Bunching at bedtime

[Working hard]

Hi! New to chickens. I have 15 7 week old chicks. They have been out in the coop for three weeks, in the run for the past 10 days. Every night when we go to secure the coop, they are bunched in one corner of the coop. Never during the day, only in the late evening. Temps are mid to high 70’s. We put the to bed at 8:30-8:45est. They appear terrified. Every evening. Never during the day, never at any other time. I close the coop and check on them 15 minutes later, and all is quiet. In the morning, the majority are on the roosts and all appears well.

I can’t figure this out if it is learned behavior or if I am doing something wrong.

 

[CFLRanching]

Nope, I think you're fine. Chickens don't see well at all at night. So if the coop is dim when they go in they may feel safer as a group. They huddle for security. Once you've locked up and they feel safe that's why they get quiet. As long as they're happy and healthy they're fine. They'll figure it out as they get older (especially if they don't have an older hen in there to show them what to do). You can do like a place them up on the roost kind of trial see who stays up there (@ night), but mostly they just need time to adjust to their environment.

 

[3KillerBs]

Chicks habitually sleep in a pile until they get a little older.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You are not doing anything wrong. When chicks are raised by a broody hen they sleep in a group under her. When they don't have a broody hen they still sleep in a group. They are not cold or scared, they just like the company.

I'm not sure if yours sleep in that group all night or some are sleeping on the roosts. I would not be surprised if they sleep in the group all night and go up to play on the roosts when they wake up but some may be sleeping up there. My brooder raised chicks often don't start sleeping on the roosts until they are 10 to 12 weeks old. They play up there during the day but just don't sleep up there. Usually when one starts they all start within a day or two. I have had some brooder raised chicks start as young as 5 weeks, some go longer than 12, there is little that is consistent about chicks other than that they are inconsistent. You never know what they will do or when they will do it.

Some people like to train their chicks to roost at a pretty young age by putting them up there after it is dark. I don't. When mine want to sleep up there they will.

 

[Claire65]

Hi! New to chickens. I have 15 7 week old chicks. They have been out in the coop for three weeks, in the run for the past 10 days. Every night when we go to secure the coop, they are bunched in one corner of the coop. Never during the day, only in the late evening. Temps are mid to high 70’s. We put the to bed at 8:30-8:45est. They appear terrified. Every evening. Never during the day, never at any other time. I close the coop and check on them 15 minutes later, and all is quiet. In the morning, the majority are on the roosts and all appears well.

I can’t figure this out if it is learned behavior or if I am doing something wrong.

My rhode island reds 25 years ago did this and the barred rock chicks are already doing this. Normal behavior.

 

[Bac2wild]

You are not doing anything wrong. When chicks are raised by a broody hen they sleep in a group under her. When they don't have a broody hen they still sleep in a group. They are not cold or scared, they just like the company.

I'm not sure if yours sleep in that group all night or some are sleeping on the roosts. I would not be surprised if they sleep in the group all night and go up to play on the roosts when they wake up but some may be sleeping up there. My brooder raised chicks often don't start sleeping on the roosts until they are 10 to 12 weeks old. They play up there during the day but just don't sleep up there. Usually when one starts they all start within a day or two. I have had some brooder raised chicks start as young as 5 weeks, some go longer than 12, there is little that is consistent about chicks other than that they are inconsistent. You never know what they will do or when they will do it.

Some people like to train their chicks to roost at a pretty young age by putting them up there after it is dark. I don't. When mine want to sleep up there they will.

Thanks for the info posted here. Was just starting to wonder about our 7 & 8 week old chicks still sleeping in a pile.

 

[Claire65]

Thanks for the info posted here. Was just starting to wonder about our 7 & 8 week old chicks still sleeping in a pile.

thank you!

 

[doomsie]

We had this exact same behavior until 2 nights ago. All our 9 week olds would panic a little as the sun went down, crowd into a corner, and hunker down together. Then they’d quiet down and sleep. We started to gently guide them to the roosts a few evenings a week while it was still dusk and they had light to see by, and after some persistence they seem to have caught on! We have 14 out of 21 climbing into the roost on their own, the rest still sleep in a pile. Hopefully the rest will catch on when they’re ready.

 

[5Australorpasaures]

!4 wk olds all gather at the chicken door like they're trying to get the last bit of light. When I try to drop the door they all jump on the roost except for one hen who bolts out the door. The kid that won't go to bed. When she realizes no one is at the door runs in and jumps on the roost.