Trouble in Paradise

[Zippy]

Blue_Frog I have heard about fish dying on my betta bourd and have seen a blood parrot cichlid dyed with a I *heart* u for Valintines day.

[buttercup132]

I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Isn't it just the same as dying a dog or cat? And like the owner said it just food colouring...as long as it dosent get in their eyes or on their beak.

[critter crazy]

I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Isn't it just the same as dying a dog or cat? And like the owner said it just food colouring...as long as it dosent get in their eyes or on their beak.

As far as I can see, and pet store owner that purchases Birds like this are only out for the money! People see these, and just have to buy them for their kids, and then the birds suffer, and end up in shelters or die! Because it was an easter gift, and the fad soon fades!! And for the record, who the heck would dye any animal! Cat, Dog, Bird or Fish! There is no point! Poor babys!

[Scooter's Mom]

When we were kids (I was about 6, my brother about 8) the girl down the street gave my brother a pink chicken for Easter. (I think she liked him...) Anyway, the chicken seemed okay... we had a mean little nasty dog though that loved to chase her. My dad forgot to put the chicken in her cage before he picked me up from my half a day of kindergarten. I went to the backyard to play with Pinky and all I found were little pink feathers everywhere.

Had the silly thing not been dyed, daddy could have gone and gotten a new chickie and we'd have never known Ginger (the nasty little dog) ate the chickie. My brother didn't care all that much, but it traumatized me for a long time!

Point of my stupid little sad story is ... I think it may be legal in Texas, as that's where we grew up...

[crow_noir]

Not to get too off track, but i wanted to bring to light something a little bizarre. Keep in mind the pets mentioned in these books had only vegetable dye used on them. The plus side is that I have found an earth friendly way to dye my own hair. I have wanted to, but haven't due to harsh chemicals.

My thought is that the way this is done is harmless, unlike what is done to the chicks. I still think the people are a bit nuts Some of the prices these people pay to have this done!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Paint-Cats.../dp/1580082718

I highly suggest seeing if your local library has this book. For me one of the most memorable "paintings" was of the neons (fish) (done on cats.) There were two or three stories in the whole book where i didn't think the person was a bit nuts for having it done to their cat. Some of the stories are a bit sniffly... others outrageous, and others will just have you rolling your eyes. Some are even thought provoking.

And for the record, who the heck would dye any animal! Cat, Dog, Bird or Fish! There is no point! Poor babys!

[Argranade]

Once again, the dye is ALREADY injected into their system. So ingestion by preening would be pretty inconsequential.

Colouring any new born animal is WRONG either way, I already know it can get threw there skin and into there bodies but not everyone understands that, some people think they won't get sick from eating it .. like idiots who die water red to attrack humming birds! Again when preening them selfs there just injecting more dye onto there system ON TOP of that they have already been infected from dye traveling threw there skin..

[Sophist]

I already know it can get threw there skin and into there bodies but not everyone understands that, some people think they won't get sick from eating it .. like idiots who die water red to attrack humming birds! Again when preening them selfs there just injecting more dye onto there system ON TOP of that they have already been infected from dye traveling threw there skin..

Um, you still aren't getting it.

It isn't being absorbed through their skin. It is put into a needle, the needle then punches a hole in the eggshell injects the embryo.

This isn't a topical treatment, typically. It is an injection or series of injections done while they are still in the egg.

[Argranade]

Um, you still aren't getting it.

It isn't being absorbed through their skin. It is put into a needle, the needle then punches a hole in the eggshell injects the embryo.

This isn't a topical treatment, typically. It is an injection or series of injections done while they are still in the egg.

WTF OMG,

I thought you ment it was done after they hatched! sorry lol.

Thats even more crewl! no chick should be touched before or even at the begining of hatching.

[CathyBogart]

Sophist, if you read this article. it says the chicks were sprayed with dye.

[Sophist]

I did not see that in the link I went to at the beginning of this thread, so I assumed it was by the 'normal' method, explained here:

http://lancaster.unl.edu/4h/Embryology/TheAnswer1.htm


http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/r.../coloring.html

[Sophist]

Hmmm the reporter says they were 'apparently sprayed with dye'. Maybe, but it doesn't how he reached that conclusion. Actually, the way it is worded, it sounds like the reporter just assumed they were sprayed or had it topically applied, like most people would assume. That is not the common method for dyeing chicks, so I still remain skeptical.

And if we are talking about dyed chicks in general, especially in terms of painted cats and dogs, etc., I still stand by my assertions .

Even so, I still think it is dooming these chicks to be impulse buys by people with no long-term plans who will be done with their new pets before they even get in their un-dyed adult feathers.

[Zippy]

Still it is horriable.It is done so people will buy them for the childern.
I don't agree with giving ducks,chicks and bunnies for easter.

[animalluv34]

First of all, let me tell you, no one in the world loves animals more than me, and it wouldn't be a pretty site if I came face to face with someone who hurt them.

Now, to get down to the good stuff.

If this were dangerous to the chicks health, then scientists wouldn't do this to birds of endangered species to track the beginning of their life in the wild.
And the harmless vegetable dye isn't injected into the bird embryo itself. It is injected into the yolk so it can be absorbed by the developing fur. It isn't absorbed into the skin itself, if it were, then the skin of the bird would stay that color for the rest of its life, but it doesn't. The color disappears when then first feathers fall out. So I definately wouldn't say this is dangerous to the chicks. I am perfectly fine with scientists doing this so that they can study early bird life in the wild. I'm all about saving wildlife!!!!!!!!!!!

I only have a problem with it when people dye them for money or if they dye them in a manner harmful to the chick.

I myself am about to start incubating my own chicken eggs for the experience and I would like to dye the chicks because they would look cool. But, I already have good homes that they will go to with people who have a farm with chickens already. And, I am going to raise them for a while first, so by the time I give them away, not sell them, their colors will be gone. I see absoultely no harm in dying them because I'm going to use a teeny tiny sterile needle to do it and I'm going to properly sterilize the egg before and after. Then I will seal the almost microscopic hole it will make.

If you still disagree with dying chicks the way I mentioned here and for the same reasons I mentioned here then I would like to know why, so please post a response to this if you disagree.

[Marigold2]

Well said

As far as I can see, and pet store owner that purchases Birds like this are only out for the money! People see these, and just have to buy them for their kids, and then the birds suffer, and end up in shelters or die! Because it was an easter gift, and the fad soon fades!! And for the record, who the heck would dye any animal! Cat, Dog, Bird or Fish! There is no point! Poor babys!

[Sophist]

I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Isn't it just the same as dying a dog or cat? And like the owner said it just food colouring...as long as it dosent get in their eyes or on their beak.

It would be a bigger deal/more likely to be illegal than coloring a dog or cat's fur because it actually is closer to dyed fish... while the embryo is still in the egg (usually towards the end of the second week after a live embryo can be seen by holding the egg up to a strong light source) it is INJECTED with dye. Break the shell, inject the embryo, slap on some iodine and back into the incubator. If you do it later than the second week after a viable embryo is detected, then multiple injections are required.


When I used to do flocks of chicks and ducklings that I showed in fairs and such, I would put little dabs of food dye on them to differentiate them. I see nothing wrong with coloring a chick at all.

But dyeing a chick requires compromising its' shell, injecting it with a foreign substance for cosmetic purposes, and pretty much assuring that it is going to be an impulse buy, probably for a small child's easter present, by someone who has not thought through the logistics of keeping chickens.