Will Cornish Cross Climb a ramp?

[Beanhead]

I am working on a project for next year. The setup I am working on would require a cornish cross to climb a ramp through a coop door, 1 foot high off the ground to go out onto pasture and to food troughs.

 

[Sabz]

Yes! Mine did until the end.

As I've read in many places, they stop perching though. Around 5-6 weeks old. But going down (and up) a ramp to go outside (or inside), they did it with pleasure until the last day

Just pay attention.. something I noticed in my coop. When the birds go outside they are more than exited. They tumble out the door and the ramp more than they walk. I had one bird with a leg injury and I suspect it was because of the moment they all go outside at the same time in a sort of rumble freenzy

My ramp is about 3 feet long and the angle is.... oh, hard to say, a little less than 45 degrees. I added little pieces of woods to help the birds get a grip on the ramp.

 

[kiwicampbell]

Mine were perfectly able to use the ramp to go up and down BUT the problem I had was that when the first bird went up the ramp into the house they would flop down right as they entered the house. Since now the first bird was in the doorway the rest of the birds were not able to get into the house. I would end up with a row of cornish flopped on the ramp waiting for the top bird to move.

We redesigned and made a box for the house where the entire front is hinged and comes down and forms the ramp. Now they can all go into the house.

 

[KCMOLisa]

Yes, they can. But I agree with Sabz about the falling thing. I put a piece of plywood over my porch stairs to try to deter them from coming up and pooping on the porch, but I quickly discovered they just used it as a ramp and still got on the porch. If a bunch of them were on the porch and I came out with their food, they would all be so excited to get to the feeder that they would all jump on the ramp and roll/tumble/trip/flap their wings and slide down the ramp. I never had one get hurt, but I did worry about it every time they did it. I took the plywood away, but then they just did the same thing on the stairs. If you do build a ramp, I would make it very wide and with a low angle. Patience in the presence of food is not one of their strong points.

 

[Sabz]

Patience in the presence of food is not one of their strong points.

Haha love that quote.
It is getting dark very early now, at this time of year.. and yesterday I got home from work and did not immediately feed the meaties. When I thought about it, it was dark, they were all sleeping on their perch (I have Rossos now, not cornish X, so they still perch even at 12-14 weeks).

Well, I got in the coop with the food and they all "flew" down the perch. I received a few wing slaps in the face while they were getting off the perch LOL. I will never again go in the coop after dark, with food

 

[Beanhead]

A wide, long, low degree ramp is exactly what I had imagined. Thanks so much for the input everybody!!

 

[Sabz]

Good evening Beanhead!

I did a little video of my meaties and a few layers getting out of the coop, just for fun. At one point I sound like I am saying Russell breed, but it is actually Rosso. Sorry for my bad english, the point was more the birds then my talking

 

[Kildare49]

Have not had any issues with Cornish x using ramp. And when I open the door there were 50 of them coming down the ramp.