The thermometer is on top of the mason jar feeder so it is maybe 6 inches higher than the chicks themselves.
In the interest of being a good mother hen to these chicks I decided they needed to get a taste of the real world, so I brought in some composted horse manure with a little green grass and a bunch of worms that I dug out of one of the vegetable beds I'm supposed to be preparing. I figure these little birds are going to grow up to be the bug patrol so they should get imprinted on what's good to eat.
The first chick to pick up a worm couldn't quite figure out how to eat it but all the other chicks immediately wanted a bite, so she was mobbed. That pattern repeated and pretty quickly the technique of grabbing a worm and running away from the rest of the flock at top speed became the favorite. They quickly ate most of the visible worms, by pecking bites rather than the spaghetti slurp method. I felt kind of bad for the worms... but the peepers sure loved them!
I'll write a bit of backstory tomorrow; why chickens, why this particular breed, etc.
