Pastel colored eggs are everywhere this time of year. Now there’s a new “cheep” trick: newborn chicks dyed a rainbow of colors—neon pink to melon green. Poultry farms sell the chicks as novelty pets for Easter. Claiming that the process is harmless, the farmers either inject the eggs with dye during the 18^th day of their 21-day incubation (and seal the hole with wax), or they spray the newborn hatchlings with a Trix-colored mist. The color lasts a few weeks and wears off as the chicks’ feathers grow. Apparently, some scientists also use similar techniques to track birds in the wild after they hatch. Naturally, animal rights activists are squawking about the latest dye job. They say the process is stressful for the chicks, and they protest selling such young animals. In addition, many kids get bored with their rainbow-colored pets and the parents end up dropping them off at the local Humane Society after Easter. About half the states and many towns have banned the practice. The lesson: Don’t paint your chickens before they hatch!