When I turn out the lights my chicks freak out

[MrIgmo]

I'm building them a really nice coup right now but they have been living in the garage. My poor Volvo is sleeping in the rain for the first time ever. But when I turn off the lights they panic. I have an office built onto the garage, it's separate from the house. I usually leave the door cracked and if the lights are off they come into the office and suddenly I have 3 chicks sleeping in my lap, one on each shoulder and one on my head while I'm trying to work. They don't poop on me, they hold it. Which was suprising to me I thought they couldn't do that. But their poop even looks like they held it. Are they just too young and something is possibly scaring them. There are lots of feral cats in the area and they prowl outside the garage door knowing what's on the other side.

 

[Maddcatter]

If the chicks haven't been in the dark before, it scares them. I tend to keep a nightlight on for my birds. ... Even my grown ones in the coop have a nightlight (it's about as bright as a full moon). So that if the go from heat lamp to not (my weather has menopause) it doesn't freak them out.
It also might be scaring them because it's a sudden change instead of a gradual one.
My birds also try not to poop on me. They do have the ability to not poop all the time, broody hens are well known for their large poops when they take a break from the eggs.... That being said, if they can't hold it, it will be extra messy.

 

[MrIgmo]

If the chicks haven't been in the dark before, it scares them. I tend to keep a nightlight on for my birds. ... Even my grown ones in the coop have a nightlight (it's about as bright as a full moon). So that if the go from heat lamp to not (my weather has menopause) it doesn't freak them out.
It also might be scaring them because it's a sudden change instead of a gradual one.
My birds also try not to poop on me. They do have the ability to not poop all the time, broody hens are well known for their large poops when they take a break from the eggs.... That being said, if they can't hold it, it will be extra messy.

The way they treat me like their mom I couldn't imagine eating them one day. The ones on my shoulders nuzzle up into my hair and when I'm outside with them using my garden fork to turn over soil for them or feeding them they walk up to me and give me a friendly peck on the shoe or clean their beak on it. When I talk to them they turn their head sideways and look up at me. Two of them will fly up and land on my hand if I hold it out for them. My head bird looks for me at night because it's so used to me being present when it does roll call. Which I found out was a thing they do. They are really smart. I need to get them to stop sleeping in their dust bath, that's the next thing. But I guess it isn't hurting anything. It's wood ash, potting soil and a splash of DE. I guess it's bug free and nice and soft and fluffy for them. It's just the right size that they fit in it perfectly, a big bowl of chickens. They seem really happy though, my yard is big enough that they hardly eat any of their starter grower feed anymore. The grass is growing fast enough to keep up with them and the compost pile is picked pretty clean. I don't even bother trying to keep them out of the garden anymore. There's a couple things they don't eat that happen to be the things I don't like. Cucumbers and tomatoes.

 

[Maddcatter]

The way they treat me like their mom I couldn't imagine eating them one day. The ones on my shoulders nuzzle up into my hair and when I'm outside with them using my garden fork to turn over soil for them or feeding them they walk up to me and give me a friendly peck on the shoe or clean their beak on it. When I talk to them they turn their head sideways and look up at me. Two of them will fly up and land on my hand if I hold it out for them. My head bird looks for me at night because it's so used to me being present when it does roll call. Which I found out was a thing they do. They are really smart. I need to get them to stop sleeping in their dust bath, that's the next thing. But I guess it isn't hurting anything. It's wood ash, potting soil and a splash of DE. I guess it's bug free and nice and soft and fluffy for them. It's just the right size that they fit in it perfectly, a big bowl of chickens. They seem really happy though, my yard is big enough that they hardly eat any of their starter grower feed anymore. The grass is growing fast enough to keep up with them and the compost pile is picked pretty clean. I don't even bother trying to keep them out of the garden anymore. There's a couple things they don't eat that happen to be the things I don't like. Cucumbers and tomatoes

Be aware that members of the nightshade family are not good for your birds... Like tomatoes. (Tbf, I read that somewhere and have not done further research).
They will sleep in the dust bath. That's kind of normal.
I have taken to puting chicken wire around things I don't want eaten, but I get the feeling I have both more birds and more things I don't want them eating than you do.
Sounds like everything else is going great with your birds! Good job!