'Specials' on sale: Eye-catching chicks

Young chickens, dyed in various colours, are offered for sale at a small poultry market in the Indonesian capital Jakarta yesterday.

The chicks have been artificially dyed by breeders who inject eggs with a chemical to produce the kaleidoscope of colours, which last for the first few weeks of a chick's life. The process was originally devised by scientists to observe the movement of birds in the wild.

Now the technique, claimed to be harmless, is becoming increasingly popular in Asia and the Middle East, where market stallholders use the colourful chicks to attract customers.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 19, 2016, with the headline 'Specials' on sale: Eye-catching chicks. Subscribe