Chicks scared of the dark? PLEASE HELP!

[Chickaroo!]

My chicks are only about 1 wk. old and are still in the brooder in my bathroom. They seem happier in temps of between 75-85 so I don't use their heat lamp anymore. I leave the light on for them during the day (doesn't get much natural light in there) but shut it off at night and turn on a very small nightlight. The nightlight doesn't put off much light and my chicks don't seem to mind.

It seems everyone else's chicks are afraid of the dark and make lots of noise, but mine don't. Wonder why?

 

[Portia]

Come to think of it, in the last week when my chicks still spent their night in the brooder in the basement (~ 6 weeks of age), it was warm enough down there without accessory heat, so at night I turned the lights off completely. They were in a room without windows, so it was pitch black, but I never heard a squeal. It might have been because they were in a familiar place in their well known & comfortable brooder...and I checked to see if they were all roosting prior to lights out. Now they go into their coop at dusk and immediately set to roost, if they go in earlier or there is a light they go straight to the food dish instead of roosting. These are my first ever chickens and I'm enjoying learning their behavioral patterns.