OMG! Why?

[WVChickenFarmer]

Let me start off by saying I really do adore my new chicks. But I am so tired.

I got my new chicks on Friday. They are sleeping mostly during the days and totally awake during the night making all kind of peeping noises. Friday night was not to bad, Sat just a little worse.
But last night was the worst they was peeping from the time my husband and I went to bed which was 10 pm until around 6 am this morning.

My husband says we have to move them out of our master bathroom. He said he don't care where. But they are not staying in there another night. I'm thinking about moving them to the other bathroom.
But I am also worried they will be keeping the kids awake.

So I have no clue what to do. We can not be losing sleep. I start babysitting my nephew tomorrow and will have get up at 4 am. So I really, really need get all the sleep I can and so does my husband.
He works full time so there is no way he could take a nap during the day.

I guess my question is how in the world can I make them stay awake more during the day and less during the night?? I do not remember my 5 week old pullets making this much noise at night.

 

[Bengalcats1]

I could never have them in my bedroom, the little peeps would def keep me up, do you have a bathroom/laundry room? Are they content little peeps or do you think they are chilly? I imagine you have a light on them, a red one cause white makes them more active....

 

[WVChickenFarmer]

They are not in our bedroom. They are in our master bath. No we do not have a laundry room our washer/dryer is in our master bath too. The only other room we could use is the kids bathroom.

We do have a light on them but not a red one. But it still makes no sense to me if they are sleeping during the day why are awake during the night. Because the light is the same.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I never have and never will brood in the house, so I can't help you in how to keep them quiet. I don't know your specific set-up, but I suggest you think about putting a brooder in an outbuilding, any that you have electricity to for heat and don't mind the dust too much. It may not be possible for you. Not all of us have outbuildings with electricity. My brooder is in the coop, but a garage or shed will do.

You need a place that is protected from the weather as far as wind and rain. Build the brooder so you can keep the chicks in and any other animals out. I suggest a draft guard around the bottom foot or more to keept he drafts off them. Make it big enough so you can heat one area to the correct temperature and let the rest cool off. The far corners of mine often get 20 to 30 degrees below the correct temperature and they go play in those corners all the time. By keeping one area warm and the rest cool, they can find their own comfort zone.

I know this may not be practical for you, but many of us do it this way. I really don't have any other suggestions.

Good luck!

 

[WVChickenFarmer]

Thanks for the suggestions. I might just try find a red light bulb. Do you think yellow might work too? Instead of a clear one?

 

[swampcat]

Mine are in the living room right next to my 5 year old's bedroom. They do not keep him up at night. If you are concerned about that, but think that other bathroom will be a better place, put a fan in the kid's rooms. The drone of the fan will drown out the little peepers.

I, myself, find them soothing... like taking a nap on a warm spring day and hearing all the birds chirping....

but I know I'm in the minority

 

[mszekely]

I don't think you can make the little darlings do much of anything. Keeping it dark might help, but the best thing would be to move them to a farther away location. Bathrooms really echo too!

Do you have a garage? My babies were in a box in the coop, the light keeps them warm even though the building isn't heated. It is 44 degrees in there now, they are only 2 weeks old (today!) and are doing fine!

 

[Chickenaddict]

Definately go for the infared heat light! Yellow won't work! The infared lights seem to calm them.

 

[WVChickenFarmer]

Thanks, Ridgerunner for your suggestion. We do have electric out in our coop and my husband's outbuilding. His building his full of stuff though no room for them. I am seriously thinking about putting them in the coop. I know lot of people may not agree with it. But it might be our only option.

As for what I'm using at the brooder right now is a clear plastic totes, the same one we used before and have a clamp light on the side. Is there something else I could use for a brooder? Could I use a old dog kennel and put chicken wire around it keep the 5 week old pullets from getting them?

I am going need some suggestions for brooders to keep my girls out of the peeps. That is if I decide to put them out there.

Edit to add: no we do not have a basement or garage.

 

[tiffanyg2]

I put my little guys in the corner of the kitchen~ this second batch of chicks were by far the chirpiest!!! But by keeping them in the kitchen they were not keeping anyone up at night. Maybe you could try a neutral location so it's not to close to your bedrooms. Are they in a cage or just running freely in the bathrooms? I think some of them are just chirpy! Goodluck and hope you figure out a good spot!