How long should the lights stay on?

[Willow's Meadow]

We got our baby chicks today! (Pics on other thread). When we turn the lights off(as in the ceiling lights, not the heat lamp) all the chicks go right to sleep. They ate a TON of food and then ran around a lot, then went to sleep. There's not picking, no pasting up--they are all healthy. When we turn the lights on all the chicks wake up, eat, run around! How long should the lights be on during the day? All day? Half of the day? They will definitly be off at night. I was thinking the chicks were sleeping to much, but I realized they would only sleep when the lights were off. Do chicks sleep more on the VERY first day home after the trip then they usually would on other days? The first few hours they just ran around and around, and pecked things! But we turned the lights off and they slept for awhile. Should I leave the lights on or off right now? They've been home for about 3-4 hours.

 

[gryeyes]

They can sleep with overhead lights on, trust me. And they will fall asleep in the middle of something, eating, drinking, running around. Just flooomph! and they're toppled over asleep. This happens for the first week at least.

Now that my chicks don't need the heat lamp any more, I turn on a regular light when I get up, and I turn it off around 9 pm, when it is almost dark here. Otherwise, the room in which they're in is quite dim.

 

[PhilErvin]

Is the room their brooder is in dark during the day without a light on? Like a garage or something? I would let the brooding lamp be the only source of light other than natural light comming in through a window. They will sleep when they want regardless of the light. Be sure they can get away from the heat of the brooding lamp if they want to. If they are huddling as far away from the light as they can then it is TOO HOT and they will die. They need to be able to self regulate. By the way, Welcome to this addiction and this site