Please Help: New Birds Won't Roost Very Distressed

[bokbokbokBOKBOKBOKBKAAA]

Hello, I just bought two pullets today about 7 months old. I have a temporary housing setup for them in my back porch (for quarantine purposes). They are not used to the new environment though they've been in there for several daylight hours, but it's bedtime and they are distressed trying to find a roosting spot. They just keep walking around looking up and hopping up and off objects (hay bale, chair). It's been 1.5 hours since sunset, so I have some house lights on that project into the back porch to help them see. At first it was too much light and they were just eating and scratching. How can I help them? The roost is the same height as the chair seat and the hay bale they are hopping up on. It's a 2x4 on its side. One of them hopped uo on it then hopped down a couple times. How can I help them go to sleep? They are making very distressed sounds It's their first night in a new space please help!!!!

 

[nuthatched]

Turn off the light and place them on the roost.

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

I moved this thread to our Managing Your Flock forum.

Congrats on your new birds! They are going to be stressed for a few days, everything is new to them and this makes them nervous. As long as they are safe and locked in for the night, they will be ok. Make sure they have complete darkness and no noises to stress them. Keep them quiet for several days, stick with routines and they will calm down.

Best wishes with your new birds!

 

[bokbokbokBOKBOKBOKBKAAA]

Turn off the light and place them on the roost.

Thank you, that worked (they still panicked but they are both on now). They aren't snuggling together even though it's a little cold...

 

[bokbokbokBOKBOKBOKBKAAA]

Hello and welcome to BYC!

I moved this thread to our Managing Your Flock forum.

Congrats on your new birds! They are going to be stressed for a few days, everything is new to them and this makes them nervous. As long as they are safe and locked in for the night, they will be ok. Make sure they have complete darkness and no noises to stress them. Keep them quiet for several days, stick with routines and they will calm down.

Best wishes with your new birds!

Thank you for the welcome; it felt like an emergency to me, they were distressed

 

[tlcmurphy]

It’s all new to them, they will be fine. Mine slept in a cuddle puddle for weeks before they braved the coop.

 

[tlcmurphy]

And

 

[TwoCrows]

Thank you for the welcome; it felt like an emergency to me, they were distressed

Oh I understand, when our babies are stressed, so are we!

 

[tlcmurphy]

Oh I understand, when our babies are stressed, so are we!

Indeed!!

 

[TOMTE]

Welcome to BYC! I LOVE your username!

Your new babies should settle in soon. Turn off the lights and place them on the roost yourself for a few nights in a row and they'll get what they're supposed to do by themselves. I only had to do it twice before my girls figured it out