Peter Cottontail hopped down the bunny trail this morning and wound up in some Easter baskets.

Cute little rabbits, fuzzy chicks and adorable ducklings are popular gifts this time of year, but some families may be wondering what to do with the new additions to the household.

"First of all, you have to be in a home with animal rights or know someone who will take them," says Kim Belanger of Clarkston, a 4-H leader and superintendent of the poultry barn at the Asotin County Fair.

That's how her family wound up with a duckling last spring.

"Someone got a duck for Easter," Belanger says, "and it outgrew the bathtub in about a month. The woman lived in an apartment and needed to find a home for it so we ended up with it. Then it was lonely so we got more."

Belanger's well-kept backyard farm in the Heights includes a variety of poultry, rabbits, pigs, miniature horses, a dog and two cats. Kim is a stay-at-home mom and her husband, Nick, works at Costco. They have three children, Rachel, 9, Anna, 7, and Sammy, 5, who all help care for the family pets.

Before school, the children gather eggs, and feed and water the animals. The chicks need fresh bedding, and pens and cages have to be cleaned regularly.

Raising rabbits or chickens or any kind of livestock is a full-time responsibility that shouldn't be taken lightly, says Frank Heath, a 4-H leader in Kendrick.

"Don't buy them on a whim," says Heath, who has been raising rabbits for 10 years. "This is not just a hobby for children. Parents need to be involved, too. Rabbits are a good project for kids, but they can't do it all by themselves."

Wayne Heath, 12-year-old son of Frank and Dawn Heath, is active in Cedar Ridge Wranglers 4-H Club and has won numerous awards for his rabbits. "They are a lot of work," he says. "But generally they are not like a dog. They don't get loose, and they don't cause major problems."

Families playing with a new bunny today will have to learn about care and feeding requirements, and make sure they have a safe place to keep them.

"They need a proper cage," Heath says. "They need to be protected from dogs and cats. Rabbit hutches have to be shaded all the time and tarped during the winter."

Belanger says the list of necessities for the newly hatched includes water, chick feed, heat, light and a safe place that is kept clean. The initial expense is about $30 for caging, bedding chips, heat lamps and other supplies.

"And you can't just have one chick," she says. "It won't survive. You need at least two so they have each for body heat and encouragement."

Figuring out where chickens and rabbits are allowed may require a call to zoning officials as each city and county in the region has its own ordinance on livestock.

In general, bunnies and chicks are allowed in the Heights and Orchards, and prohibited within the city limits of Clarkston and in downtown Lewiston. Some neighborhoods have additional covenants concerning animals.

There are outside influences that new pet owners should keep in mind. Most agricultural and rural-residential areas in this region are home to a variety of domestic and wild animals. Belanger's ducks fell prey to a fox last week. "We lost the whole flock," she says.

Kids who are interested in raising rabbits, chickens or other livestock can get a lot of information at county extension offices and through 4-H programs. Animal projects are a good way to learn about responsibility, Heath says, and being a 4-H leader is a worthwhile endeavor.

"You can't live on this Earth without giving something back. If we don't spend time with our kids, we can't teach them about life."

Belanger, who grew up near Seattle, is in her fourth year as a 4-H leader of the Animal Crackers club. "I spent summers at my grandparents' farm in Priest River. All my cousins did 4-H, and I was the city kid. Since then I've learned city kids can do 4-H, too."

She and her family moved to the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley from North Bend, Wash., five years ago and are considering getting more acreage. "I love it here," Belanger says. "You cannot beat the weather."

Belanger and other Asotin County 4-H leaders and kids are busy gearing up for the annual fair, held the last weekend of this month. "We are definitely in crazy mode. We have three nights of 4-H a week leading up to the fair."

The Animal Crackers club just bought an incubator in Las Vegas off eBay, Belanger says, and Potlatch Corp. shipped it to the valley. Fairgoers will now have the chance to see live hatchings.

"They are cute and everyone loves them," Belanger says of the baby chicks. "But when you look at a chick, you have to remember it's going to be a full-size chicken in about four months."

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Sandaine may be contacted at kerris@lmtribune.com or (208) 743-9600, ext. 264.