On the Christian calendar, Easter is as important a
holiday as Christmas. Often it is the favorite because it takes place during
the spring season, seen as a time of birth (or rebirth) and hope for eons. Sadly, Easter is just as commercialized as
Christmas, with the added element of baby animals for sale. These animals
supposedly represent the holiday, but in actuality have nothing to do with it.
I’m sure you noticed the photo of the beautiful
white bunny at the beginning of this post. His name is Mr. Harry Buns, and he’s
an adopted rabbit, one with a sad back story. He’s lucky he lived long enough to
find a loving forever home. Besides being stinkin’ cute, that’s the biggest
reason he’s my “Poster Bunny”. I want to implore people not to buy bunnies,
chicks, duckling or goslings for Easter. The following links all provide really
good reasons why these animals make the worst impulse purchases, especially for
children.
The first article is strictly about rabbits. If,
after reading it, you still think you’re getting a rabbit, I strongly suggest
you open the provided links to the House Rabbit Society chapters. Do both
yourself and the new bunny a huge favor and be prepared before Hopper comes
home. The House Rabbit Society strongly encourages adoption, but they may
mention this in their FAQs. But just in case they don’t, make sure any baby
bunny you bring home is more than 10
weeks old. It takes time for rabbits to fully develop their immune systems.
Bunnies younger than that will probably die within a matter of days, especially
pet store bunnies crowded in a small pen, which probably come from several
different litters.
Now, about the fowl. We’ll start with the chicks.
While cute and fuzzy, those itty bitty babies need extra special care and accommodations
- meaning a big box, heat lamp and the right kind of food dispensers – not to
mention the food. To ensure the survival of chicks these things are not optional. Without the heat lamp in particular,
chicks die in a day or two. Ducklings and goslings are much hardier, but they
still need all the appropriate supplies from day one, including their grown-up
house. In fact, you should have the grown up house for all these birds before
you bring them home. They all reach maturity in 2 months or less, and they are
only cute and fuzzy for a week or two. After that, they molt the baby fuzz to
start growing their adult feathers. When that happens, they become down-right
ugly. I can guarantee most children won’t find them charming.
Do you know anything about the personalities of
these animals as adults? (I do, from experience.) Unless, you make a point of
buying sexed chicks (you pay more for hens), you could end up with roosters.
Like the “Highlander” movie immortals, there can be only one. Roosters in the
same coop will fight to the death. Do your kids need to witness that? Your
neighbors will also find them highly annoying, because they crow throughout the
day. Get any romantic notions you have about backyard hens out of your head.
Sure, fresh eggs are great. But egg production is a function of youth. Hens
produce eggs for only a couple of years, but they outlive that function for a
few more years. If you want continuous egg production, what do you plan to do
with the non-producing hens? In commercial agriculture hens which no longer lay
become stewing chickens in the grocery store. Once upon a time, when keeping
livestock meant feeding families, thrifty farm wives invented dishes like
chicken and dumplings and coq au vin. As for ducks and geese, they are highly
territorial, especially geese. Geese in pairs will take over an entire
backyard. (Even a single goose will take possession of a large territory.) They
are big birds well aware of their size who have no difficulty attacking adults,
let alone children. Ducks are a bit mellower, but they bite almost as hard as
geese do. Lastly, birds are dirty and poop copious amounts. If anyone in your
household has respiratory issues, they will have to be excused from cleaning
the fowl accommodations. (Another fact I know from experience. On a visit to a
feed store with a large poultry inventory, all the bird dander triggered my
asthma in less than 5 minutes.)
Lastly, what are you really teaching your children
when you give them a live gift not very likely to survive for long? You will
either be causing them unnecessary sadness, or raising individuals who have no
regard for our Savior’s creation. Jesus cares about everything on this planet
that he placed in our care. He fully expects us to be good, responsible
stewards. I firmly believe he sheds tears when we squander and abuse the
precious treasures all around us.
I do want to wish all who read this a blessed holiday,
and may you have a very special celebration with your loved ones. Buns wants to
thank you for caring for God’s creatures with consideration and kindness.
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