Coloring Easter chix

Has anyone tried dyeing Easter chix before? I found a link, which explains the process, seems pretty straight-forward. I am wondering how safe it is for the chick, and if there can be any complications from the dye. Any insight would be appreciated...Scott

I have read that bad things can happen from that. I do not know personally and would never try it based on the things i have read.
I dont even know any specifics to tell you other than i heard its not a good idea. I think there is a bit of controversy on the subject :)
IMO....they are too cute to need coloring anyway. I read someone say all the chicks died from the dye.....but i dont know .....i just read that.
Sorry if i was not much help........its all i got :)

Hi Scott--Are you considering the "in-egg" process? From what I understand it doesn't hurt the chick--but there are laws against selling dyed chicks in many states. The theory is it motivates people to "impulse buy" chicks around Easter, without any interest or intention of caring for or raising them. The ones I've seen looked like white Cornish Game broiler types--their primaries are white even while the down is colored.

I'll probably catch all kinds of heck for this, but food coloring (easter egg dye or little boxes) in a spritzer bottle works pretty good. Make sure they have a WARM, draft free place to dry. Don't use a hair dryer, it over heats their little bodies too quickly (unless you have a very gentle setting). This also works on adult white chickens, but you need to wash them first for their feathers to recieve the dye.

I frequently use the easter egg markers to disquingish chicks and grown birds.

hey if we're talking dye here...go all the way

http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/828/

Just saw that link. Beautiful!! But why didn't you have any in purple? (just joking) :o))

jeepers
I consider fuschia a purple...I guess some think its pink....rotf

Thanks again for that photo - the comments are hilarious :)

I was considering the in-egg process, but it seems maybe safer to "spritz" them instead. I wonder if they could be sprayed before they dry when they first hatch, to minimize stress?
Crestedchik - how did you do that? They are awesome!

here's a link from the first time I did it
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/643506/

You are right...fuschia is a purple. I just didn't see the purple right at first. But these pics show them. Thanks.

Mine were dry and over a day old when I did it and they sat under their lamp till dry.

I'd never forget purple
Its my favorite color

I like it too. :o))

it is perfectly safe to do the in egg process my neighbour did it and they were nor,al they had a straight forword hatch with no hicups

If I inject the eggs with Budweiser, will I get "beer chicken"? LOL...Scott

I don't know Scott, but you may have the next super bowl commercial!

It gives new meaning to beer can chicken......

I have to add my $.02 worth here...and that's really all it's worth...lol.
I went to visit my old friend down the street, Buck, who's 86, and who gave me all kinds of advice on my first garden last year...(mostly what I was doing wrong...lol) Well, sweet ol' Buck had a stroke back in October and now needs a nurse round the clock. He's still sharp as a tack, just having a little trouble with his speech (but in therapy)
Ok, now that you've got the scoop on my buddy Buck....I walked down last night to take him my world famous pound cake, that he had been asking for. He said it was really good but his still 'lighter'...of course! Then I told him about my chickens. His eyes lit up...just a bit. Told him all the plans of the coop, turning the existing playhouse into a coop, so the neighbors wouldn't know I had chickens. (Small interjection here....according to the homeowners assoc., there is to be no fowl or swine bred, raised, etc on the properties) But then Edna, Buck's wife, said, not to worry. that is null and void. It had to be renewed every ten years and no one wanted to pay to have it done.) Woohoo! So I don't have to 'hide' them...I was going to line the walls of chicken wire with lattice to make it look like a fence but now I don't have to! Ok...back to why I'm commenting here...sorry but I don't have anyone to share my alacrity (love that word but never get to use it) of gardening and farming with anyone.....so you're it!
Anyway....I asked Buck...have you ever seen a purple chicken? You should have seen the bewildered/have you lost your mind youngin' look he gave me....
I said yeah! And they can be pink or yellow.... (he's not buying this) So I explained the best I could from what crestedchick said.
Then Buck said, well we used to have green eggs. I said, I've seen those, it's because of the type of chicken they are....he said no, I mean the yolks were green. What?! How? He said we put food coloring in their feed and it turned the yolks green. And we did some black ones too....got the neighbors real good on the black ones...hee hee.
The stories Buck tells.....I just love to listen to them. So if anybody wants green eggs for St. Patty's....there you go!
I just had to share this with all of you and I hope you got a chuckle or two from it.
Ping

Maybe Buck had Dr Suess's Green eggs and Ham

LOL

so, Scott, you gonna do it? Folk shere have asked me if i would, sinc emost of mine will be hatched around EAster and we will have some for sale. I said NO WAY, inhumane, out-lawed, etc... wish there was a way to kno which states that is.

