Bedtime Squawking!

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Bridebeliever

Bridebeliever

Songster
Sep 12, 2015
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Revelation 21:9 Washington
The last two nights when we all head to bed the chickens go nuts! One in particular. When we come out to see what's the problem they are all standing bolt upright looking out in to the living room. Some are relaxed but I think the one is sending the others into distress. It's almost like its protecting from a predator in the area? Which there's no one there when it does this! And right at bedtime! Ahhhhh! Mind you, nothing has changed in the chicks environment, they are under a heat lamp so they haven't been thrown in the dark. Just the bustle of the family is gone.
 
My chicks cried all night the first couple nights until we got a radiant heater that emits no light. As soon as we got it they were so quiet and sleep peacefully all night
 
I brooded my last two batches of chicks outside in a special pen in the run. As the older chickens all disappeared inside their coops to roost for the night, the babies would stand outside their heating pad cave chirping in great distress. All I can conclude was that they were suffering from abandonment. Eventually, they gave up and disappeared into their warm cave and went to sleep.

In the past, when I had a brooder set up in the spare room, the chicks behaved no differently at night time. Their room was not a corridor of activity, so I believe that your chicks and mine in the outdoor run, used to constant commotion, missed it when it went away and put up a fuss.

It's certainly not a critical issue. They'll adapt. Mine finally learned that this is what happens at night fall, and the complaining stopped. By age five weeks, they were going into the coop themselves to roost with the other chickens.
 
Ha! Thanks for responding. I totally thought this is what was going on, but I wasn't sure that chickens got "separation anxiety"! Makes sense since they hang out in a flock and find safety in numbers. And we do spend a lot of time with them right before bed letting them roost on our hands and stuff. Better change that nighttime routine!
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