The chicks have already grown visibly, but remain covered in white down with pink patches of skin still showing through in some areas.
The chicks are not able yet to keep their bodytemperature up. They do not yet have the second down. So by cuddling up together the way they do with their bellies against eachother they form one body so to speak. In this way it is for each indivudal much easier to keep the body temperature constant. That is when the parents are not there. They have to leave every once in a while to get food, or to release theselves from droppings. When the chicklets are about 12-14 days old they are much better able to regulate their bodytemperature. They do have their second down by then.
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