need advice with 8 week old peeps...how warm?

[veronica2368]

We got 8 week old peeps instead of chicks the other day...its warm in the coop since the last 2 days have been very warm.....do chicks with pretty much all of their feathers need a heat source? they are settling in well, but we notice they are peeping a little loud when they get ready to go to bed. not sure what they are needing. They know how to go in and out and where their food and water is...they have food and water in and out of the coop. they go out into the run during the day if they want to and they run all around and have a good time. The grown hens are next to them in the other side of the coop and run...we divided it down the middle. There wer quite a few 8 week old chicks in the pen where we got them..i wonder if maybe they are missing their buddies..there must have at least 50-75..now there are just the 9 of them.

anyway, how warm should they be.....in the morning the coop was 70 degrees...yesterday during the day it was 80-90..itwas 87 outside.
we did not put a roost in there for them yet...they just sleep in a pile right now.
their coop is full of shavings and they also have a large crate on its side full of straw if they want to go in.
what else should we do?
thanks,
veronica

 

[PunkinPeep]

Mine that age always chirp at bedtime, but i don't think there's anything wrong. I think they just chirp at bedtime. They might be just staying together and locating each other by sound; i've noticed they do that with each other sometimes.

It sounds to me like yours have everything they need.

And i would not provide a heat lamp for chicks that old unless it was frigid outside....but that's just me.

 

[eponagirl]

I've noticed my chicks are all peeping loudly before bed too (they are six weeks old and just started this...i've had mine since day olds). I think they are getting the urge to roost at night and feel slightly stressed as they figure this out. Half of mine are beginning to sleep up on the roost, the other half still on the floor together. I remember this happening to mine last year around this age and I really think it is the transition from floor to roost as they work it out. Just my observations on that, maybe someone here knows for sure.

 

[Kittymomma]

Quote:

I don't know for sure, but I've noticed the same thing and think your exactly right.

 

[Mahonri]

At 8 weeks they should no longer need a heat source unless it gets way below 32 at night.

 

[Backyard_Chicken_rancher]

Think of it as The Waltons chicken style they are all saying good night makeing sure they are all there I noticed this the other night when My 8 weeks and my 4 weekers both were doing it but as soon as they all found where they were sleeping on the roost and floor they shut up and went to sleep so I think it is just their way to say good night and roll call is all.
I live in Texas and my 8 weeks have not had a heat source since they were 4 weeks so now my 4 weeks don't use one either so I would say no you do not need a heat source unless it is freezing cold out.

Chicken roost side by side to keep warm they give off their own body heat to keep each other warm that is why you will see them huddled in a cornor or squished on a roost.
It is the norm for chickens.

 

[yotetrapper]

Mine are in their coop without heat at 6 weeks with lows in the 40s.....

 

[jossanne]

I give my chicks a small roost in their brooder when they're 2 or 3 weeks old. Yours would probably like to have a roost to fight over before going to bed!