Hen refusing to go down the ramp

[teesngln]

Hi!
I recently built a new coop and it's elevated off the ground 2 feet so my chickens now have to use a ramp.

It's been a week now and my one hen (a silkie) refuses to go down it - she knows how to go up it by herself at night though. And my other chicken has zero problem going up & down. I've elevated the end to lessen the angle and the cleats are already only 3 inches apart.

I've tried placing her part way down every day and she will just sit and not move and chirp at me.. sometimes she will even just opt to go back up the ramp instead of walking down. I've also trimmed the feathers around her eyes to ensure she can see the new situation well.

And not sure if it's what it seems, but my rooster adorably seems to try to show her how to do it - whenever I put her in the middle of the ramp he will go up a couple cleats and then back down and jump off.

Suggestions for anything else I can try to make her comfortable with it?

 

[azygous]

All she needs is incentive. Toss some scratch grain at the foot of the ramp. When she sees that the others are getting her share, she will quickly get her little tail down the ramp. Repeat the next morning if needed.

 

[aart]

Post pics of ramp.

 

[teesngln]

Post pics of ramp.

Picture here.

I added a bit of a side rail today because I've seen her get awfully close to walking off the side at the top and she of course panicks when that happens. Not sure if this is a productive move will find out in the morning.

 

[aart]

Picture here.

I added a bit of a side rail today because I've seen her get awfully close to walking off the side at the top and she of course panicks when that happens. Not sure if this is a productive move will find out in the morning.

Looks pretty good, but might rotate that block 90° to lessen the angle more.

 

[KyCoop]

You can also remove the treads and nail a rubber , treaded mat. My girls love the mat in their ramp.

 

[teesngln]

You can also remove the treads and nail a rubber , treaded mat. My girls love the mat in their ramp.

Great idea! If she can't get it the next few days, I might need to try this.

 

[texsuze]

Other suggestions: sand down those cleat edges to be more rounded, not so 90 degree sharp. You could also cut strips of rubber mat (or synthetic door mat) and attach them between some or all of the cleats. I've used contact cement to attach rubber mats but it needs time to cure, in decent weather.

I have lots of ramps around my coop; wish I didn't have so many changes in elevation. Lessening the incline always helps.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Try making it less steep for her and see if that helps. Maybe put a cinder block or other step at the bottom if necessary. Once she becomes accustomed to going down it, you may be able to return it to its normal configuration. (Or not.) What breed is the other hen? Is your reluctant hen smaller?

 

[perkolator]

Looks really steep and then terminates right at the wall. Your directional chute siding doesn’t really let them jump off the side to avoid using the ramp, so Chicken probably face planted at the bottom and doesn’t feel safe going down it anymore.

If the ramp still fits, I’d start with turning the brick so it’s taller, which would be better than it is now. I’d consider adding a 2nd ramp at the end. Could even lower the top where it mounts to the coop.

There’s other options too, I used to have a ramp but swapped it out for a tree branch ladder and all the chickens can use it just fine.