PSA - buying easter bunnies and chicks

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
106
Easter is almost here, and so are the bunnies and colored chicks. If your kids want a bunny or a chick, buy them a stuffed animal or chocolate.

Please think before you buy a live animal.

Every year tens of thousands of animals are abandoned at animal shelters.

Some of you may be saying so what? Buying animals for easter is serious problem that compounds problems faced by animal shelters. A good number of those cute chicks and rabbits will end up in animal shelters.

If this thread sounds familiar, I started one for easter 2013 also.
 
Last edited:

Rudee

Lifer
Apr 23, 2000
11,218
2
76
I never thought about giving a live bunny or chick as a Easter present before. Great idea. Thanks. I shall buy a box full of em!
 

KeithTalent

Elite Member | Administrator | No Lifer
Administrator
Nov 30, 2005
50,231
118
116
:thumbsup: OP. Used to volunteer at the local rabbit shelter and there was always an influx of abandoned bunnies shortly after Easter. :(

KT
 

bradly1101

Diamond Member
May 5, 2013
4,689
294
126
www.bradlygsmith.org
Easter is almost here, and so are the bunnies and colored chicks. If your kids want a bunny or a chick, buy them a stuffed animal or chocolate.

Please think before you buy a live animal.

Every year tens of thousands of animals are abandoned at animal shelters.

Some of you may be saying so what? Buying animals for easter is serious problem that compounds problems faced by animal shelters. A good number of those cute chicks and rabbits will end up in animal shelters.

If this thread sounds familiar, I started one for easter 2013 also.

Your logic is only outweighed by your compassion. :)
 

mmntech

Lifer
Sep 20, 2007
17,501
12
0
People are getting dumber. No doubts there. They think rabbits are a low maintenance pet, but in reality are as much work as a cat or dog. They also don't like to be handled, making them a poor choice for younger children.

I can't imagine giving up an animal unless I was sick or broke that I wasn't able to care for it properly. Even then I wouldn't just dump it off at a shelter or on the side of a road. Those rabbits can't survive in the wild. Lot of sick folks in this world.
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
106
:thumbsup: OP. Used to volunteer at the local rabbit shelter and there was always an influx of abandoned bunnies shortly after Easter. :(

KT

Yea, it is sad. Pets are not disposable products.

A lot of urban / city dwellers are unable to keep the chicks or rabbits after they grow up.

Here in southeast Texas we have a classifieds website. Every year a month or so after easter the site is flooded with "free to good home" ads.

Last year someone posted they had to get rid of two roosters. It was against the city ordnance to have roosters. You never know what you are going to get when you buy colored easter chicks.

If you want hens, go to a local feed store and buy some pullets. But the person bought some spur of the moment colored chicks and ended up with two roosters.


agreed. though maybe this year we can skip the debate on if it actually happens eh?

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2309921&highlight=easter+bunny+chicks

Just trying to remind people.

Around here there are going to be a bunch of people on the side of the road selling animals for easter.
 
Last edited:

Lifted

Diamond Member
Nov 30, 2004
5,748
2
0
It's been too long since I've had a colored chick. Think I'll go looking for one tonight.
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
106
It's been too long since I've had a colored chick. Think I'll go looking for one tonight.

Chickens are flock animals and do not do well alone. When a full grown hen gets away from the flock she starts calling to find the others.

Being alone for a chick is very stressful. As soon as a chick is taken away from the others it will start making a loud chirping sound.

If you buy, get at least 3 of them.
 

JManInPhoenix

Golden Member
Sep 25, 2013
1,500
1
81
Easter is almost here, and so are the bunnies and colored chicks. If your kids want a bunny or a chick, buy them a stuffed animal or chocolate.

Please think before you buy a live animal.

Every year tens of thousands of animals are abandoned at animal shelters.

Some of you may be saying so what? Buying animals for easter is serious problem that compounds problems faced by animal shelters. A good number of those cute chicks and rabbits will end up in animal shelters.

If this thread sounds familiar, I started one for easter 2013 also.

Sound advice :thumbsup:
 

GagHalfrunt

Lifer
Apr 19, 2001
25,284
1,997
126
When I was about 5 a grandmother gave all her 4 sets of grandkids ducks for Easter. Really cute little ah heck, but none of us had them for longer than a month or so. Not a good pet and rabbits/chickens are just as bad or even worse. Ours got given to the local zoo.
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
106
Sound advice :thumbsup:

Thank you.




My wife and I are probably going to buy two more rabbits around easter. The cage is almost ready, we live in a rural area with no restrictions, and we use the manure for our garden.

Our chickens like digging through the rabbit droppings. I guess the chickens find worms in the manure?
 

Linflas

Lifer
Jan 30, 2001
15,395
78
91
Easter is almost here, and so are the bunnies and colored chicks. If your kids want a bunny or a chick, buy them a stuffed animal or chocolate.

Please think before you buy a live animal.

Every year tens of thousands of animals are abandoned at animal shelters.

Some of you may be saying so what? Buying animals for easter is serious problem that compounds problems faced by animal shelters. A good number of those cute chicks and rabbits will end up in animal shelters.

If this thread sounds familiar, I started one for easter 2013 also.
:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
 

Iron Woode

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 10, 1999
31,087
12,593
136
Chickens are flock animals and do not do well alone. When a full grown hen gets away from the flock she starts calling to find the others.

Being alone for a chick is very stressful. As soon as a chick is taken away from the others it will start making a loud chirping sound.

If you buy, get at least 3 of them.
me thinks you missed his joke.
 

Texashiker

Lifer
Dec 18, 2010
18,811
197
106
me thinks you missed his joke.

I got the joke, I just went with it.

My wife and I bought 2 dozen chicks 2 months ago. We live in a rural area, no restrictions, knew exactly what breeds we were buying and bought the chicks for a purpose.

To go with those chicks we have 10 hens who are 2 years old this year.

Even if someone wanted to get started with chickens, easter chicks are not the way to do it. You do not know what breeds you are getting, nor you know if they are hens or roosters.

Some breeds, such as broilers are bred for meat production. You buy them in the early spring and butcher before the summer heat sets in. If the broilers live past 5 or 6 months, they develop health problems and are unable to walk. They grow so fast their legs can not support their weight.

Is that chick going to be a 10 pound black jersey giant, or a 2 pound bantam?

There are so many variables easter chicks are not the way to get started.
 

Newell Steamer

Diamond Member
Jan 27, 2014
6,894
8
0
I would never give an animal to someone for a gift. Even if they are animal lovers and will treat the creature just right, it is something that should be done by the person,... not for the person.