Thanks for the information. Just got home. Here is a picture of what they were doing this afternoon.
Do I see that you are heating them with a heating pad on the floor? Is it raised up in the middle so they can get under it? If you are using a heating pad, it is much more effective if they can get under it. It should be raised up enough so they can scoot under it and touch it with their backs when they snuggle under it. YOu can find lots of info on how to make a heating pad cave on this thread:After the first day, the chicks did not do it again. As an additional precaution and to help keep pine chips/poop out of it, we followed some advice and put it on top of a couple bricks. They can reach it fine, but have not been kicking stuff up into the dish.
We have been replacing the water/cleaning it out twice a day. It has been between 30-50 degrees outside in the mornings and evenings, so I've been making sure that the water is staying warm.
They are growing fast!
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/956958/mama-heating-pad-in-the-brooder-picture-heavy-update
and by reading this article: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/yes-you-certainly-can-brood-chicks-outdoors
If I'm mistaken in what I'm seeing, my apology.
