Please help!! My chicks are freaking out and I have no idea why

[Chookwagn]

Did you check for monsters under the bed?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Certainly could be. Sounds like they can get away from the heat lamp if they want to. Honestly, at this age if they get cold they hardly need it. They can huddle together if they get cold. I can't think of anything else that could be frightening them unless there is a predator you're not seeing. That is certainly a possibility with the gaps in the wall. Those are large enough to let in a snake or weasel which could be hiding in there somewhere. I can't think of anything else.

 

[redinator]

It's about 60 out and they're 6/5 weeks old. They've got a heat lamp, food, water. They were just eating/drinking last time it was sun up and I checked on them.

Sundown? Not sure. I just introduced them to their coop almost a week ago now, so I've had them locked in there. I plan on at exactly a week to start letting them oit an hour before sundown, 2 hours, etc to make sure they know to get back to the coop.

Locked in? How big is the coop and how many chicks? They could just be stir crazy and bored.

 

[redinator]

It's about 60 out and they're 6/5 weeks old. They've got a heat lamp, food, water. They were just eating/drinking last time it was sun up and I checked on them.

Sundown? Not sure. I just introduced them to their coop almost a week ago now, so I've had them locked in there. I plan on at exactly a week to start letting them oit an hour before sundown, 2 hours, etc to make sure they know to get back to the coop.

Do they have a covered run during the day, or free ranging?

 

[BigBlueHen53]

@redinator has a point. It wouldn't hurt to put some perches in there, or blocks or branches for them to perch on and play on. Once you went in there, you may have become the local jungle gym!

 

[redinator]

@redinator has a point. It wouldn't hurt to put some perches in there, or blocks or branches for them to perch on and play on. Once you went in there, you may have become the local jungle gym!

I see the perches in the day light picture, but it's still pretty vacant looking. Could one of the chicks (or several) be bullying the others? I had two chicks that would climb all over me whenever I went in the run because they were being bullied and wanted protection. Some of the chicks could be overstimulated by the noise and behave aggressively towards the others.

 

[NatJ]

They've been acting like this for about 3ish hours. I just introduced them to their coop almost a week ago now. They've never done this.

I only just added a lamp today because the temp is supposed to get down to 30-50 F over the next several days. It's been 65 low to 85 high for about 4 days now.

If you just put in the lamp today, and this is the first time they are acting like this, I wonder if the lamp could be causing the change in behavior?

From what you've said, it looks like the lamp and the rain are the only new things this day.

 

[redinator]

If you just put in the lamp today, and this is the first time they are acting like this, I wonder if the lamp could be causing the change in behavior?

From what you've said, it looks like the lamp and the rain are the only new things this day.

I agree, to muffle the sound of the rain you could try throwing old blankets or something similar on the roof and tying them down maybe?

 

[MyAvamini]

I've been checking on them since around sundown. They've been acting like this for about 3ish hours. I just introduced them to their coop almost a week ago now. They've never done this. It's a tin roof barn with this coop off to the side. Do you guys think maybe it's the sound of the rain? I have checked every corner of the coop twice now, 1 hour apart. All around the coop, inside, food, water, heat... I've checked everything. I'm worried somethings wrong. It's dry in the center (the edges of the coop tend to pool some water when heavy rain), they're not wet or getting rain on them, etc. Please, someone, ease my mind about this. Please see this link to a video I uploaded to YT:

Thank you!!! Please help!! I'm freaking out!

 

[swigginwhiskey]

Did you check for monsters under the bed?

Lol. This is probably it.

Certainly could be. Sounds like they can get away from the heat lamp if they want to. Honestly, at this age if they get cold they hardly need it. They can huddle together if they get cold. I can't think of anything else that could be frightening them unless there is a predator you're not seeing. That is certainly a possibility with the gaps in the wall. Those are large enough to let in a snake or weasel which could be hiding in there somewhere. I can't think of anything else.

The gaps at a maximum are half an inch thick. I understand snakes could probably make that. But by my understanding, snakes are typically after eggs?

Locked in? How big is the coop and how many chicks? They could just be stir crazy and bored.

The coop is about 20ft wide by 40ft long. There's 17 pullets.

Do they have a covered run during the day, or free ranging?

Nothing as of yet. They've just been introduced to their coop less than a week ago. Once I hit one week, i plan on letting them out and hour before sundown, 2 hours, 3... etc. They will be free range.

@redinator has a point. It wouldn't hurt to put some perches in there, or blocks or branches for them to perch on and play on. Once you went in there, you may have become the local jungle gym!

Fair enough. I'll look into some stuff/build some stuff for them to climb on.

I see the perches in the day light picture, but it's still pretty vacant looking. Could one of the chicks (or several) be bullying the others? I had two chicks that would climb all over me whenever I went in the run because they were being bullied and wanted protection. Some of the chicks could be overstimulated by the noise and behave aggressively towards the others.

I don't really think so. They're all acting weird. Not just a select group/individual. This is the first time they've responded this way. I check on them at LEAST twice a day, since the coop introduction.

If you just put in the lamp today, and this is the first time they are acting like this, I wonder if the lamp could be causing the change in behavior?

From what you've said, it looks like the lamp and the rain are the only new things this day.

Don't think so. They were acting like this before the lamp introduction.

I agree, to muffle the sound of the rain you could try throwing old blankets or something similar on the roof and tying them down maybe?

That is not feasible, unfortunately.