afraid of the dark

[embrown]

I have 6 9 week chicks. They seem to be afraid of the dark. I had them in the heat lamp, then the bathroom light until about midnight each night. Then we tried to turn off that light, but had to leave a nightlight on or they would cry. We moved them to the new coop, finally tonight but they just cry if I turn out the light. I finally plugged in a kid's nightlight but they are not even settling down with that. They are cramming together even though there is plenty of room, but yet occasionally one gets sick of the crowd and knocks another off the perch. It is very strange how odd they are acting. Is it normal for them to not like the dark at this age, or is there something I should do to get them used to the dark?
Beth

 

[Mahonri]

they're still having the instinct to find mommas wing to climb under....

I have 12, 4 week old chicks and they just pile in a box.

 

[wanda047]

I thought maybe it was just my chickens that behaved that way. My husband says they are spoiled!! My 16 Buff Orphingtons are now 10 1/2 weeks old. When I moved them outside, I put a heat lamp in their coop as it was still a tad cool at night. For my own comfort, when I decided to remove the heat lamp, I replaced it with a 60 watt bulb... until they got used to sleeping without a light.

duh...

The first night I left their light off, they "cried" all night long. The next night when I went out to lock the coop, they were all lined up against the fence and gate, waiting for me. Even after I entered the coop... they remained outside, refusing to enter. I finally went back in the house, and stole my son's nightlight, plugged it in and one-by-one they marched in and got on their roost.

They still have the night light. Guess I'm gonna let them keep it. It's a tiny bulb and just gives off enough light to make them happy. Guess that's all that's important. OH... and I forgot to mention, they still have a radio too... country music plays all night long.

 

[highcountrychickens]

Maybe start turning the heat lamp off for a few hours in the daytime... it's still not dark dark because it's day time, and might ease them into it a bit. Be sure they are warm enough.

 

[cmom]

I keep a 11 watt red sign light bulb on in my coop 24/7. Like a night light. One night it burned out and all the birds were on the floor instead of the roosts. I think because they are used to the light.

 

[emilyweck]

Mine freaked out. No worries. As long as they are safe, they will figure it out and calm down in a week. Congrats on your new little flock!!!

 

[OHMYCHICKIES]

This makes me feel so bad for my chickies. I would of done this to my first batch of chicks, now 1 year old. Now my 2nd batch that I hatched, I decided to put them in the coop, light off all of a sudden a couple days ago. I'm sure they'll quiet down. I just didn't want the big girls to bother them because they would be able to see them. Thinking maybe I'm a meany now that I'm used to chickens.