catawba coop ramp

[genabeana]

Hey, this is just curiosity - do many of you catawba-type coop owners leave the ramp open all night? So the coop is locked up on the side doors, but the chickens can come down in the morning and wait in the fenced-in area for you to open the main doors. Obviously, if a fox decided to dig its way under and into the coop, it could go up the ramp.

I'm just interested in what the majority do. I usually lock up the ramp closed every night, but I think the chicks probably enjoy coming down to the grass as early as they want. Chickens are nothing if not independant!

Trivia!

 

[genabeana]

It seems noone has a Catawba- style coop! Noone is answering my post!

 

[2txmedics]

I dont have either...

change the title on your post...to something like:

QUESTION: how many of you leave your ramps open to the coop

maybe you will get replies...faster. I leave my coop open each night UNLESS its storming bad...my babies go in on there own...mine is made from recycled fence that Hurricane Ike trashed around town. The door on my coop is an actual privacy fence door, this way I can lock it with that hinge.

My girls and big daddy go in around 7pm and start to roost. Like I said if I need them locked in ....I do and then get up early and open there door. I must say it would be nice to sleep one day til 8am...and not rush to go open a coop. lol...maybe I need to think about a ramp.

Do you see now what you have done to me!!!...

I have 3 more coops to built and now look...a RAMP!!

 

[AaronK]

i dont have an answer to your question, but i'm curious of others' responses.

I built a catawba - style tractor last spring and have left the ramp down so far. I designed the ramp and tractor so that in the winter time the top floor/roost would be completely sealed from the outside cold air by lifting up the ramp.

At this point I'm unsure of what to do... at what outside temperature I should seal up the tractor or not. any advice?

 

[MoTownChickie]

Aaron K-

What exactly is that type of coop? I think it is kinda a modular type but I'm not positive.
Time to google.
Do you have plans that you would be willing to share?

 

[AaronK]

It's basically an A-frame design - like catawba, but a little bigger - wanted them to have plenty of room! I designed it using google Sketchup, so I could send you that file if it's useful to you. Otherwise I could post some pics (later, they're at home).

 

[harrisville chicken]

I have one, we leave the door open at night. We're in a neighborhood where the risk of wild animals is low (dogs and cats are a larger risk, but not too much.)

Overall, we've found that this style of coop is too small and cramped for our two Easter Eggers, who would rather roost on top of the whole thing. Our two bantam cochins like it fine. So I'm constructing a new coop that's much larger for them.

 

[genabeana]

Thanks for all the responses! I think, based on what I've read here, that I'll leave the ramp open until the weather is too cold, then close it up for warmth purposes.

As far as how cold can they get, I read in "Fresh Air Poultry Houses" (a very dry book) that chickens can stay very warm with their feathers and by huddling together. I think that if it gets below freezing I will put in a light bulb for the night for a little heat. I just run an extension cord out to the coop.

 

[Amethyste]

We are below freezing many times during the winter, we dont use heat lamps.

They keep warm just fine!!! They really do....I promise

I DID use a heat lamp tho last winter...but only because it was soooooo abnormally cold <like 5 degrees F at night!!> and we only had the 2 hens left in a larger coop. Smaller coops keep them warmer I think, or if the coops are insulated.

This year tho we are back up to 9 in the flock and I think they will be just fine

Just keep water clear and thawed for them, keep them in a dry <non-drafty> area and plenty of food and they will shine!

 

[sephiroth]

I have a Catawba Brougham. I leave the ramp down most of the time. I leave the coop open some nights (I know).

We've owned dogs on the property for years (still do), our house is in the middle of 10 acres of field, so not too many predators to worry about (knock on wood).