My 5 week old chicks have been in a bath tub and heat lamp brooder, in the goat barn/dog kennel since I got them in the mail (at 70 hours old). Its been very hot, so I made a place for them outside in a large cage I hung in the layers pen, so they are sheltered from the direct sun, rain and non-human predators. I put them outside yesterday after hearing how hot it was supposed to be today. After the initial freak out panic, they have settled down and are lovin' life! The far end of the cage lets them sun themselves in the morning and early afternoon before the sun gets really hot. The little darlin's were all sprawled out today soakin up the rays. Well, that was until I put their daily meal of hard boiled eggs in for them to snack on. They dove on those like a school of pirhana! I was so worried about them last nigth, but they survived and thrived, so I guess I was just an over protective chicken mom after the nightmare of their baby days. (ordered 25, got 24. Lost 10 within the first 36 hours because of the shape they arrived in) I am on vaca next week, so I will be building their big girl coop and pen so they will have even better digs!
Isn't it great to watch them enjoying their "big kid" space? They are so fun to watch. And I am sure you love it as much as they do. But *sniff sniff* they grow so fast!
