Bunnies, Ducklings, And Chicks: Resist The Temptation

Just buy chocolate instead

Rabbits

Amanda Olsen Jennifer Corr

editors@antonmediagroup.com

It’s spring, a time when many people consider adding some soft, fluffy friends to their home. Chicks, ducks, and rabbits are pets that are traditionally gifted around Easter. Associating these animals with renewal and rebirth extends well before Christianity.

It’s often told that these symbols of the season have their roots in pagan celebrations, but the Folklore Center at the Library of Congress found no historical evidence of this before the writings of Venerable Bede, who lived from 672 to 735. He mentions the Anglo-Saxon goddess Eostre as the origin for the month of April and the name given to the now Christian holiday of Easter. Though this is often connected to stories about a German goddess of similar name, sometimes written as Ostara, none of these accounts are older than Jacob Grimm’s original publication of the story in 1835. It’s more likely that these animals are associated with spring because of observations about eggs, rabbits and hares, and their habits and behaviors at this time.

Regardless of where the tradition springs from, it can be very tempting to gift one of these adorable animals, especially when they are young and small. It’s important to note what keeping rabbits, ducks, or chickens involves, however, and making sure both you and your home are up to the task.

Rabbits are the most common animal associated with the Easter holiday. While a recent law makes it illegal to sell rabbits from pet stores in New York State, that law does not take effect until 2024, making this the last Easter they can be purchased this way. Rabbits can weigh anywhere from 4 to 20 pounds depending on their breed, live up to 12 years, and need daily exercise. They can be litter trained and taught to come when called. They should live inside, in either a large pen or rabbit-proofed area, due to the danger of wild animals and weather conditions. Rabbits are social animals and do best with a companion, usually another rabbit.

Ducks

It’s not hard to see why people find tottering, fuzzy ducklings appealing. Ducklings quickly grow up into ducks, which can be up to 26 inches tall and weigh between 1.5 to 3.5 pounds. They have quite a demanding set of requirements in order to thrive. In order to clean their eyes and nostrils, domestic ducks need a water source that is deep enough for them to submerge their heads. Surprisingly, ducks don’t need a pond for swimming; a kiddie pool that is kept fresh works well enough. This means changing the water every day, since ducks wet their food in the water and also poop in it. Since domestic ducks can’t fly, it’s important that their living space is secure from wild animals. Ducks also do better with companions of the same species, although they will live with chickens.

Chickens

The sound of tiny chicks peeping from the corner of the local feed store can be irresistible, but just like ducklings, they don’t stay small for long. Chickens range in size up to a few pounds and can live ten years. For the first eight weeks, they need to be kept inside, under heat lamps, until their adult feathers come in. Then they need to be kept outdoors, in a coop, with space enough to keep them from becoming stressed.

Once the cuteness wears off and the commitment kicks in, Easter pet owners often feel the sharp pang of buyer’s remorse. Shelters and rescues often see an uptick in surrenders in the weeks after Easter, when people begin to realize how much work is involved in keeping these animals.

When it comes to rabbits, Lori Ketcham of Save the Animal Rescue Foundation emphasizes the special attention required. “They’re wonderful pets, but they require daily cleaning, fresh food and water every day. They need attention. They need space. If you don’t pay attention to them, they get bored and start chewing on things. Boys spray urine on the wall. There’s a lot of things people should research before saying ‘it’s cute,’ and bringing it home from the pet shop.”

Worse yet, these living creatures are frequently abandoned in parks and wooded areas.

“Domestic ducks are thinking, feeling individuals, not school science experiments, Easter photo props or objects to be discarded like trash when you don’t want them anymore. Abandoning domestic fowl is as cruel and illegal as abandoning a dog or a cat. Domestic ducks have tiny wings, large bodies and generally no camouflage. They typically cannot fly, and they can never migrate — literally sitting ducks for predators and cruel people when abandoned to the wild,” said John Di Leonardo, Executive Director of Humane Long Island. “Domestic ducks also lack the survival instincts of wild birds; many were raised in incubators and never learned even limited skills from their mother. When abandoned on ponds, they don’t know how to forage for naturally occurring food and often starve to death. They are routinely attacked and killed by predators, including raccoons, foxes, snapping turtles, and cruel humans.”

Bringing any animal into your life should be a careful, deliberate decision, not an impulse. Because of the serious commitment required, pets should not be given as gifts. It should be done with a great deal of thought and discussion, and with as little fanfare and excitement as possible to avoid stressing the animal.

“Taking any animal into your house if a lifetime commitment to that animal, so it’s not to be done for entertainment values and for things like looking cute; having a couple chicks running around at Easter, or a little baby bunny. Taking that into your home has to be carefully thought out on how you’re going to take care of it. Abandoning animals is a crime,” said Gary Rogers of the Nassau SPCA. He did have some encouraging news, however. “We’ve seen [the issue of Easter pets being abandoned], but we don’t see it as much anymore. But every once in a while, somebody thinks it’s cute to get theirs so now we’re dealing with the aftermath two to three months from now.”