10 day old chicks in their enriched cage,



the chicks are now about 10 days old, this is one of the 2 Golden Laced Wyandotte chicks

they still have a lot of fuzz

I had to move the chicks into a large dog crate in the house because it was too hot in the garage during the day.

normally I put hay in their crates when they are in the garage, but that makes cleanup a lot harder, so since they are indoors I am just giving them clumps of fresh grass and weeds

this is one of the little Welsummer chicks, the grass seeds seen in front of this chick keep them rather busy as the expertly peck away at them. Don't know how much of it all they are eating

this is the little Silver Spangled Hamburg chick, she is already a week older than the others and this last week she really grew a lot

so cute

those pictures were taken in the morning before I cleaned out their area, so there is quite a bit of poop laying around. I take everything out twice a day, at this age, that keeps things pretty well under control and it helps to monitor closely for any problems like coccidiosis. The chicks are on medicated starter food, but it is still important to pay close attention to catch any problems early on. I am finding that old towels work best for me as they can be easily gathered and taken outside to get rid of all the debris, then they go into the washer and are washed with bleach.

what a funny looking chick, I hope it's a hen and not a rooster

3 of the 4 Welsummer chicks checking out the grass

I had to put out flat bowls for their food because one, or maybe even two of the chicks seemed to have trouble with the feeders I normally use, they could not figure out to eat the food out of the holes and instead kept pecking at the few crumbs collecting on the rims, thus they weren't getting enough food.

one week size difference

the Hamburg has much longer legs at this point, in a few weeks the age difference won't be noticable anymore

The Wyandottes are both larger than the Welsummers also, even when they are the same age

it always amazes me how quickly their feathers are growing

group picture, the 4 Welsummers on the right, the 2 Wyandottes on the left

I've purposely put in the towels in a crumpled up fashion so the ground is uneven to help the chicks' feet get proper exercise for their growing little feet. I think it's also good brain exercise to negotiate uneven terrain.

view of the corner of their "habitat" which at this point is a 2 x 4 foot large wire dog crate. I just used a large sheet and tied it up a foot from the ground to keep the chicks from squeezing through the wire of the crate. I think in another week they should be too big to fit through the openings and then I can remove the sheet so they can see the outside world at eye level. It's supposed to be in the 90s next weekend again, so I will put them outside during the day for more exercise and fresh air.