Chicks smothering each other

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I am having 2 problems one where the chicks are racing to get the food when I come in and knocking each other over. Sometimes they will have a hard time getting up if they get under the others- there are 29 and they have tons of room plus a little yard. Second is they are still huddling when they sleep at night and one chick died from being smothered (or at least it looked that way). Mind you these are 8 week old chicks and very friendly. We put a stick on the ground and hopefully they will start getting the roosting idea. They are not using the roosts where the big chickens were roosting before I put them out. They can easily fly to them though. While I am here I might as well ask another one - at 8 weeks could I put a few of them out with the big guys to range? There are 8 adult hens and 1 rooster who do there own thing right now.

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 06, 2001

Answers

Chicks huddle like that because they are too cold. They need to have a light bulb over them to get some warmth at night. If you already have a light bulb it is probably not close enough to them to give them enough warmth.

-- Colleen (pyramidgreatdanes@erols.com), June 06, 2001.

When I get new chicks, I keep them separate from the older ones but let all out to free range together. They find their own place that way and there isn't any fighting. At night they each go into their own coops. As time goes on, I'll lock the chicks coop and shoo them into the big coop. The older chickens have already accepted them and there is usually little fuss.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), June 06, 2001.

You need to put feed and water in several places .Sounds like maybe they need a little more .The others are correct they are cold.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@slic.com), June 06, 2001.

How can they be cold at 8 weeks and it is 80 outside at night and 90's during the day? These are big full feathered birds.

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 06, 2001.

Ok, then perhaps they are too hot, that's pretty warm at night to still be all huddled up to sleep!!! My guess would definitely be too hot and they overheated, which chickens are prone to do, especially if they can't pant to exhaust the heat, which they wouldn't be able to do if they were in a pile! Suffocation by overheating. Are they a heavy breed?

-- Annie Miller in SE OH (annie@1st.net), June 06, 2001.


Lynn, if they were younger or it was cooler, I'd be inclined to tell you they need another light. But doesn't sound like they need one at all. They are just used to being in a huddle together at night. (silly birds;) They really are old enough to be in the coop with the other chickens, I would think. I know when I have broodies, they will abandon them at that age, whether or not they have taught them to roost. There will be a lot of consternation for a night or two, and then everybody settles down.

-- mary, in colorado (marylgarcia@aol.com), June 06, 2001.

The chicks are Rhode Island Reds and Black Sex Links. And 2 Silver Wyandottes. It was a Black Sex Link that got smothered. The Black Sex Links are actually a little bigger. I think they probably are huddling still out of habit, maybe if we put everyone together they will get the idea. I almost hate to do that the babies are so innocent and sweet! These guys will sit on our arms and be petted in our laps. Who would have thought a pet chicken? Sure has changed my mindset about chickens (buthering is going to be hard)! Will they get mean like our older inherited birds?

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 06, 2001.

Lynn, Our juveniles chickens tend to dog pile also. I think they may be that they feel more secure that way when sleeping (like under a mother hen). Have you tried putting out chick roosts? Specifically, smaller sized roosts designed for younger birds. We find that this often helps immensely. We use smaller sized dowels or 1x1's and create several roosts that are closer to the ground for our juveniles. They seem to feel more secure roosting than sleeping on the ground and spread out more.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@linkup.net), June 06, 2001.

Sorry, I must have missed the part about the roosts.

-- Trisha-MN (tank@linkup.net), June 06, 2001.

That's ok Trish, we just started tonight putting a stick on the ground, I guess tomorrow we will raise it. I just thought they naturally roosted, but I'll bet they do feel safer in a huddle!

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 06, 2001.


1. I free feed, there's always feed in the hoppers.

2. Your chicks are cold. They need a heat lamp.

3. The roosts are too high for the age. Put some in that are lower. My Bantams won't use roosts that are higher than 18 inches.

4. Youngsters and adults new to me are kept penned for 3 weeks. I free feed. This trains the birds to return to the pens at dusk to roost on their own. The youngsters should be fully feathered when they free range; they need their feathers to protect from the weather, whether hot, cold or rainy. And by that time they're large enough to hunt for goodies and not be picked on by the older fowl.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), June 07, 2001.


