chicks with feathers "smother" each other at night

[maf2008]

This is a odd problem....I have (HAD!)

chicks about 3 weeks old and most of them started jumping in a "pile" at night to sleep in the coop..... the next morning I would fine a few dead.. as many as 7 but usually 2 or 3

There is LOTS of room in the coop and they all "pile up" in one corner to sleep. They are too small for roosts really.

Last night in a rain storm I put the chicks separated again on 3 rooms... the next night I had lost 45 chicks all dead in one pile.

So.... they are too small for the top roosts in the coop.. too small to go outside in the run at night Do I put a lower "roost" a few inches off of the ground? Do I make a "brooder" in my garage until they are bigger? I thought 3/4 weeks old was big enough to stay in a coop at night at 85 degrees!!

What can I do? Please please someone help asap before I lose any more chicks!

 

[chickn]

they are cold, they need heat still they pile to keep warm

 

[Casey3043]

People who raise large numbers of chicks will tell you to put in barriers to eliminate corners. They round off the corners with sheet metal or cardboard circles so there IS no corner, otherwise chicks WILL pile up and smother each other. (Read this in a book about raising chicks).

 

[maf2008]

Lessons are sooo hard to learn. this is something I will NEVER do again. I am building a huge brooder in my barn and not putting chicks our unless fully featherd a 4 weeks not 3 weeks. Thanks for the suggestions....

wish I had thought about this sooner....

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