Can't sleep!

[CharlesnBlue]

Baby chicks (1 week) screaming bloody murder if I turn the light off at night

 

[SilverBirds]

Do you mean the regular house lights or are you turning off a heat lamp light?

 

[Poultrybonkers]

If your turning the heat lamp off then they are crying because they are cold..

 

[Becstasy94]

You should get yourself a brooder plate if you’re talking about a heat lamp. They still need heat and if you’re worried about the light disturbing them, then a brooder plate takes care of that!

 

[NatJ]

Do you mean the regular house lights or are you turning off a heat lamp light?

This poster has another thread with a photo of chicks under a brooder plate:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/my-3-new-chicks-first-time-buyer.1616547/

If that is the case, then the chicks are probably just yelling because the dark is scary.

Baby chicks (1 week) screaming bloody murder if I turn the light off at night

You could leave a small light on for them (like a night light).

Or put in earplugs, turn out the light, and let them get used to it. They will have to get used to the dark at some point, and I don't think waiting longer will make much difference.

 

[DemeterAD9]

My little ones that are just over 2 days old only have a brooder plate for warmth and it seems to be working great. I turn a nearby lamp on during the day and point it in their direction, then turn it off at night. They have been quiet at night, only soft chirps and not the distress call.

 

[CharlesnBlue]

Do you mean the regular house lights or are you turning off a heat lamp light?

Have a brooder plate
If I turn off the house light

It's like Ahhhhhhhh peeep peep peep peep

The chicken equivalent to incoherent screeming takes place

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

Try a dimmer switch maybe, so it’s a more gradual transition? Or put them near a window so the sun does the same thing for you when it sets?

 

[SilverBirds]

Have a brooder plate
If I turn off the house light

It's like Ahhhhhhhh peeep peep peep peep

The chicken equivalent to incoherent screeming takes place

Gotcha. @NatJ gave good advice.

 

[junior67]

Have a brooder plate
If I turn off the house light

It's like Ahhhhhhhh peeep peep peep peep

The chicken equivalent to incoherent screeming takes place

what I do is when it is getting to dusk I turn out the light in the room they are in but turn on the hall light so it makes it a bit darker in there to signal it is time to start heading to bed. a bit later I turn out the hall light. This batch of chicks has been ok with that, I had one that would still yell so what I would do is gradually close the door over time to make the room darker as the door closed so every 10 min or so I would close it a bit etc. until it got dark in there. eventually I was able to just turn off the light and they were fine.

They are used to it being light and are up playing then it gets dark and they are a bit "lost" so that is why they scream.