Dyeing Baby Chicks: OK or Oh No?

by SodaHead Living Posted 2012/04/03 16:10:14

Related Topics: Pets, Animals, chicks, Dyeing Baby Chicks, Easter, New York Times, New York, State, color, Rights, 2012, Dog, Nytimes.com, Law, Florida, Love, Poultry

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733 votes
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	OK	172 votes	23%
	Oh No!	561 votes	77%

Everybody loves baby chicks on Easter, but do they really need to be dyed in pastel colors to make them even cuter than they already are? Poultry farmers say it's harmless when nontoxic dye is used, but animal rights advocates are against the practice, which is banned in about half the states and some municipalities, The New York Times reports.

In fact, in Florida last month, the Legislature passed a bill to overturn a 45-year-old ban on dyeing animals. "Humane societies are overflowing with these animals after Easter every year," Don Anthony of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida told the Times. "This law has protected thousands of animals from neglect and abuse, and it shouldn’t be lifted on the whim of one dog groomer who wants to dye poodles purple."

As far as baby chicks go, the dye is either injected in the incubating egg or sprayed on the hatchling. The color lasts only a few weeks: it comes off as chicks shed their fluff and the feathers grow in a normal color, the Times reports. Animal rights advocates say the dyeing experience is stressful for the birds, and that baby chicks shouldn't be sold when they're under four weeks old. Do you think it's OK to dye baby chicks?

+27

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Chieki 2012/04/03 16:45:17

Oh No!

+18

This is cruel and evil! These people really need to find something else to do to celebrate Easter!
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More polls by SodaHead Living

minimoses 2012/04/04 13:01:30

Oh No!

Dying them pretty colors, just makes them more adorable for more children to want to buy and take home as a Novelty Pet, not as a farm animal for which they are intended. In the end many of these will die, never to reach the time they shed their fluff and grow out their normal feathers. Profit vs.Right...Wrong!!!

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VampFreak13 2012/04/04 12:48:10

Oh No!

Shouldn't someone ask the chicks?... :)

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.: LiVi :. 2012/04/04 12:35:29

Oh No!

They do this with dogs in China

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john doe 2012/04/04 12:21:35

OK

Seems harmless enough but who knows.

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Cimz 2012/04/04 12:19:16

Oh No!

+2
oh no,...no...once again no...seriously people we have come to this so as to entertain others?
epic fail

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Lana 2012/04/04 11:46:13 (edited)

Oh No!

+2
If it's stressful for the baby chics, then no. We torment chickens enough.

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Trouble 2012/04/04 11:36:27

Oh No!

+2
poor little thing

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Juliet 2012/04/04 10:49:06 (edited)

OK

i'm pretty sure the animal rights people have bigger things to go after other than coloured chicks
also i just wanted to add that how many of you eat KFC? and chicken products from Macdonalds? because being dyed pretty colours is a lot better than being dismembered and boiled alive. people are fighting the wrong cause. oh yh save them while they r cute and little!! but send them to the torture chamber when you want you KFC.

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Samantha to Juliet 2012/04/04 10:53:37

+3
You're missing the point.

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Cimz to Juliet 2012/04/04 12:18:04

+1
oh yes they do! like going after people like you who think that is OKAY to have something like this happen. did you even read the article or did you just read the question and select OK?
just asking..no offence

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Juliet to Cimz 2012/04/04 14:36:17
jackie to Juliet 2012/04/04 15:13:55

+1
I do think PETA should do something else than throw paint on property or worry about colored chicklets.

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Cimz to Juliet 2012/04/05 07:26:10

Of course they dont, do not be so shallow. So unless the animals are fought or killed brutally or starved, they shouldn't be paid attention to?

Have you ever watched this documentary called EARTHLINGS? if you ever get a chance, please watch it ( you can youtube it), and just because they do not appear in any danger and look 'cute' it doesn't mean that they were put through it comfortably. and i quote "the dye is either injected in the incubating egg or sprayed on the hatchling"
does that sound right to you or you wouldnt mind have beein spray painted when you were a baby to look adorable for a while?

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Badgerbumface 2012/04/04 10:29:22

Oh No!

Even if they say it's non toxic, it's not like the animals WANTED to be dyed stupid colours. Also, this practise can be very cruel, I watched animal cops Housten where they saved 60 of these chicks which had been locked away in a crate in someone's cellar, and a few of them died! Also take into mind that they're only babies!

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john doe to Badgerb... 2012/04/04 12:24:09 (edited)

+1
Nor do the animals want to go to the processing plant. Do you eat chicken?....probably a vegan.

