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Egg-cellent: DA Cracks Down On Illegal Sale Of Chicks, Bunnies, Ducks In Suffolk

Those looking for an animal to go in their Easter basket should stick with the chocolate kind.

"Peep" the chick was one of a handful of baby chicks SCDA detectives purchased as part of an investigation that ended in multiple businesses being charged for illegally selling baby animals, the DA said.

"Peep" the chick was one of a handful of baby chicks SCDA detectives purchased as part of an investigation that ended in multiple businesses being charged for illegally selling baby animals, the DA said.

 Photo Credit: Suffolk County District Attorney
Sophie Grieser
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Multiple Suffolk County businesses have been charged with misdemeanors for selling small quantities of day-old baby chicks, the Suffolk County DA announced on Wednesday, April 5.

Baby chicks, bunnies, and ducklings are often purchased near Easter and are used for decorations or presents, DA Raymond A. Tierney said, adding that "animals are not toys or merchandise."

They can sometimes be dyed in an assortment of colors, which can cause illness and death to the animal.

Chicks, bunnies, and ducklings “first end up in Easter baskets, and next, abandoned in local parks where they're unable to survive,” wrote John Di Leonardo, anthrozoologist and Executive Director of Humane Long Island.

“Without a flock, they often die from lack of warmth or become imprinted on humans, permanently compromising their welfare.”

The New York State Agriculture and Markets Law (AML) section 354 prohibits people from selling or giving away “living baby chicks, ducklings or other fowl or baby rabbits” that are under two months of age in groups of fewer than six.

It also prohibits the selling or display of these animals whose fur or feathers have been artificially dyed.

Multiple arrests have been made by SCPD at businesses illegally selling baby chicks, including:

  • Long Island Poultry, located at 2089 Sound Avenue in Calverton;
  • Raleigh Poultry Farm, Inc., located at 335 Old Indian Head Road in Kings Park;
  • Agway of Port Jefferson, located at 295 Route 25A in Mount Sinai.

All three businesses were charged with one count AML 354(3) and are due to appear at Suffolk County First District Court on Monday, April 24 for arraignment.

Violating AML can result in a misdemeanor charge, which is punishable by up to one year in jail and a $500 fine. 

The DA's office encouraged anyone with information on the illegal selling or dying of baby animals to contact the agency at BEAST@suffolkcountyny.gov.

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