I have raised my own chicks for approximately 35 years and I have never had warm chicks huddle.

-- diane (gardiacaprine@yahoo.com), June 07, 2001.

Lynn,

I have chicks that huddle together. (They are about 8 weeks old also.) I don't think it's because they are cold. Mine are confined to a small area (but enough room for them to enough space for themselves) and when I come to feed them they huddle up around the chicken wire and step on each other. I have not lost any because of the problem. I think they will out grow it.

I usually buy more chicks then I need so that if something happens to some I will have enough to make it through. Last year I had three chickens die in the heat. (We had a month of 100 degree weather.) I had a dog attack and kill two chickens a week ago.

I hope your chicks stop this problem soon.

-- Tom S. (trdsshepard@yahoo.com), June 07, 2001.


We use 2x3 brooders to start our birds. Move them to larger brooders as size dictates. If they are to warm they will move away from the light and have found that a couple have gotten sguished in the corner. Our brooders use 60 to 75 watt bulbs. We incubated emu for 2 years and found that they liked the light even when they didn't need it, just habit. When we moved the chicks to a larger pen we already had a roost in it from other birds. There was also a shelf for smaller brooders and they would sit there while I fed the upper set of brooders. I would take a couple of the bigger chicks and set them on the roost, in a few days they would go there by themselves. Could be your chicks are to dependent on you. I used to make pets out of the chickens but don't any more,just enough to keep them friendly. Also keep them on a routine, we do that with every bird we have. As the ducks and geese are still laying we put each on the pond seperately, open the gate and let them out, they will all go home when they are ready, and the next one gets let out. Even the swans do that. My chickens are on the roost by 7 in the evening and I just have to shut the door. Guess that's kind of off subject but thought it might be of interest to help combat preditor problems.

-- Barb (bralsteen@ez-net.com), June 07, 2001.

The sides of old baby cribs work pretty well for roosts for chicks. Some will huddle and some will roost. You may try to separate some of them too if they are clumping together. GL!

-- Gailann Schrader (gtschrader@aol.com), June 07, 2001.


I ment to say HOT chicks.....oh well, yes I have had them huddle when I approached, but not like smothering each other when I was not there.

-- diane (gardiacaprine@yahoo.com), June 07, 2001.

Fix them a good wide roost [I use a board turned flat about 2 or 3 feet high]. When it gets real dark put them on it for a couple of nights and your problem will be solved.

-- Don (hihilldon@yahoo.com), June 07, 2001.

Thanks guys for your answers. The one poster was right when we upped their feed they stopped swarming when I came in. We put a roost a little over their heads. We will try putting them on it every night to see what happens. Yes you are right we are probably being too friendly with them...

-- Lynn (johnnypfc@yahoo.com), June 07, 2001.

You probably have the answer to your chicks smothering problem already, but just in case.The chicks are probably not cold but feel secure bunching at night.I would guess they don't have a light on at night.If they did have a small wattage bulb ,not for heat, but to see ,they won't bunch together at night.Instead they'll eat bugs all night that are attracted to the light. There's nothing wrong with making friends with your food.I treat my vegtables with kindness and love and eat them to.They, like chickens are also living creatures.

-- SM Steve (a12goat@cs.com), June 09, 2001.

Fancier the first mistake is not leaving a 100 watt to 60 watt bulb on the birds at all times. We used to have the light bulb hanging in the brooder house for at least 4 months of their life. This allows the birds full feed and water 24 hrs a day and does away with over crowding and prevents feather picking also. A chicken with out feed and water for three hours will worry its self to a diminish in flesh It takes three days of constnt eating and drinking to replace three hours of left with not feed and water on a chicken. So try the light buld even if you can only afford a 40 watt ithe light is the ticket. and full feeders and waterers 24 hrs a day. Glenda L. heywood nationalpoultrynews@yahoo.com

-- GLHeywood (nationalpoultrynews@yahoo.com), June 21, 2001.

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