But i also don't want impulse buyers. We will make sure everyone is prepared with a Hen Haven, chick starter, and a handbook...

tf

TF - I am still undecided. I have a lot of money invested in these eggs, and really want healthy babies. I tend to be a risk taker, yet am somehow apprehensive to meddle with these chix. They are pure white ameraucanas, so it is tempting to give them a little splash of color. If I do it, I will take pix and share my experience.

go with your gut, i mean intuition, not the beer belly!

Okay - I did the in-egg injection. I guess I was just intimidated, but now that I did it, seemed to be a very smooth process. I cleaned the injection site with rubbing alcohol, made a hole with a dental pick, injected .2 - .5 cc of food coloring w/ a diabetic syringe, and then sealed the hole w/ hot glue gun. I did 5 eggs, 2 purple (just for you GG), 1 each green, blue, and red. The directions were from this link - http://chickscope.beckman.uiuc.edu/resources/egg_to_chick/coloring.html for anyone whom may be interested. The directions show a diagram with the injection point and all. I'll have photos next Saturday with any luck...Scott

Thank you Scott. My babies won't be here in time for Easter. (sigh). But maybe better. We still are having winter.

WHEN WILL SPRING GET HERE???

Hope you are feeling better GG

Not really. Found out exactly what it is, though. Called "acute bronchitis". I don't think it is cute at all. But it kinda looks like the antibiotics are maybe going to help. I do have COPD, so I thought it was bronchitis, but wasn't sure how bad. I should be getting over it in a day or two. MAYBE!!

BTW, incubator is doing fine now. Day three to be exact. Will be candling them probably on Wed. Hope I can do it right.

be sur to show us som pics both of u

Uh, may have done some damage. Went in to check on bator and someone (I think it was my cat ) must have bumped up against the tv table it's setting on (it's in DH's shower) and knocked it around a little bit. The temp at that point was 105. (Ulp) Hopefully it wasn't that high very long. We will see when we candle them. And I hope I can do it right.

Finally over the bug. Did go into an asthma attack, but inhalers did the trick. DON'T NEED ANY MORE OF THAT!!!!!

GG, don't worry. don't adjust it too much. if any damage was done, it will just result in possible abnormalities or not pipping. but likely the egg temps didn't get too high.

too high is worse than too low, though. when are they due?

TF, they are due two weeks from today. I candled some of them today, and they look okay so far. I will continue to monitor them and we shall see what we will see.

She is the most demanding cat we have ever had. She will let you know 2 hrs before dinner that she wants to eat and will not stop bugging you until she gets her dinner. The cats do have food down all the time, but they get canned in the evening, so that is what she wants. She gives kisses, and plays billy goat with DH by butting him in the chin. She is also a leaper who gets on top of the cupboards and looks down at you and says "meow" to get your attention as if to say, look at what I did. And other funny stuff like that.

I edited and deleted a few posts out of this thread and would remind you all to please help keep the site clean of profanity.

yes, sorry for my bad mouth, Dave. i will be mor ecareful with my fingers too!

tf

ummmmm.... somebody named their chickies bad things.... ;-0

No, not chickies. Cats and other animals including a couple of dogs, I think. Although the cat named is totally appropiate!!

TF, I am going to have to chance having the eggs in the bator blow up because several look to have blood rings, but I am not sure and although I would normally cull them, I just don't have enough confidence in my judgement right now to do so. I can't see any veins, but will wait to see if the air sacs change size or what. So far most of the eggs are looking alike, so I think maybe I am doing something right, but not positive.

Friday is hatch day for the chicks of many colors! Yahooooo!! They went in the hatcher today.

congrats Scott.

don't do it GG! the blood ring is a sign of bacterial infection. it will harm the other chicks, even without exploding. and you won't be using that bator again!

a ring AROUND is a blood ring. properly developed veins look otherwise. please find those links i posted. it is too late at night for me to try and candle again and take pics to post for you. and i will be out of pocket tomorrow.

you have to toss those eggs!

well, i just remembered they aren't due for another two weeks. so not liekly to blow up yet, it's not like you moved them into the hatcher. please, look around and candle some more. you will get more confident, and feel good about your choice...

FYI, all the chickens i currently have are named NICE names.

tf

Ok, TF. I will do that.

And my chicks, the ones that have names, also all have nice names. It is only the cat who has the bad name. And that is the one who is trying to get to the bator!! That's the reason she has a bad name.