Mahonri and all the gang;
I am beginning to think I have some sort of strain of super chicken. These things are proving to be indestructible, and super active. In 1 week 24 chicks have eaten 12-1/2 lbs of chick starter. If I open the brooder and the feeder is near empty they attack my hand, when placing the feeder back in the brooder I'll have a half dozen chickes riding on it by the time it is set down. Yet no cannibalism. I am brooding these in the same fashion I have always brooder my chicks. Wooden wall hanging booder 3'X6' with 3 heat lamps evenly spaced out across the top. First week I use the center 2'X3' area and open the additional areas as the chicks grow. At 10 days these chicks have the run of the whole brooder. Wire floored, I cover the wire with news paper and then add more shredded paper as bedding. These things shred their own paper. 28* here Saturday night I figured to have some problems with the cold, I don't believe they noticed it was cold. I checked on them twice, both times they were well spaced and quiet.
My wife says they are wild. My experience with these chicks have me nearly convinced to raise this bloodline of Rhode Island Reds. What I figure is the guy I bought the eggs from doesn't spend a whole lot of time and energy taking care of his birds. So for generation after generation it has been survival of the fittest. So through this natural selection process he has created a bloodline of strong birds.
Wow! They sounds pretty amazing.