Thanks, Jeff!!! It's just amazing how they're growing & filling the space! It's amazing seeing a flock of this quantity in there, because this is the size flock we sized the building to hold. We are watching how it meets our expectations. In real time, this flock is at the end of day 13, & they are using the whole floor space of 30' × about 25'. They're in their 13th bag of feed. We haven't had to use heat lamps at all for about a week, I think. So far, so good. 28 days to go. I need to look at a calendar to track if the flock is still right on for target feed consumption, but I think it is doing well in that regard. Thank you for watching & comment! Thanks for your time & effort supporting our channel! We are grateful!

Thanks! I liked that, too. Makes it easy to describe which row needs attention when we're working in the pen. We did order bigger feeders & waterers, so I'm excited to see how those will work out for the flock! Thank you very much for watching & commenting! We greatly appreciate it! Many blessings to you!!!

Thank you so much for the acknowledgment & kind words! Thanks for watching & commenting! We greatly appreciate it!!! It was a learning curve over a couple years' time for us studying & practicing how to raise these birds with some success. We figured if we could get a good sense of raising 100 at a time successfully, the same system could be scaled up or down as needed. So far, the theory has worked out well. I hope you'll check back in with our channel regularly. Thanks very much for your time & effort supporting our channel. We are grateful! Many blessings to you & your family! ❤️ Have a wonderful week!

Hi! Thanks for viewing & commenting! Thank you also for a great question! I do firstly think it's a response to an inconsistency or variable in a micro-spot of a pen...most likely a response to uneven temperature, but it could also be in response to lighting, air flow, or humidity nuances. Our building would have alot of variables & fluctuations, so we will see some redult of that show up in their behaviors. Second, I do also think for chickens in general that they basically use a "safety in numbers" mentality. Their mindset kind of says to their behavior "do all things collectively" for safety. For example, it's normal to see startle responses & scatter responses from most of the flock, or from subgroups of the flock, when we're doing pretty routine things, like opening the big doorways or letting strong sunlight into the doorways. Third, we feel there's more of the crowding behavior when the chickens start to feel a higher stocking density as they grow & take up more of their space. Overall, there does just seem to be a natural tendency in chicks for them to go toward the outermost perimeter of their space & then crowd into corners; we've observed those 3 possible underlying causes to their clustering in that way. Interestingly, I've also read there's basically 3 potential theories on why chicks exhibit a spatial distribution that is basically a cluster behavior; they may cluster in a corner, or they may collectively line up along the perimeter near the walls (in either case, they may even seem to disperse more or less in sub-groups of the flock). One theory is for warmth. That is definitely logical, but in this instance, it doesn't seem to me to explain the chicks' behavior, because there is ample space under heat lamps nearby. Another theory is that it's an aversion behavior...the chicks are exhibiting an aversion to 1) either perceived or real crowding, or 2) some perceived disruption they experienced in their environment...for example, a predator or pressure to move or draftiness or a shift in lighting. A perceived disturbance makes sense to me as a possibility in this instance, because I was in the building & talking, & that creates for the birds a perceived disturbance in their building. In this theory, it stands to reason to us that as long as resources are available & needs are met, less going in & out of their space is preferred to more going in & out of their space. It is part of the reason we try to only work in the space just as much as is necessary, but no more than necessary. We also try to limit noise around their building, & when we allow viewing of the flock, we ask people to remain behind the short wall or outside the building looking in through the big doorways. A third theory is that the chicks prefer social attraction to social aversion...which is just to say that when a few chicks in a large group exhibit a behavior, some or many of the chicks are likely to mimic the same behavior. In other words, they are potentially more likely to startle or scatter collectively than to ignore one or a few birds startling or scattering. Furthermore, they're also likely to congregate in corners or the outermost perimiters rather than in the center of their space. Therefore, it is typical to observe a part of the flock exhibiting the same behavior & clustering in one spot. There could be reasons beyond these theories, too. I tend to think it may have something to do with uneven spots of lighting or moving air. It's a great question. I don't think I know with certainty the answer, but those theories are pretty insightful into the birds' behaviors. We think the only way probably to prevent the clustering is a totally temperature controlled building with perfectly even lighting. It certainly makes it interesting to watch their behavior & work toward getting conditions as even & consistent as possible. Thanks for the great question! I hope this reply is helpful! We appreciate your time & effort to watch & comment. Many thanks! God bless you, & have a wonderful week! Thanks!