New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-30
FATE OF EASTER CHICKS
Thousands FOndIed to Death by
Children EUery Spring.

when the Audubon Society gets through with its
anti-aigrette campaign perhaps i will pay some at
fcntlon &c the cFy CT the Easter chickens, those
GOEny yellow babies which are Matched out by the
thousand during the week preceding Easter ana
hnwlked about the city as though they had no
more feeling than the chickens OF the toy shops
twenty-five thousand Of these babies. varying IN
age from two days 10 week. have been SOLD IN
New York this week. Ore firm alone has sold
twelve thousand and could nave disposed OF many
more II il had had them.
The chickens are sold Easter gifts for children
and Tor advertising purposes Many shops buy
them as window attractions and others give them
away with purchases one store in Brooklyn sold
SIX hundred in this way during the last week
For whatever purpose tie chickens axe solo, the
question naturally arises: What becomes Of them
when Easter week is past2' II is impossible 70
imagine their being kept very long in New York
fats. even in the cute little homes with the legend
Home. Sweet Home" above the portals. that are
sold for their occupancy. and ii is very easy and
correspondingly unpleasant 10 imagine what
child would be likely do with such a pet The
desire 70 squeeze soft and fluffy things seems 10 De
irresistible in the young of the human species
ana discrimination between living creature ana
the uoolly dog supplied by the toy shops Is not
particularly acute a certain ages. It is mghy
Troballe therefore that thousands OF these help
less little creatures have their lives cEoEed on
within a few days after Easter ADD TO thls ''oSe
which are allowed die of neglect ana the FecO'a
a. q rather chastity for the season OF 5os ''-N
sl,anlysgiyne when al the earth is glad and man
kind is supposed 10 be animated by kiEoIe9 SEMI
,aents than al most other seasons OF tie year
The dealers say that they have no means %
lrroving what becomes CT chickens after they sen
sl,era but that there is reason why they should
not be kept even il a New York nat ohli t''es
are Two or three months old when they Would De
cutie old enough to XIII for broileTs some are Io'
innate enough 10 be sent 10 the country BUSINESS
men On their way the ferries stop and BUY lhe''
either lron the regular dealers or from street Nel1
rs and take them TO their children in the country
,-bere they have. something like fair chance n
life Those placed in windows for advertising pun
noses are probably given away when they are 10
longer required and their fate is probienat;ce4
The little creatures are bred al around New
Work within radius Of about thirty miles 10: lhe
T,oste~ season and are sent to the city III crates
covered with q single layer OF bur!ap Ihe A1ue
bodies keep each other warm and the o2r!ao Goes
MT keen ont the air. The express companies aIWay
HURRY the crates through. so that the Dltcs VIII
uof die on their hands. and they rsuatty arr
having sustained much INJURY a case u
rTVo hundred which came in ABOUT Ocl9@H. ;eS.e.
40 effernoOn had heea travelling since oclUch n
~ morning and there was only one chic-ie1 Cead
The frade demands that The chle:'ens stal 1e
either white or yellow and they selI tor - cents
each while the houses are 81. me custom Is
a comparatively recent one, for unit! ieM geiats
80 n y2s not thought possible 10 transport sncA
younr chickens Il is now growing enormously
every year.