New chicks don't seem to be settling down for the night....

[JenS9]

I brought two puffballs home a couple hours ago, and it is getting pretty dark. They don't seem to be settling down at all. They're in a clear storage bin, could that be the problem? Should I maybe put a small box or something in there so they have something dark to go into?

 

[KayleighW]

Do you have a lamp on them? I keep a lamp on for mine all the time, and the light doesn't seem to bother them. My chicks usually settle in pretty quickly after getting them home. If you don't have a lamp they could be cold.

 

[JenS9]

Yeah, I have one of the red heat lamps. It's about 90 under it.

 

[JenS9]

I think it was the bin. I gave them a fleece pouch to go into (I have sugar gliders, so I have lots of these. This is an unused one.), and now they are nice and quiet. I think they just didn't feel safe in the clear plastic.

 

[KayleighW]

Glad you got them settled in. Enjoy the little guys.

 

[JenS9]

Looks like I spoke too soon. There they go again.

 

[RonC]

They won't sleep all night if there is any light. Another advantage of the Ecoglow that people don't mention. You will get used to the noise, about the time they are big enough to go outside. Then you will wake up because you don't hear them.

 

[JenS9]

I turned it so it is facing away from the heat lamp, and that seems to have helped. I know I read somewhere that red light shouldn't bother them, the bulb I have must suck.

 

[RonC]

I used a heating pad when they first came home and they would sleep at night. After they outgrew the heating pad i got a red heat lamp and the noise commenced. The red is not as bad as white for causing aggression but they still wouldn't sleep all night.

 

[JenS9]

They eventually chilled out and fell asleep, and have been quiet for the most part so far today.

What about using the ceramic heat emitters? I don't think I've heard of anyone using those... but they don't put off light, so it might be an option.