CLUCK NEWS: Chickens As Agents of Change In India

How do you improve nutrition, empower women, and increase household incomes in rural India? According to News-medical.net, the answer may be a new breed of chicken called the Kuroiler (pronounced Cure-Oiler). Developed by Keggfarms, the Kuroiler outperforms indigenous chicken breeds (called Desi) and Keggfarms has developed an elaborate system to raise and distribute the young chicks throughout the countryside.

CLUCK ASKS: Dyeing Chicks -- Totally Cute, Completely Inappropriate, or somewhere in between?

Image from Cuteoverload.com

Although illegal in some areas, the practice of dyeing chicks for Easter holds on in parts of the US, and appears to be common in some other countries. Dyed chicks in China. Dyed Chicks in India. Dyed Chicks in Yemen.  Dyed Chicks in Morocco. Farm Sanctuary produced a video about some dyed chicks they rescued in New York City.

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What many people don't know is that, at least in the US, the chick embryos s are dyed in the shell before they hatch, not afterwards. The resilient fuzzballs seem ignorant of their skittle-colored get-ups and ultimately grow new undyed feathers.

Here are some concerns:
Since this involves injecting dye into the shell, there is undoubtedly some loss
This practice may encourage people to buy chicks they are not prepared to care for
Frequently people end up with more cockerels (baby roosters) than they bargain for
This practice encourages kids and adults to view living creatures more as toys

Take our poll (on the right at the top) to register your opinions about dyeing baby chicks.