chickens won't use ramp??

[morgakl2]

It's getting in the high thirties at night, so I have a heat lamp in the chicken coop. My chickens are only 2-3 months old. They know how to use the ramp to leave the coop in the morning, but they haven't figured out how to use the ramp to get put up at night. I'm worried they are going to freeze or get soakin wet. Every night I am having to scoop them off the ground and put them back in the coop. Is there an easier way? Can I train them to go back up at night all by themselves.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Keep the food up in the coop and not on the ground.

Now if they are silkies, then that's another story.

OOOOOh I just read your sig line. They ARE silkies.

Aha! Silkies don't like ramps in general. I would keep the food in the coop. That will encourage them to use the ramp all day. Been there done that. They will eventually learn. They cannot see very well and so are intimidated by ramps sometimes. They are trainable for sure though!

 

[CheerioLounge]

Just keep putting them in there for now. They will eventually get the idea. You might try enticing them up the ramp with treats.

Heat lamps, IMHO, can be a problem. Most chickens actually do very well in cold. It's heat that they have trouble tolerating. You want them to get used to the cold. What if the power goes out and your chickens have not developed their downy winter feathers. They may freeze. Again, this is just my opinion. There are lots of threads on the subject. Just search "cold weather."

 

[flocksalot]

When you scoop them up put them onto the ramp. That helps my little ones figure it out. Good luck

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh and make sure your ramp isn't too steep or narrow.

Also, it helps to have a place on the ground where they can get out of the rain. For example, a tarp or solid piece of wood they can stand under. Otherwise they will stand in the rain.

 

[hemet dennis]

Put the food in the coop and get rid of the heat lamp

 

[goldies99]

first ...they dont need a heat lamp...just keep them dry...with plenty of food and water.........how long have they been living on the coop??.....they should go back in to roost at night on there own .....you could try keeping them in the coop a few days....till they know that is where there home is....i never had that problem....but i did keep my in the coop for the first few weeks

 

[morgakl2]

They are silkies. Is that a bad thing?

I did sprinkle feed down the ramp with a pile at the top. Are there other treats that would really get them movin?

Because I got a new tractor type coop for Christmas today, I can't reach the ramp anymore, thus I wont be able to place them on the ramp

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Quote:
Silkies are quite different from other chickens from my experience. I really love them. That isn't bad at all.

But silkies will just NOT use the ramp at first unless that food is inside the coop I have found.

 

[morgakl2]

I know a heat source is suppose to be used until they feather out completely. But, I'm not sure if they have all their adult feathers are not. My 5 younger ones were hatched around Oct. 17th. The heat lamp is just a 100 wt bulb. It's a drafty coop and it just keeps things about 15 degrees warmer than the outside. I figured it would also keep the water from freezing. But I'm the newby. If yall think the heat lamp does more warm than good, I will get rid of it.

I'm so sad. My husband and I went on an 4 hour round trip today to buy this $270 tractor coop. Please dont tell me it's the wrong kind of coop for my silkies. Heck, it may be easier to sell the silkies and try a different breed

For the past 2 months they have been living in a rabbit hutch. On nice weekend days, I would let the door/ramp down for them. They would go down it, but only 2 would use it to go back up it. I even had the food containers in there. (I had to keep the food in there, because the goat would get after it.)