How to get them up to the coop?

[calman5565]

Hey Everyone!

I have a question concerning my chickens entering their coop. I am a new owner with twelve chickens and I have converted my old treehouse into a coop. Right now they are living in a fenced off area beneath the house and love it but when they outgrow the old doghouse they sleep in, I want to move them from there into the treehouse. The problems is, it is about 8 feet off the ground. Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I can get them to go up and down every morning and every night? (They will be free-range.)

Thanks for reading and I would really appreciate any advice that anyone has.

Thanks!

 

[doop]

I would definitely make some sort of ramp. If they have to repeatedly jump down from that height they can hurt their feet. Do a search for bumble foot.Treehouse sounds like a neat idea. Hope you can access it easily cleaning it might be tough.

 

[Fred's Hens]

So what's the plan on where they'll be laying their eggs?

 

[calman5565]

I've built the nesting boxes up in the treehouse.

 

[Kylling]

My advice? Build some kind of ramp or ladder that provides easy access up to the tree house. My own chickens can easily climb ramps like that, but a ramp might not be the best---nor the easiest, for the chickens!---an idea, for you say the tree house is eight feet up, correct? Imagine an eight-foot-tall ramp! I think a slanted ladder might be best. I know most of my chickens have absolutely no problem with ladders! But, of course, they're not chicks.

I don't know what you should do, but if anything, a ladder or a ramp to help them get up into the tree house.