"Dogpiling" 1 mo old chicks

[OzarkEgghead]

I have 18 five week old Easter Egger chicks that have been out in the coop for about 2 weeks. I have them in my Great Dane's old dog crate that's 3ft wide x 4ft long x 45in high. I have provided them with two roosts...one lower, one higher. During the day, the seem quite happy & enjoy watching my 3 older hens thru the bars & mimicking their behaviors. My problem is at night....the moment it starts to get dark they don't hop on the roosts. Instead, they all dogpile on the floor in one corner of the crate & I'm concerned someone is going to smother. The coop is far from too cool....it's currently 85 in there at 8pm.....so I don't think that's the cause. They seem to want to roost with the older hens but I sat and watched this evening while they tried roosting with the adult hens & I saw too much pecking going on from the adults to feel comfortable allowing the chicks to mingle until they're another month old. Why are the chicks dogpiling & what can I do about it to keep everyone safe?

 

[Kiki]

I'm a little confused.
You are keeping 18 chicks in a dog crate?
It doesn't sound like there is enough room in it for them
Can you go out and take a picture real quick of them in it?

Make sure you include the roosts in the picture please.

 

[OzarkEgghead]

I'm a little confused.
You are keeping 18 chicks in a dog crate?
It doesn't sound like there is enough room in it for them
Can you go out and take a picture real quick of them in it?

Make sure you include the roosts in the picture please.

There's PLENTY of room. This isn't your average dog crate. It comfortably houses a full-grown Great Dane so it is VERY large. In the end, the chicks may have answered my question for me. I had to go back out after it was fully dark & retrieve something I forgot in the coop. I turned down the intensity of the flashlight on my cellphone so I could see but not disturb the chicks. They had all spread out on the floor & were snoozing peacefully...no one dogpiled on the other. The corner they dogpile in as it's getting dark is the one closest to the adult roost. I'm thinking instinct drives them to try to get to the safety of the adults & the large roost & that results in the dogpile in that corner. Once it's dark, the drive to sleep takes over, they calm down, spread out & sleep.

 

[Kiki]

There's PLENTY of room. This isn't your average dog crate. It comfortably houses a full-grown Great Dane so it is VERY large. In the end, the chicks may have answered my question for me. I had to go back out after it was fully dark & retrieve something I forgot in the coop. I turned down the intensity of the flashlight on my cellphone so I could see but not disturb the chicks. They had all spread out on the floor & were snoozing peacefully...no one dogpiled on the other. The corner they dogpile in as it's getting dark is the one closest to the adult roost. I'm thinking instinct drives them to try to get to the safety of the adults & the large roost & that results in the dogpile in that corner. Once it's dark, the drive to sleep takes over, they calm down, spread out & sleep.

What type of roosts to you have in it?

 

[OzarkEgghead]

What type of roosts to you have in it?

The same type I use for my adults....pieces of downed tree limbs. The only difference is that the adult roosts are bigger around then the ones for the chicks because they have larger feet & longer toes than the babies. They're not afraid of them or too large or small around for them because I see them on them during the day.

 

[Kiki]

The same type I use for my adults....pieces of downed tree limbs. The only difference is that the adult roosts are bigger around then the ones for the chicks because they have larger feet & longer toes than the babies. They're not afraid of them or too large or small around for them because I see them on them during the day.

Have to seen them get up on them yet?

 

[OzarkEgghead]

Yes. As I said in my previous reply, I see them hopping up onto them & back down during the day. They seem to enjoy them but, for some reason, don't want to roost at night unless they can root with the adult hens....and I'm not keen to let them mingle just yet because I want them a bit bigger & better able to defend themselves against the older hens' pecking.

 

[Kiki]

Yes. As I said in my previous reply, I see them hopping up onto them & back down during the day. They seem to enjoy them but, for some reason, don't want to roost at night unless they can root with the adult hens....and I'm not keen to let them mingle just yet because I want them a bit bigger & better able to defend themselves against the older hens' pecking.

Sorry I must have misread.
I thought you said they don't get up on them.

 

[OzarkEgghead]

Sorry I must have misread.
I thought you said they don't get up on them.

They don't at night....but they do during the day. First set of chicks/chickens I've ever had that DIDN'T roost at night.

 

[rosemarythyme]

This isn't your average dog crate. It comfortably houses a full-grown Great Dane so it is VERY large.

3x4 is only 12 sq ft. 18 chicks at 4 weeks should have at least 18 sq ft of space. Unless I am misunderstanding and this is strictly for nighttime use? I'm a little foggy on whether or not they're already freely interacting with the adults all day but locked up at night for safety.

If they've already been mingling with adults AND you have enough roost space for all the birds, it actually is advantageous to let them follow their instincts to copy the adults and roost.