My chickens aren't having any issues - even the 2 1/2 week of broody-raised chicks jumped right up into the door frame when Mama told them to, directly from the ground. The ducks are struggling though. They're making it and they're still growing so it will be easier as they get bigger, but I wish it were easier for them. I've tried a couple of options. First I had a paver on either side to use as a step and they were making it but it looked like a lot of effort for them, so last night I tried a ramp. It was not very steep at all - I had a nice long board to use - but they didn't seem to care for that idea at all. I had to lift 4 of them to set them in the door and let them jump down on the other side, and the other two skipped the ramp and made it up onto the door frame, so made it in by themselves. So today I'm back to the pavers. The problem is they don't seem to "get" that using the pavers as a step will make it easier, and more often than not, try to jump the distance. Sometimes they make, other times they fall backwards gracelessly and I feel so bad for them. They keep going and sitting by the people door asking me to open that instead but I don't want them to rely on being let in and out because it defeats the purpose of the auto door. We have a 2-night trip coming up next month for a baseball tournament DS is involved in, and I want to make sure the birds are ALL handling getting in an out before then.
