What does this mean??

[LeghornLisa]

My 6 girls have been out in their coop for a week now and yesterday I took the brooder box out of the coop and built them a roost in lieu of the roost that was in the box. When they go into the coop for the night, they all crowd in one corner of the coop, on top of each other, under the roost and squack loudly. what is this all about? The first time they did this I went in the coop with a flash light to see if something was causing the squacking, nothing, that was good news but what are they doing????

 

[monathequeen]

Sounds strange.
how old are they,
are there other chix in the coop,
how high is the roost ?
can they get up there ?
what kind of roost did you have in the brooder box and did they use that roost ?

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Cowering in abject terror.

Chickens are not much for disturbance to their environment. When things change they don't like it and don't know what to make of it - so they freak. Give them a few weeks... they'll figure it out.

 

[damselfish]

Oh yes, ours were total freaks for the first week in the coop. You would have thought they were being torn limb from limb in there. Don't worry, they'll get used to it.

 

[gritsar]

Quote:
I agree with David. Mine are still freaking about the fan I installed. Seems the older they get the less they like change. Just like me.

 

[classless chickens]

Funny thing is, at first I kept the light on in the beginning then I started turning it out a few weeks after they were in the coop. Here's the funny part, they sqawked and cowered on one end of the perch. I would turn the light back on and they would calm down and then I would turn it off and same thing...sqawk, sqawk,, etc... I finally just chalked it up to them being scared of the dark. Now they are fine. Just weird how they can be so human sometimes.

 

[Davaroo]

Quote:
Or how we can so readily attribute the human condition to them....

 

[LeghornLisa]

Thanks everyone, I thought it was just because I took the box out. They are 9 weeks old. 2 BO's, 2 black silkies and 2 Cochins. The roost is the same one I used in the brooder box and at the same height. The funny thing is during the day they were fine with it, sat very content and quiet, all hell broke loose when it was time for night night....

 

[classless chickens]

Quote:
Or how we can so readily attribute the human condition to them....

Ok then funny how my kids could be so chicken sometimes. HAH!

 

[Rustywreck]

My chickens did the same thing. Eventually they grew out of it.
Don't worry about it - they're just quirky little critters.