Some cute chicks at the pool

If I added "at the red light district" to this post's title, would that be too distasteful?  That title popped in my head as I was thinking of writing this post but I assure you - everything here is G-rated!

 Here is what I am talking about - baby chickens in a plastic kiddie pool under a red heat lamp!

This is the 3rd spring we bought baby chicks.  This has been the most problematic batch though.  First they were rejected by two broody hens, resulting in the death of one. Then last week fighting broke out amongst them.  Cluck Norris and especially Ray Pullet, our two Ameraucana martial artists, were pecking the Black Austrolorp and Gold Lace Wyandette chickens.  Not only were the black chickens being pecked at, but their back feathers were being pulled out and one had a bloody back. 

Since they were getting bigger anyway, we knew it was time to separate them into two crates so they would have more room.

This was a very temporary fix though.  The chicks were almost able to fly out of the crate.  So I got online and looked at ... Pinterest for ideas.  There were some really neat ones - ranging from wooden crates, a Shabby Chic cabinet, to pools, to a pack-n-play!  (I pinned some - see my "Chicken board" here.) 

The pool with the high wire looked like the best for us for right now.  So Frank and Hunter cleaned out our old plastic kiddie pool.  Then the next day I got to work setting up our chicks next rental home.   I even built a few perches (idea off Pinterest too).  I lined the bottom with newspaper then covered it with straw.  I put the waterer inside a big plastic tray to help keep the waterer cleaner.  (Chicks love to scratch and straw is often flying into it.)

Frank got home in time to help put wiring around it.  (Leftover goat fence wiring with chicken wire over the lower half.) 

Then the fun part - moving the chicks in.  They immediately set about exploring.

But later when I looked in, one of the Black Austrolorp was bleeding on its back again.  Then I saw Ray Pullet and a Buff Orphington tag teaming, pecking on another Austrolorp.  Oh no.

I remembered that we had a bottle of "Rooster Booster Pick-No-More Cover-Up Lotion" so I hurried to grab that.  I also got a container of healing green salve.  (More on the green salve below - I make and sell this.) 

Now the one drawback to the wiring around the pool is, is that it is rather tricky to get in and out of by myself.  So Frank opened and closed it while I was grabbing chicks to treat, and then putting them back in. 

I put green salve on the back of the bleeding chicken.  Then I sprayed him with the Rooster Booster.  This is a dark spray that made his exposed white skin darker colored and therefore less attractive to chicks wanting to peck him.  I did this on all the black chicks because they were all missing feathers and fur.  :(

Things calmed down in the pool after this, thank goodness.  I went and started looking online to see if there were other things I could do to help this problem.

I soon found that using red heat lamps, instead of white, was highly suggested to cut down on bullying.  I excited told Tabby and Frank what I had read.  They both informed me they already knew this.

Oh.  Well I didn't and they didn't suggest it.  Frank agreed to buy a red heat lamp the next morning.

I am happy to report that everyone seems to be getting along just fine.  Thank you Rooster Booster and red heat lamp!

Sigh.

Sometimes it seems really silly to sit here typing chicken stories.  It can be fun but it's not the same as blogging about Lilly.  So - quick flashback picture:

chunky sleeping beauty

Now the info. about my green salve.  First - you can easily make it yourself.  You can buy the kit here from Bulk Herb Store.  This stuff is great for people or animals.  Here is my advertising blurb:

Herbal GREEN SALVE - This “green stuff” is a great salve to have around for use on just about everything. Use it on: scrapes, bites, burns, cuts, blisters, stings, rashes, dry cracked skin, cold sores, psoriasis, eczema, poison ivy, etc.! You can even use it on your pets irritated skin. Use as often as needed.
Contains: Plantain Leaf, Calendula Flower, Comfrey Leaf, Yarrow Flower, Rosemary Leaf, Echinacea Root, Echinacea Leaf. In a base of coconut oil.
2 oz. tin = $3.00 and 4 oz. tin = $6.00.
One of my sons and I got stung by wasps. I put this salve on our stings immediately and repeated a few times. The hurt was gone within minutes and the bites never swelled. One of my nephews asks for this stuff whenever he gets a bug bite or scrape. It's good "green stuff!"

Have a blessed week!