43 Baby Chicks

With the 4 wooden crates that James and Beth gave me and my neighbors jigsaw---

I was able to make this cute little brooder for the chicks... They had started out in the house in ONE tote and when that became FOUR totes --- it was time to quickly get them OUT OF THE HOUSE.

It is so nice having them outdoors where they belong. The only

problem is that I am unable to keep as close of an eye on them.. If I go for a couple hours with out checking on them, someone has a bloody tush or a little peck mark on their neck. I grabbed the Rooster Booster cream and started tending to all the bo bos.

I began by bringing a few chicks back in a tote to the house to doctor them and let them rest, and to allow the Rooster Booster cream to dry before putting them back with the others. This became so often that I finally took the Rooster Booster bottle outside and I bent into their brooder and stayed there... half in half out.... for about 20 minutes just grabbing chicks and dabbing all their wounds.

The brooder sets up high and I have to climb a stool to get up there, and when I tried to catch them they all run to the far back wall just out of reach. In order to get them I have to literally reach and stretch and almost crawl into the brooder.

It is rediculous but much faster than bringing each bird into the house. I can imagine what the neighbors were thinking as they drive by my home and see this big wooden box with my bottom half hanging out of the side window. OMG And to make matters worse, this stuff is hard to get off of your hands, and even after several washings, it still makes your eyes burn and your mouth numb with the slightest touch.

This morning when I went back out to check on them, what do you think I find, MORE bo bos?Good grief. I am so tired of my stained hands and my numb lips. I remember what Beth and Sammye both use, and since I need to buy more Rooster Booster anyway, I am going to buy the spray on kind and make my life so much easier. I can't find it anywhere so Sammye lets me use hers.

I decide to cover each chick with this Blu Kote and be done with all this

pecking business once and for all. I was creative this time, and as I covered each little darlin with the spray, I moved them to the colony cage where they will be living next week. This helped them to dry and also helped me to make sure I covered each and every one of them.

I thought the spray would be less messy but I was wrong. What a great time to remember the box of latex gloves in the house.