it...IN OUR FOOD.
I agree people shouldn't view animals as disposable toys. But coming from someone who's had birds for over a decade now, and has spent more thanmy fair shair leading 4-H meetings and in feed stores, if they're going to be flakey and buy chicks when they shouldn't, they will whether they are dyed or natural colored. It's ridiculous! The same thing for rabbits and ducklings too. The rabbits end up at the pound, or turned loose. The ducklings eventually end up at the pond at high end neighborhood, begging for bread. And the chickens end up on craigslist. People don't teach their children to be responsible. That's not food coloring's fault--it's irresponsible parenting.
HOLLYWOOD: Ideal doesn't color that way. I also would shudder at direct inject dye. Ideal dyes babies with food coloring after hatch.
Does anyone know of any other hatcheries that still do carry them? I recall a hatchery in Alaska, and Stromberg's at one point drop shipped them from somewhere, too, but that was it. Anyone know of any?
