Coop ladders

[Clover8Flora]

Ok so now we are half way through I'm starting to think about when the chicks arrive!
They have chosen to nest in the raised nest area which is about 1.5ft off the ground. What's worrying me is when they hatch will they wander out and fall off the ladder and her seriously hurt?
What's the best way round this? What age will they be able to use the ladder safely?

Many thanks

 

[Mister B]

I was wondering the same thing. I never had a hen go broody and hatch her own eggs, so I was wondering how it works too.

 

[Loghousemom]

I had a hen go broody in a nest that was 3 feet off the floor. I went ahead and moved her into a large dog crate with a door after she had been sitting for about 2 weeks. It was large enough that she had a nesting space and room to get up walk and eat. I would open the door in the afternoon when the other chickens were let out of the run so she could stretch out more if she wanted. It worked really well. Then when the chicks were hatched I added a wire fence around it. This allowed her and the chicks to mingle with the rest of the flock for a few days before being let loose. Good luck!

 

[Clover8Flora]

Thanks, I don't really want to move her if I can help it. I was thinking of wire meshing the doors until they are hatched and then moving them?
When will they be able to use the ladder?

 

[fluffyhens]

Hi I might be able to help. Although im only twelve I know ALOT about chickens! Those chicks could really hurt themselves if thst happened so heres my advice. If I was u, let the chickens hatch and bond with their mother for the first week, and in the meantime, start preparing a box suitable for hen and chicks and if u have a garden shed or a wendy house, put it in there. Every year when my bantams have chicks, we have a small chicken box and run wich is what we call the broody hen box and we put her in their 1 week after she has been sitting so that she gets used to her box. When the chicks r about 2 weeks old, we put them in the wendy house and let them out ocasionally to have a forage and a dustbathe.

They should be able to climb up and downnthe ladder safely at around 7 - 8 weeks old. I hope this advice helped because my chickens have been doing this for 3 years and the 4 th generation is due to have chickens 2day and 2morro!! Jess.

 

[Clover8Flora]

Thanks Jess

I've just mentioned this to my husband and we have decided to put in a temporary false floor for a weeks so they can come out at one level but I don't have to move them to quickly.
So basically the whole enclosure is off ground level with no where for them to fall

 

[fluffyhens]

Thats ok, I hope your chicks hatch out into little fluffy cutees!