Chick Check, Week Two

On Tuesday, I cleaned out the small chick pen and moved them to the larger pen.  Was able to get an accurate count while relocating them and it seems we still have all the chicks accounted for.  Everyone seemed to enjoy the extra room and began exploring their surroundings pretty much as soon as I closed the door behind me.

Chicks at two days old:

Chicks at two weeks old:

The Cornish Cross chicks are growing at an incredible rate.  Although we’ve raised them for four years, I never really had anything to compare their growth to.  But since we bought the day-old Cornish chicks the same day our layer mutt chicks (LMC) hatched, I can see now how fast they are growing compared to “normal” chickens. 

Rhiannon and I sit and chicken-watch almost every day, and there is a definite attitude difference between the two.  When we put out chick starter in the morning (or anything else even resembling a feed pan or feed) the Cornish are the first to the breakfast table.  The LMC’s aren’t being forced away from the feed, but I can see it being a potential problem later on.  Those Cornish just take up so much room and end up sitting right next to, or often in the feed so even when they aren’t eating, they are blocking access to the food trays.

The LMC’s are also scratching around the barn floor more than the Cornish.  Both groups do their share of chick-running around the barn, but the LMC’s are already able to flap their way up to a little perch.  The Cornish wouldn’t be able to flap their way up an inch if they tried.

"Come and get me fattie!"

But otherwise, everyone seems pretty happy.  Heak, who wouldn’t be happy falling asleep in a big ol’ bowl of food?