chick intellectual development

[allhisblessings]

This interests me also. I try to take my chicks out of the brooder and into my yard every day if possible. Living in north Florida, the weather is warming very comfortably. They get very active with the new stimuli and fly around, over each other, picking up sticks and dried leaves and chasing each other for them. They hardly do any of this behavior in their dull brooder.

 

[akchick76]

I actually heard the other day that it was colder in Florida than in Alaska. And then today it snows. Go figure. Right now, I have chicks in my living room because there is too much snow to start building the coop. Soon though, I will throw caution to the wind and just move the snow so we can get started.

 

[allhisblessings]

No chance of snow for us! It was a weird, warmer winter. Now we are having highs in the seventies. I'm glad, so I could move the brooder out to the barn with the grown chickens and not worry about temperatures. (The dust from the pine shavings was getting everywhere in my house! ) Now the chicks get to see the big chickens in action from the safety of their wire dog kennel instead of sitting in the house in a blue plastic bin. I know it must help their little brains to have more going on.

 

[BrittBergh]

My chicks LOVE duct tape! They scratch the bedding out of the way to find it all day! I also decided to play around with them and draw pictures on the sides and bottom of the brooder (its cardboard) with markers. They love it! They also love playing with the cats toys, mainly the little mice when they have free time. They are afraid of the laser pointer though

 

[allhisblessings]

I actually heard the other day that it was colder in Florida than in Alaska. And then today it snows. Go figure. Right now, I have chicks in my living room because there is too much snow to start building the coop. Soon though, I will throw caution to the wind and just move the snow so we can get started.

it's 83 degrees today! Definitely a chicks playing outdoors kind of day.

 

[wildpeas]

These are my first chicks, they are one week now, and in their brooder they have two alder rounds to climb on and a feather duster to lay under. I also have their water and food up on pavers. I get them out twice a day for run around time while I clean their brooder. I have started putting out a large tray of dirt for them to play in, it's way too cold here for them to go outside. It is a mixture of poultry bathing dust and peat moss. One of them has already started to dust bathe, it's so cute. I also put out a small paper egg carton with a small amount of chicken treat mix, chick scratch, and chick grit in it. They have started to sleep on the logs so I am going to go outside to find some thicker branches for perching.

 

[sjrogers]

I am so excited! I found out the library can get the textbook I mentioned above The Development of Brain and Behavior in the Chicken through one of the universities in a neighboring state. I was pretty happy about this because the book is about $125. I should be getting it next week, so if I find out interesting info, I will share it. One of the ladies at the library thought I was goofy, but the another was as passionate about chickens as I am. She mentioned some of the ways that her chickens are very smart.

 

[sjrogers]

@ Wildpeas. I miss Washington (my home state)! Alder trees! What a great idea about the egg carton. Isn't it adorable to watch them practice their little instinctive chicken behaviors like scratching and bathing? So precious.

 

[sjrogers]

@ allhisblessings: how did the chicks like playing outside? I can't remember what 83 degrees feels like.

 

[wildpeas]

@ Wildpeas. I miss Washington (my home state)! Alder trees! What a great idea about the egg carton. Isn't it adorable to watch them practice their little instinctive chicken behaviors like scratching and bathing? So precious.

I am constantly surprised by how instinctual they are without a mother hen to show them things. Our ducklings and goslings aren't nearly as quick to pick things up. I'm really taken with the chicks.