Local families should steer clear of chicks as pets this Easter no matter how cute they look, say local animal enthusiasts.
This Sunday is Easter, and many local children will soon be out in search of eggs. Others might see live rabbits or chicks and be tempted to take them home as pets.
Chicks might look cute, says St. Albert's Shawna Randolph, spokesperson for the Edmonton Humane Society, but they're terrible pets.
"It's not a companion animal, and it turns into a full-grown chicken."
Like rabbits, these animals often end up abandoned in fields or at animal shelters when the novelty wears off.
Families should do extensive research before they buy an Easter rabbit or chick, Randolph says. "We really hope people pay close attention to our warning and think before they get caught up in the novelty."
Pet precautions
Bon Accord's Rico Sebastianelli raises exotic chickens and judges them at shows. Chicks are very cute and fluffy soon after they hatch, he says, and some of them naturally come in wild pinks, whites, blues and stripes. Some producers use food colouring to dye them fancy colours during Easter.
Sebastianelli says he sometimes shows local students his chicks in an incubator, and some will want to adopt them as pets. Unless they have a farm, though, they usually don't know what to do with the chicks when they grow up and have to give them back.
Chickens are banned as pets in most neighbourhoods, according to local bylaws. County residents are not allowed to raise chickens on multi-lot subdivisions, while Morinville and St. Albert residents are not allowed to raise chickens in industrial, commercial and residential districts.
Sebastianelli says he discourages urban kids from getting chicks. Chicks are very cute and small for the first month, he says, but then they grow feathers, get bigger and start flapping and pooping everywhere. "They're not really a good house pet."
Some families fall into a similar Easter trap with rabbits, says Adrian Theroux of St. Albert's Paradise Pet Centre. They'll buy one as a gift and then get rid of it when it grows.
"A lot of the time they're just let go into the wild to fend for themselves," and their lack of camouflage makes them easy prey for predators. They'll also turn up on Kijiji or at animal shelters after Easter.
If you're going to get an Easter pet, Randolph says, do it responsibly. Research what it requires beforehand, and make sure it gets spayed or neutered.
But, she cautions: "Don't bring home a chick at all."
