How To Improve This Ladder?

[GoldDogsMom]

Love the swing idea! I am already thinking...now where do I have some chain...hmm!

 

[fireguy56]

Hi, As far as the ladder. I would get rid of the pvc, with only one screw holding them they are gonna pivot from the weight of the chickens. Go with two rails and natural limbs or 2"bys for rungs. Mine love theirs.
Erik

 

[PTFowl]

Took some of your suggestions and added wood limbs to the lower rungs in between the PVC and even replaced one low PVC with a branch. This did the trick. So far one bird got up to the third rung from the top and three have been climbing at the same time. They're using a combo of wing action and a little hop to get from one PVC to the next where there is no branch in between on those higher PVC rungs. If they get all the way to the top they get to perch on the 2x4 corner roost--the highest spot in the chicken yard. As for the rungs pivoting--right now there's no movement, they're secured with a long screw and washer but i figure tree branches often have a natural give/sway so a little pivot isn't going to hurt if it does eventually happen. Yeah, as for the swing--they love it and sometimes get three on there at once. I think i originally got the idea from fireguy56's photo on this site. This swing is adjustable so it'll get raised as they get bigger.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

It is so nice to see your birds enjoying it! Good job!

 

[fireguy56]

PTfowl, Well my wife thought I was truely crazy when I built the Jungle Jim and added a swing for the fun of it. Now I have two swings, and 7 different birds jumping on them. After showing the photos here on BYC and a video I shot I've had a least 20 folks saying they were gonna add swings to their runs. I guess I'll have to start a thread asking people to show their chickens using our swings. Could be cool. I waiting to get a shot of two girls on same swing. Oh, crap...this chicken thing is making me nuts.
Erik

 

[SteveBaz]

Quote:
This chicken thing is making me nuts. Join the Club!!!!

 

[PTFowl]

Quote:
Yeah, I'm thinking your wife was probably right--we're a little crazy with this but hey, i can come up with at least a half dozen worse things without even giving it much thought. I'll be looking out for your chicken swing thread and ready to post a photo of two or three chickens swinging at the same time--now I'm on a mission to capture this photo. Fortunately i can see what the birds are up to from upstairs through the see-through roof over the chicken yard so i can scoot out there with my camera when a bunch of them are on the swing. Yup, this is crazy. Am considering adding a second swing too since it creates more usable space in the chicken yard.

CAS, thanks for the positivity!

 

[Bill2457]

the pvc is to slippery, they dont feel safe gripping it. try wood.

 

[PTFowl]

Okay fine. The PVC ladder just wasn't working very well especially for the smallest birds. So I built this one on Sunday. Eventually I want them to be able to use it to get to the high roosts in the coop. But right now I have it out in the chicken yard at a more gradual slope to get them used to it. At the gradual slope a bunch of them are using it as a roost during the day. I'll gradually increase the slope. Is this gonna work? The length is 7 ft 6 inches by 9.5 inches wide. I'm building a second one at 8 ft by 10 inches to replace the PVC ladder out in the chicken yard.