Chick 'bedtime' has become distressing

[Shemira]

Hey folks,
My chicks are 9 weeks old.
I moved them up to a big brooder about a week ago, and they now seem unable to settle down for the night. For about an hour after I put them to bed they cry out with the most forlorn sounds (that break my heart) and I can here them wandering around and around in there for ages before they settle (just like slow creeping around not frantic). I have a variety of perches for them, I tried putting a nesting box in there with some cosy bedding, tonight I even tried putting a little night light in there to see if that would help.

They are my first chicks and I'm wondering what I am doing wrong and how I might help them settle easier?

Many thanks in advance for any advice

 

[LaFleche]

Are they still in the house at nine weeks old?

Chickens don't like change and take some time to adjust to their new surroundings.

Chicks can and should be outside from the age of 2-3 weeks old to exercise and roam aroubd in natural sunlight to prevent serious health and behavioural issues.

Do you have some pictures of your set up?

 

[Shemira]

Are they still in the house at nine weeks old?

Chickens don't like change and take some time to adjust to their new surroundings.

Chicks can and should be outside from the age of 2-3 weeks old to exercise and roam aroubd in natural sunlight to prevent serious health and behavioural issues.

Do you have some pictures of your set up?

Hi, yes, but just at night, they have a run outside during the day. But we are moving in a week where there will be a coop (where we are there now there are a lot of predators so I do want to risk them out at night without a sturdy coop).
I'll grab a pic tomorrow and post
Will they just naturally learn to roost, they don't seem interested in perching on anything, even during the day, they always just lay on the ground?

 

[thecatumbrella]

Mine puddle together at night for quite a while. They're now 14 weeks-old and just starting to get the hang of spreading out on a roost. But I had to bring them inside last night to escape the heat, and they puddled again in their old brooder over using the roost bars!

If this is happening inside at night, do they have access to a window with a natural day/night cycle? Or are you just shutting the lights off on them? Mine need a gradual dimming to settle down. It still takes about 30-60 minutes for them to go quiet. Bedtime is kind of spooky for a prey animal, and they want to make sure they're in a safe position to overnight (hence the puddling and fussing).

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Will they just naturally learn to roost, they don't seem interested in perching on anything, even during the day, they always just lay on the ground?

My latest batch took an interest in roosting around 9 weeks when they had a hen to show them. Previous batches I put a log or an old paper towel holder or a broomstick, whatever, in their brooder. Depends on my setup but something perchy as soon as two weeks for them to practice on. They will sleep in a cuddle puddle at night even in the coop for a while sometimes even if they know how to roost but eventually they roost on their own

 

[BigBlueHen53]

What time are you putting them to bed? In my experience, chicks like to stay up a bit later than their older sisters. But you don't have an older flock for comparison purposes, so maybe you're putting them to bed a little earlier than they'd like.

As for the "heartbreaking" sounds, re-think that. Consider that your chicks are talking to each other contentedly, in soft little cooing sounds. It's how they comfort one another and talk about their day. If you pay attention, they talk to each other this way during the day as well. I call it purring.

You're not doing anything wrong. They're just shuffling around, getting comfy, deciding who sleeps next to whom, and getting settled. My advice to you is to put them to bed, then go in the house where you can't hear them, don't worry about them. If they were distressed they would scream and flap frantically. If they're not doing that, they're fine! And as for roosting, they will do that when they'll ready.

 

[KyCoop]

I had the same issue with mine. Having the blinds up giving a more natural light transition helps a lot as well as a dim night light.

 

[dearmeghann]

The natural light really helps with their routine. Our littles are out later than their bigger sisters, but they have learned that when it gets darker out - it's time to roost.

Keep putting them on the roost each night. They'll get the hang of it. Turn off the lights in the room they're in. When we had ours inside, I would turn off the main light and let the window light shine in. It was less dramatic than turning off the bright light when it's pitch-black outside.

Once they're in their coop, they'll get the hang of it. They're amazing at adapting!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

That's a good point about the light. Put them on the roost, then turn the light OFF. They will stay put because they can't see to do otherwise.

 

[RoseHawke]

I actually set up a routine on a smart lamp (using Alexa) to ramp up at sunrise and ramp down at sunset. It seems to help.