Chicks: I had no idea they'd be such competent flyers at 2 weeks

[Bulletproof Roo]

Today is day 13 since my two chicks hatched in the incubator, and I've been making a point of taking the top off their brooder every day since the day after they hatched to pick each one up and handle them a little, to keep them used to handling.

Their flight skills have been developing very quickly since their flight feathers started coming in. Now their flight feathers are about fully developed, and they can fly now about as well as adult chickens. Who knew?? When I open it up now to pick them up they both want to fly out of the brooder. If they do that, will they actively evade being recaptured, or do they tend to be fairly passive in that regard?

 

[jdoane]

Mine usually would just fly up to the top of the brooder and walk around the top unless they got startled in which case they would jump down sometimes into the brooder and sometimes out. If they jump out they are a little challenging to catch. e