Chick update week

At
three and a half weeks old, our Dark
Cornish chicks are
mostly feathered and I’m considering turning off their brood
light.  Mark’s insulated
brooder box has
worked perfectly for the last week, allowing us to downgrade to a lower
wattage light while the chicks stay just as warm, and I’m wishing we’d
created an insulated section like this from the start.  It gives
our chicks a lot more freedom to choose their favorite
temperature.  They can loll in the encapsulated heat, or walk just
a few inches away and cool down while scratching and leaping.



Speaking of leaping,
these chicks are even spunkier in week three than they were in week
two!  The coop
that originally seemed so huge is now a small playground for our 25
cockerels.  They’ve taken to leaping up on their brooder box,
scampering across the cinderblocks protecting them from digging
intruders, and even perching on their chicken waterer.  Yikes!  Mark
made them a perch to give them a bit more play space and is hard at
work fencing in their first pasture area.