my chicks are afraid of the dark

[cmom]

I keep a 11 watt red sign light bulb on in my coop 24/7. Like a night light. Chickens do not see in the dark like other animals. One night the light burned out and all the birds were on the floor instead of the roosts. I think because they are used to the light in the coop even though I do have a yard light that does light the area by the coop a little but not inside the coop.

 

[JewellFarm]

Mine are almost 8 weeks old and are still afraid of the dark. I have to turn a light on to get them to go in for the night, then before I go to bed I turn it off.

 

[spotsplus]

I have various age chickies from 2-5 weeks so there seems to always be a light on in one of the chick containers. The older ones I have to shut off the heat lamp in daylight or they get upset. I have a routine that just after dusk, about 8ish, I close my curtains in the "bird room" and shut off all lights except heat lamps that stay on for the younger ones. I made sure with the older ones that they were all settled because if they were all walking around or not "ready" for bed they set up a bedlam! I generally just waited 10 minutes or so for them to settle then shut off the light in thier area, they cheeped for a minute or two (only a few of them) then they are quiet. Now, once I shut the curtain, turn off lights all is quiet unless something is wrong and everyone in the house knows that when the "bird room" is darkish and quiet there is no visiting the chickies!

 

[Bagdad Chicken Mom]

This new Mom put her 10 biddies 6 weeks old tomorrow out into their beautiful new chicken coop with an automatic water and food feeder protected from predators. This is their first night outside. I am so worried about them. I will be up early in the am to check on my baby beautiful Americana girls. I sure do miss hearing them chirp, fly, and talk to each other. Hope they adjust to their new coop and outdoor life. Missing my girls so much. My cats are even wondering where they all went. Hope they will be safe and fine and not too stressed out.

Will let you know how they are tomorrow.

 

[gritsar]

Yes, they are afraid for the first few nights without their light. Turn it off anyways. They'll get over it in a few days. Just watch for pileups while they adjust.
They NEED periods of dark and light, just like us humans do.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
They'll be fine. Mine were never in the house, not even as day olds.

 

[sis_cin]

we have been triing to dim the lights gradually and they are criing for a shorter amount of time-we also started leaving them outside in their future pen during the day and i think they are just plain pooped by night time-they cry in loud peeps and what sounds like clucking, after 30 min or so they start cooing like a pigeon or a dove, when i make the sound back to them they answer me for a few times then settle in and go to sleep. they do alot of "pole position" on their little roosts we made them, there are 3 and all the same height but they jockey around on them quite a bit with some falling off and jumping back up for a while. they try to all get on the same roost but then spread across 2, there are 10 chicks, they stay there until morning when we come in and open the doors. then they all jump up and get a drink like they are parched. we make sure their crops are full when we start dimming the lights. thanks for all your help.

 

[Over Easy in Adna]

Quote:
I'm glad you can admit that, however this thread is more about chickens.....

 

[California Ducken]

You are too funny Over Easy in Adna ! I love it!

A nightlight works well for chickies! but the further back suggestion about no light and letting the sun set for gradual dimming light is good too!
What I did was keep mine by a window so they could see the sun set and the light slowly get dimmer. All of us in the house had to wind down the noise and running around too. It worked like a charm. It's circadian rhythm. A natural process of all animals. They will get into the groove. But when things quiet down with the sun............you start to relax.

Hey I'm glad I use a nightlight........I would have stepped on a few chicks that woke up too early!
No "Over Easy in Adna" not human chicks!(eye roll) LOL