Thursday, September 11, 2008

Beauty for Chickens

I'll admit it: I spoil my hens. They're so lovely and they bring me so much joy that I can't help but try to give them the best of everything. They eat organic food (including organic greens daily), and probably have the cleanest hen house in Scotland. With winter coming, I've become increasingly concerned about their comfort. Frostbite on combs and wattles can be a problem during our extreme Scottish winters, so I've read up on how to protect them. Everything I've read says to use Vaseline.

I'm not too crazy about the idea of using petro-chemicals on my girls, especially when I go to so much trouble to make sure they're looked after well. It seemed counter-intuitive to slather them with Vaseline, knowing full well it could end up in their beaks and crops (and eventually into their eggs -- ick!).

So I've developed a 100% natural balm to protect them from frostbite this winter. It's full of wholesome goodies like olive oil, blackcurrant seed oil, and beeswax. It forms an excellent barrier against cold and contains no preservatives, colourants, fragrances, or petro-chemicals. The packaging for the balm is completely biodegradable and can be easily composted after use.



Happy hens and chuffed chickens. :)

16 comments:

Joanna Schmidt said...

I thought I clicked the wrong link. What a BIG change on your website. It is fabulous! I am loving the design. It feels so fresh.

Way to go. Loving the wattle balm, fyi...

gracefruit said...

The lovely Gabi at macsoapy did this for me. Isn't she good?

Anonymous said...

I throughly enjoy reading your blogs. I think your idea for a "chicken" balm is genius. Also, love the packaging and the design. Nice work.

gracefruit said...

Thank you! The labels were a lot of fun to make. And I didn't like the thought of Vaseline ending up in the eggs we were eating. Icky times ten!

Body Natural Soap said...

You and my guy would get along great we have geese, chickens, and now ducks. I had to tell him no more birds. Although I benifit from the geese I like to decorate the eggs with polymer clay and the chicken eggs are great for breakfast. I can count on the geese to weed my garden and the chickens to finish leftovers. Not sure about the ducks yet.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Soapkitten - the balm is genius! And I just love the whole concept of it: natural, biodegradable, no petroleum. I gotta get me some. Our chickens don't seem to have trouble with frostbitten combs and wattle, except for the rooster who is huge all over. I'm assuming humans can use this balm too?

gracefruit said...

Sha-Marie, I'd have some geese and ducks if I had more space. And goats. And alpacas. :)

Teresa, thank you! I couldn't decide if it was nuts or not. I'm surprised our chickens didn't get frostbite with this horrible 'summer' we've had.

Humans could use the balm, but it might be a bit heavy. It's designed to sit on the skin as a barrier.

Anonymous said...

Ah, ok...it would actually be an excellent replacement for whenever something calls for Vaseline. E.g. for heels that split in the winter - they say to put Vaseline and a pair of socks on over-night, so one could put on your balm instead. So much better for ya!

gracefruit said...

That makes perfect sense. I wonder if there is a market for petroleum-free jelly.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous idea - lucky chickens......almost as cool as my Gorgeous Guineas products LOL!

Chrissie & 8 Gorgeous Guienas

gracefruit said...

Hee, Chrissie! :) Everyone needs pampering.

Kate said...

I clicked on your store link SO hoping to find the comb and wattle balm for sale! You should defintely sell it - I think people would buy it for themselves (and their baby "chicks") as well!

Kate said...

Ah! Found it! Just clicked on the wrong link!

gracefruit said...

Hi Kate, I'm glad you found it. :) I hope other people feel the same about petro-chemicals on their birds.

Heidi said...

Way to think outside the box! I love the idea of un-petroleum jelly. There is definitely a market for it!

We can't have chickens but our friends offered to keep some for us. I'll have to see if she needs anything like that...

gracefruit said...

Heidi, it makes me sad to see that so many of my friends here aren't allowed to keep chickens. The laws there must be really strict. Here in the UK, keeping a couple of hens is no problem, unless your neighbours complain.