Girls "Crying" at night

[amsunshine]

The last 2 nights my new girls have been "crying" around 11 PM or so. They are 3 1/2 weeks old, got them when they were a day or 2 old, sold to me as pullets from the farm store. I have 3: 1 buff orp, 1 australorp, and 1 EE. This is my first experience raising chickens. I raised a day-old duck till adult and she lived 6 years and laid 360 eggs in her lifetime.

Anyway, these girls of mine are indoor, till I jump through the legal hoops to have them outside. I have them in a 118 gal. oval stock tank, half of it with a thick layer of sod and half pine chips. Soon I will make an enclosure over 2 of these stock tanks with ladders in between so they have more room (the politics in this area move like molasses so I have to be prepared for the long haul if need be). I've been reducing the temp 5 degrees a week since I got them, and I WAS leaving the light on all night to keep the temp up. The last 2 nights, when it gets to be around 11 PM, they start peeping and setting up a ruckus that gets louder and louder. I cannot figure it out. The only thing that has worked is to turn out the light. They are almost all feathered out and seem to be holding their body temp OK the last 2 nights as they are not shivering when I check on them.

But I feel as if I'm a bad chicken mommy for what feels like letting my girls cry themselves to sleep. I've checked their cage and surroundings and nothing looks awry, at least not to me. They are quite tame (especially the buff) and I pick each one of them up for a little cuddle time before I go to bed. Does anyone know what's going on that they are in such a stir?

 

[Chick CJ]

When I was raising my chicks in the house after they got mostly feathered they did the same thing and the only thing that quieted them was turning off the light. It was a white light as that was all I had and I asked here on BYC and people said if they were mostly feathered and in the house it was probably warm enough for them. I figured if it was bothering them they must not need it and after giving it a few more nights and having them "cry" and not settle down I just took it out and all was well. I have heard that one way to tell if they need it or not is if they are huddling up under it, if not then they probably don't.
CJ

 

[Chickens-246]

Put your heat lamp at one end of the tank and note where they are when they take a nap at 11. This will tell you if they are hot or cold, they will move to where it's comfortable for them. If they nap in the middle, it's perfect.

It's also possible that bugs are attracted by the light at night and they are having a field day.

 

[chuckzoo]

You could replace the white light at night with a blue light for repiles from the pet store. Apparently chickens can't see blue light so it will not bother them at night but still provide them enough warmth to be comfortable.

 

[amsunshine]

Thanks all. They are at the opposite end of the lamp, which is also the darkest end (I have other room lights on that are on till about 11:30 PM on a timer). So maybe there is just too much stimuli--light and heat. I'll just turn their light off or try the blue light. Thanks again!