28 chick pile up...

[JerseyHen]

So, I have 28 chicks just shy of 4 and 5 weeks old (8 going on 5 and 20 going on 4). Until today, they have slept comforably scattered throughout the brooder. Tonight I went in there at dusk to change water and such and they were all piled up in a corner on top of one another. It was plenty warm in there (I just recently changed from a 250w red lamp to a 150w CHE). They seem to like the darkness and sleep all night now that they have the CHE (unlike the red light... they partied all night

) They seemed comfy and were trilling and all cuddled up. Do I need to worry as much about them crushing one another now that they are older? Why would they do this now? Is this pecking order behavior? The few who were on the rooseting bars were also knocking one another off the bar and going under one another. Thoughts? I am perplexed.

 

[wren]

They pile up because they are panicking. You just need to figure out why. You could go back to the old light.

 

[JerseyHen]

I did just clean the coop, maybe that upset them. The first two nights with the new light they weren't like this.

 

[N&MSchroeder]

Could you possibly have a predator of some kind or something that they are reading as scary?

 

[JerseyHen]

N&MSchroeder :

Could you possibly have a predator of some kind or something that they are reading as scary?

Only if it was in my gutted bathroom

They are not outside yet, I suppose I should have said brooder, not coop (my little one calls the room they are in the coop)...​

 

[CowgirlPenny]

For the longest time mine would just sleep in a giant chicken mosh pit in the corner. It was not until they were about 7 weeks old that most started roosting. A few would still sleep on the floor. My 6 and 7 week olds still prefer the floor, only two like to roost.

My older ones (almost 12wks) all roost FINALLY, they just started this week. Prior to that, all 12 used to cram inside ONE nestbox.

I don't think it has anything to do with fear or panic. They just don't know to roost yet. They will.

 

[renaenae]

I have 12-7 week old chicks. I have 4 that roost and the rest sleep in the corner next to each other. if you check on them at night, they sleep perfectly fine in that big pile. during the day they will sit on the roost, but that's it. my 1 year old chickens did that until they were almost 10 weeks old. I'd keep an eye on them, but i'd say they are probably fine.