It's warm and dry... in the brooder. That's about the only place though. Baby chicks arrived last week, and are doing great. They like the temperature to be around 90 for their first few days of life. We have designed our brooders to utilize the space efficiently. They are stacked on each other 4 layers high. Each layer is 2 feet tall and can hold 200 chicks until about 3 weeks of age. A fan in the back of the brooder draws fresh air in periodically and helps regulate temperature. The water is delivered via automatic drinkers similar to the ones they will have when they move out to pasture. Even though they will likely all find the water on their own, we take the time to dip each beak into the water as the chicks are placed into the brooder. We feel like this early drink of water helps them find water sooner, and speeds their acclimation to their new environment. Feed for these little bitties is available 24/7, and we check water, feed, temperature, bedding, air quality, and activity multiple times per day. I'm not sure what my favorite part of farming is, but this has to rank pretty high. Any time I walk by the brooder barn, I step in to take a peek. It's so satisfying to see all those baby chicks enjoying an ideal environment that we have worked hard to create. Especially knowing that in a few weeks they will go out to another environment (pasture) that is ideal for growing and adult chickens. Most chickens in this country will never get to experience the scratching, pecking, insect-hunting, and grass-eating that happens on pasture. These chickens will experience all of those things, and I can't help but be proud of that. | 
