I have 10 week old Orpingtons, 2 buff 2 lavender. I have had them for about 4 1/2 weeks. Never had chickens before.
One of the lavenders refuses to climb or decend the ramp to the henhouse. I have watched, she is the last lo leave the house in the morning, looking afraid to step off the 3 inch high roost, never roosts the foot high, pausing at the pop door, going back in, looking again, over and over. If I don't help her down she takes very wobbly steps and sort of jumps/falls from the first couple of inches of the top of the ramp. Today she went about 5 inches down, turned around to go back up and in, but totally lost her balance with one foot in the air and fell off. She doesn't appear to be injured. She NEVER EVER gets on the ramp to go up. I placed a chunk of log underneath the bottom of the ramp to reduce the angle a bit. No go.
She eats, drinks, poops, and walks normally (as far as I can tell) once on the ground. She has come up to me and lets me pet and pick her up from day one, so if this is her permenant condition I don't mind, she's become a favorite. I just need to know what's up. She's always been this way. Any thoughts are appriciated.
One of the lavenders refuses to climb or decend the ramp to the henhouse. I have watched, she is the last lo leave the house in the morning, looking afraid to step off the 3 inch high roost, never roosts the foot high, pausing at the pop door, going back in, looking again, over and over. If I don't help her down she takes very wobbly steps and sort of jumps/falls from the first couple of inches of the top of the ramp. Today she went about 5 inches down, turned around to go back up and in, but totally lost her balance with one foot in the air and fell off. She doesn't appear to be injured. She NEVER EVER gets on the ramp to go up. I placed a chunk of log underneath the bottom of the ramp to reduce the angle a bit. No go.
She eats, drinks, poops, and walks normally (as far as I can tell) once on the ground. She has come up to me and lets me pet and pick her up from day one, so if this is her permenant condition I don't mind, she's become a favorite. I just need to know what's up. She's always been this way. Any thoughts are appriciated.