In Asia, chickens with striking plumage have long been kept for ornamental purposes, including feather-footed varieties such as the Cochin from Vietnam, the Silkie from China, and the extremely long-tailed Phoenix from Japan. Asian ornamental varieties were imported into the United States and Great Britain in the late 1800s. Distinctive American varieties of chickens have been developed from these Asian breeds. Poultry fanciers began keeping these ornamental birds for exhibition, a practice that continues today. Individuals in rural communities commonly keep chickens for both ornamental and practical value.
Farm owners insist the non-toxic dye is harmless and temporary, disappearing as the animals grow their new feathers.
“It’s something we’ve done at Easter time for the last few years,” Phyllis Burney, fiancee of owner Anthony Schmidt, told BBC News Online.
“It’s mainly for the children. They are quite in awe when they come to the farm and see the multi-coloured chicks.
Article bbc.co.uk[tweetmeme]
Wow I wanna do this now
I want one how can I get one
do you truly believe that the dye is harmless? why would you do something like this to any creature? & for supporting what i call animal cruelty by posting it here you get my contempt…yuck!
Re: Nada Loiterton
How ignorant can you be? Do you know how many dyes are in the processed food for chickens? You know, the stuff that’s more healthy for them than just feeding them cracked corn? Do you know how many dyes are in your food? Did you know many dyes contain the very same bugs that chickens eat?
Either you are seriously deluded, or you just wanted everyone to know how much of an “animal lover” you are- you know, the kind that sits back on their haunches and just proclaims their righteous opinions so the masses know how much of a good person you are…but God forbid you actually do anything useful towards REAL animal cruelty.