On Monday, Jenny’s poults will be three weeks old, which is difficult to believe!  I swear it seems like they just hatched!

"We're growing fast!" (click any image to enlarge)

This week they’re quickly losing their fluffy chick appearance as their feathers have continued to grow in, most notably their tail and body feathers. 

From the front the poults haven't changed much

Looking at the poults from the front, they still look like chicks, but from behind they’re almost feathered in.

From the back, they don't look much like chicks any more!

The biggest change this week though is behavioral.

The poults are now regularly seen launching themselves up on to the top of the old dog house in the pen, or onto the roost.

"Me first!"

Some of the most agile poults can freely fly between the two…look out Jenny!

It's amazing how well they can fly at this age

There are still a few occasional stumbles on landings, but overall, as their wing feathers lengthen, their flying skills are rapidly improving.

"Wheeeeeeeeee"

None of the poults have any fear of heights, and seem enjoy making a game of jump to the roost…

"Move over, here I come!"

and fly back down.

"Look out below!"

Of course, when you have feathers, it’s important to take care of them, and all of the poults seem to be getting their feather-maintenance routines down.

Jenny's actually been finding some time to preen in the sunshine

Preening of course is essential to keeping one’s feathers in shape, and all of the poults spent much more of their time preening this week.

As soon as the sun comes out, the poults start preening

On warm afternoons they’re also seen enjoying a dust bath…

Poults competing in synchronized dust bathing

alternated with a little sunbathing.

After a cold, foggy morning, synchronized sunbathing is popular in the afternoon

Late in the day, as all 16 of the poults settle in for the night under Jenny, it’s becoming very apparent that there’s barely enough of Jenny to go around, as you’ll see at the end of this week’s video.

Yet again, we’ve had a persistent bobcat prowling the perimeter of the pen.  After being dragged out of bed at dawn on more than one occasion this last week by Jenny’s alarm call, and screeching poults, we’ve now positioned our portable electric fence around the outside of the turkey pen.  It makes it somewhat more challenging for us to get in and out of the pen, but now that Bob can’t easily walk right up to the edge of the pen, he seems to finally be keeping his distance.

"We don't like Bobcats, they're scary!"

I wonder what the poults will be up to next Fowl Friday!?