April 13, 2019
A close up look at D32 today showed that its thermal down is starting to pop! An hatchling eaglet\'s fuzzy white natal down is adorable, but not much help when it comes to thermoregulation, aka controlling one\'s temperature. Denser thermal down provides more insulation and helps nestling eaglets keep their body temperatures at a relatively constant 105\'ish degrees. Look for the greyish down to sprout in rows along the eaglets\' bodies. It will almost entirely replace their natal down by their fourth week.
The colder than usual temperatures have Mombrella and Poptent keeping a tight lid on the eaglets this spring. While it\'s sad to say goodbye to cute baby fuzz, we\'ll see more of D32 and D33 once their thermal down grows in. Enjoy those earholes while you can!
At this age, the eaglets are gaining an average of two pounds or 32 ounces per week. That works out to 4.5 ounces per day, or near 14 ounces - almost a pound! - over three days, which is why D32 appears so much larger than D33. Their growth will begin to even out after 35 days or so.
