- Apr 26, 2012
- 6
- 0
- 62
Newbie here.
We just got our first batch of layers last weekend which are now about one week old. There are twelve of them and they never shut up except for at night--which is a story in itself. Four different breeds. All seem healthy, strong and VERY active. I already have one trying to fly out of the brooder and their favorite activity is to scratch to the bottom of the box. I've witnessed "distressed" chirping when we disturb them to check vents or change water and feed, and the constant chirping does not match it. After reading other threads, it seems that perhaps they are just chatty and perhaps the number increases it? Are there particular breeds that tend to be more so than others?
We have three each of Ameraucana, Rhode Island Red, Black Australorp and Blue Andalusian.
The red heat lamp is positioned at 80-85 degrees and it is rare that they will huddle under it, but they don't always avoid the epicenter either. I've tried more and less heat also with no change in activity or chirpy-ness.
As for the night, we've discovered that they won't go to sleep unless we turn off the RED heat lamp. Is this common? We were told to get the red lamp so that they would sleep.
They all huddle in their now favorite corner to sleep and all seem very relaxed except for an occasional quiet peep or position change. It was funny last night...my husband rearranged the items in the box, putting the roosting bar in their sleeping corner. When the light went off, they all crammed between the wall and the bar, trying to figure out how to get into their huddle. We had to move the bar because they weren't coming up with a workable solution for the situation.
We just got our first batch of layers last weekend which are now about one week old. There are twelve of them and they never shut up except for at night--which is a story in itself. Four different breeds. All seem healthy, strong and VERY active. I already have one trying to fly out of the brooder and their favorite activity is to scratch to the bottom of the box. I've witnessed "distressed" chirping when we disturb them to check vents or change water and feed, and the constant chirping does not match it. After reading other threads, it seems that perhaps they are just chatty and perhaps the number increases it? Are there particular breeds that tend to be more so than others?
We have three each of Ameraucana, Rhode Island Red, Black Australorp and Blue Andalusian.
The red heat lamp is positioned at 80-85 degrees and it is rare that they will huddle under it, but they don't always avoid the epicenter either. I've tried more and less heat also with no change in activity or chirpy-ness.
As for the night, we've discovered that they won't go to sleep unless we turn off the RED heat lamp. Is this common? We were told to get the red lamp so that they would sleep.
They all huddle in their now favorite corner to sleep and all seem very relaxed except for an occasional quiet peep or position change. It was funny last night...my husband rearranged the items in the box, putting the roosting bar in their sleeping corner. When the light went off, they all crammed between the wall and the bar, trying to figure out how to get into their huddle. We had to move the bar because they weren't coming up with a workable solution for the situation.