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Samantha to john doe 2012/04/04 23:52:06

Yeah I love chicken, its high in protein and helps to repair muscle. I eat free range as thats the best I can do in terms of quality and less cruelty. Im an omnivore - sue me Dying baby chicks is still bizarre.

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john doe to Samantha 2012/04/05 01:00:04

I don't care what you eat, dying a chickens fur is no less bizarre than chopping it's head off, gutting, plucking and slicing them up. Want to see bizarre check out the killing machines in chicken processing plants, they make purple chickens look like child's play. All I'm saying is if you eat chicken (free range or not) you can't complain about colored chickens, just my opinion....didn't ask for yours either.

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Samantha to Samantha 2012/04/06 22:56:16

Lol Calm down. You made a comment about my post so you are opening yourself up for a reply. Just because I eat meat doesn't mean I condone animal cruelty. Thats like saying that only vegetarians and vegans can care about animals - wrong. I can complain about dying chickens because its pointless, but eating meat is something I do to stay alive. The two things are different. By the way, this website is about opinions so getting uptight and angry about other people expressing opinions is slightly out of place.

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john doe to Samantha 2012/07/09 13:26:14

You don't have to eat meat to stay alive.....

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Samantha to john doe 2012/07/10 10:19:58

I know. I am an omnivore, I choose to eat meat and vegetables, even though the meat that I do eat, makes up a smaller part of my overall diet.

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Samantha 2012/04/04 10:14:39

Oh No!

+5
Just have some respect for out fellow creatures for crying out loud! They are not toys for you to do with what you will, so you can amuse yourself on a whim. It isn't cute --> It isn't funny --> it isn't ethical. Whoever did this, needs to get a personality and a life.

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Lana to Samantha 2012/04/04 12:17:03

Amen sister!

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john doe to Samantha 2012/04/05 01:02:03

You know, I love animals......they're delicious, how dare they change their fur color.

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Samantha to john doe 2012/07/09 08:18:31

A person can eat meat responsibly and still have compassion for animals at the same time. I know that if you think in an overly simplistic way, it is a hard concept to grasp.

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G 2012/04/04 09:27:27

Oh No!

+2
Knock that crap off. Animals aren't here to be subverted to your mindless whims. And stop dressing up your dogs too, it just makes me want to beat you savagely with a baseball bat.

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Juliet to G 2012/04/04 14:40:23

+1
what about dogs with short hair? when it gets cold jackets r sweet lol

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jackie to Juliet 2012/04/04 15:15:53

+1
And a raincoat for when its raining.

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TheAvengers#1Fan 2012/04/04 09:03:58

Oh No!

+3
omg!! poor little chickies!!

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Sylmkael 2012/04/04 08:53:28

Oh No!

+2
What is wrong with their natural color?

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Djanet 2012/04/04 08:48:33

Oh No!

+1
no way this is cruel to the poor baby chicks i mean people it okay to celerbrate bt pleace dont go ovr board and cross the limit o_O

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death_girl57 2012/04/04 08:26:09

Oh No!

+1
Nuh.

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Wolf 2012/04/04 07:57:17

Oh No!

+2
ask me this would you wanted to be painted different colors by humans

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YOMOMMA 2012/04/04 07:39:43

Oh No!

+1
That is plain cruel and stupid!

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ShamshirMkII 2012/04/04 07:00:29

Oh No!

+1
Hell no D:

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Ant 2012/04/04 06:40:57

OK

+3
i like the green one

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john doe to Ant 2012/04/05 01:04:33

+1
Lol

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Ant to john doe 2012/04/06 17:05:37

i guess someone sat down one day and opened a bag of peeps and thought to themselves hey wouldnt it be great if baby chicks really looked like this....then half a bottle of jack later there calling up all the farmers....

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john doe to Ant 2012/04/06 17:25:10

+1
Sounds like a viable scenario to me....

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Sionann 2012/04/04 06:31:48

OK

"Humane societies are overflowing with these animals after Easter every year." So if they weren't dyed they wouldn't end up at the Humane society? It doesn't hurt them and no they won't need therapy for the stress it causes them. Although it wouldn't surprise me if there were a looney chicken therapist out there somewhere. The only thing they care about is if there is feed to peck at. I would like to know how it was determined that it causes them stress and when was this scientific study done?

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Teri- Oregon 2012/04/04 06:31:30 (edited)

OK

+1
why not people dye there hair everyday, some in bright colors (my nephew)

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