Time to roost song??????

[canesisters]

My chicks moved into the coop this past Saturday evening. They appear to be THRILLED with the space, big improvement over the brooder. But one of them is doing the strangest thing.
They're about 8weeks old and the past 2 evenings my EE starts raising a racket as it starts to get dark. She sounds for all the world like she's in great distress. That LOUD "PEEP, PEEP, PEEP" that the little ones will do if they get separated or if one of the other chicks is using them as a ladder or whatever. She does it for hours, till long after dark. I've heard of the 'egg-song' but is there a 'roost-song'? She's the only one doing it. The others get all worked up and crowd around her, but she doesn't seem to notice them, just keeps peeping like something's killing her. They never end up on a roost, just in a pile in a corner. I'm a little concerned that she's going to lure something out of the woods with all that pitiful racket.

 

[canesisters]

Of course I think that all my girls are 'special' but really, Candy can't be the only one who does this. Is it normal? Is there something I should be doing? Will she stop?

 

[Happy Chooks]

Mine have only done that when separated. When you check in the coop, is she with the others? Or in a separate area of the coop?

Them huddling in the corner is normal, it's new surroundings and that's how they feel safe.

 

[canesisters]

When she's making all that racket she's wandering all over the big birds part of the coop. Each space is roughly 4'x8'. The small ones will be pressed against the fence to be close to her and the bigger ones will be milling around her. It sorta looks like the other chicks recognize it as a 'come here' call. But she ignores them all and wanders around the coop as if they're not there. The little ones were separated when they were in the brooder too - they could see each other but couldn't peck and pull feathers - so I don't think that it's the separation that's started it. I don't recall her doing it in the brooder. Could it be insecurity from the large/tall space (8x8x12)? Should I put a box in there for them to huddle in????

 

[Happy Chooks]

Could it be insecurity from the large/tall space (8x8x12)? Should I put a box in there for them to huddle in????

Could be, I suppose.

I wouldn't give them a box though. Chicken habits, once established, are very difficult to change. You don't want them sleeping in your nestboxes when they are older.

 

[centrarchid]

There is a "roost song" but it much more muffled and sounds to my ears like sound made when one is threatening another. Call you are describing is more like a distressed contact call. Mine really prone to making it when no adults in roosting group. The harem master roosters of my flocks seem to really suppress the distress call of juveniles. Same roosters also most frequently give the true "roost song" but that can also the dominant bird within a group. Dominant birds can call others up to a new roosting location by using the "roost song".