Do I need a ramp?

[rainbowgardens]

I'm finishing up the addition to the coop I built last year. The add-on coop sits up higher than the original one due to the slope of the land. The door from the new coop to the old sits up about 18" higher than the floor in the old one.
So far the hens are able to get back and forth, but I was wondering if I should add a ramp for any important reason.
If they can jump up to their perches and nesting boxes just fine, would a ramp be necessary? I would like to preserve as much floor space as possible, and a ramp would take up a lot of space.
I appreciate any advice you can give me. Thanks!

 

[grullablue]

I wouldn't know, for health or leg reasons, if you should or not, so I'll let someone else answer that question. But what I did is put in a couple of steps using brick pavers, and the girls use those. Or last flock of girls had just jumped in and out of the door, but with our new batch, we put the chicks in the coop at 8 weeks, and with them being smaller, I figured they were going to need some help getting in and out of that door, and I needed to do something quickly. I had planned on putting in a ramp, but used these steps temporarily. Well, the girls are now 4 months old, and they still have the steps! Maybe the steps will stay! If you wanted to go that route, it wouldn't take up as much space as a ramp.

Angie

 

[rainbowgardens]

Great idea, using a cement block. I'll try it!

 

[PacsMan]

Quote:
I wouldn't bother. I'm amazed how high my chickens (17 weeks) can now jump. They regularly (grrr

) jump on to my 4 foot chain link fence. I've had to clip several of their wings...

They often fly up half way up this 3 foot ramp on my set up.