Afraid of ramp

[Jhs51684]

My 10 week old bantams are afraid to descend down their coop ramp. The pictures are taken while my coop is in the garage but I've had them in the yard and they still won't go down to the grass. From other forums I've read, my ramp isn't too steep. Any advice on getting them to go down? Thanks

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[ChickensAreSweet]

They will go eventually- it may take a few days but they will start exploring when they feel it is safe to do so.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Watching chicks when you first open the pop door can be a lot of fun. With some broods every chick is on the ground within 15 minutes. With some broods it might be three days before the first one ventures out, but it is hilarious watching them at the door looking out for those three days. Some chicks are not very trusting. What’s more normal, if anything can be called normal, is that it takes several hours, maybe overnight, but eventually one ventures out. Sometimes it hops right back in, sometimes the rest follow if it stays out a couple of minutes. Sometimes a few follow it out but the rest still wait a while.

Just be patient. They will venture out when they are ready.

 

[Cacique500]

That ramp angle reminds me of the last time I stood on top of a very large mountain and gazed down the at the double black diamond trail with moguls...

or this:

 

[Sutremaine]

[....] and they still won't go down to the grass. From other forums I've read, my ramp isn't too steep.

What about the forums your birds have been reading? :D

It does look pretty steep to my eye. Prop up the end on a brick to reduce the ramp angle, and if you can find something suitable make another ramp from the brick to the ground.

How much traction does the flat wood have?

(Yes, they'll end up down the ramp sooner or later. As long as they have what they need in the coop, they'll be fine.)

 

[Jhs51684]

Y'all have been great. I added a hinge and elongated the ramp. I woke up to one of the hens at the bottom. They still seem quite hesitant but they're making progress. I also added rungs. Hope it works. Thanks again to everyone who gave their input. The BYC community is awesome!!!

 

[aart]

Would be much better to prop up the end of ramp (on a concrete block, a stump, and milk crate, anything 8-16" high) instead of making it longer, as the steepness is the major problem.

Adding more rungs is good, but all that straw on there may give them false footing and make them even more leery of it.

 

[drumstick diva]

The ramp does look very steep to me. The hen at the bottom may have fallen there trying to navigate the ramp. Sometimes ramps aren't so scary if they have sides to them.

 

[rubbleanddebris]

Mine had a similar problem... they would go out of the coop by taking a running start and just jumping/flying. ha. quite cute, but they were too afraid to actually use it, so they would be stuck outside. I had to round them up at night for about a week. Then one day.. they just got it. They still like to running jump/fly out of the coop though.