Is something wrong with my coop ramps??

[Michie]

HI, I am new to having chickens and we just built what we feel is a great 2 story coop! The 4 chickens love it so far, but they will not go all the way to the top box and thats where we put 2 nesting boxes! They are still to young to lay, and we put traction bars on the ramps, and they walk down just fine when I stick them in there so I dont see what the problem is???? Is there a flaw that anyone can see that would keep them from laying in the top boxes?? They are high, and dark and nice and cozy!!(with a fake eggs in them lol) I think I did everything else right except we do need to add more ventilation in the top and bottom, and get a hanging waterer! The 2 barred rocks perch, and the RIR, & buff orpington do not?? Do they all need to perch at night? Thanks for your help in advance!!! I LOVE this site!!

There are traction bars on the top ramp, they just arent on yet in this pic!

This is a pic of the 2 floors b 4 we bolted down the perchs and closed it all in, but in the top is the nesting boxes!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

That's really not that high. When they are a little bigger and get closer to laying they will just jump up in there without the need for a ramp.

You may have to teach them to perch at night. Just put them up there at dusk until they get the hang of it. I prefer not to leave them on the damp ground.

 

[AllCoop'dUp]

You don't indicate how old your chickens are, but as MAC said, they'll start getting interested closer to laying time. Mine didn't give the nest boxes a second look until they started laying. Also...question about the roosts..are the 2X4 on the 1st floor? They appear nailed directly to the sides of the coop which wouldn't give much room for them to roost. The 2X4 on the upper floors look like there adequate space in front and behind for roosting.

 

[kla37]

Mine did the SAME THING. They got down OK, but would not go up the ramp for anything. I was picking them up and putting them in the coop every night! Then after about 2 weeks they just did it.

 

[mcostas]

Mine just nestle down where ever they happen to be when the sun goes down! I let them out of the pen when I get off work in the evening and they have a routine. The forage for bugs for awhile, then it's "salad" time. Then it's preening and piling up to sleep. They will pile up under the azaleas, in the garden, or simply in the middle of the yard. Most of the time I have to carry a couple of them to the pen. When they are in the pen they grab a last minute bite to eat and pile up on the ground. They have logs they love to roost on during the day, and a coop that they go into in the afternoon for their nap.


I can understand them wanting to stay out when it's hot. It just started cooling off here a little bit and sometimes there is quite a bit of condensation when I feed them before work in the morning. One time I picked them up after it had gotten dark and set them in the coop. They nestled in the litter and stayed there, but the next night they were back on the ground.

 

[Soaring Chicks]

You could put quarter round spaced out all the way up the ramp. (cut to fit ramp) Or anything that would give them some kind of grip. That's what we did and even the chicks will use them now.

 

[Michie]

All 4 pullets are about 12-14 weeks!! The bottom 2x4's were not secured at the time the pic was taken, but now they are with adequate room away from the walls! I know that chickens pick on each other but my buff orpington seems to be the "boss" and constantly picks on the BRs?? Will she ever stop or is that something they just do? The BRs are scared to come out into the run sometimes, its very sad

Never drawn blood, but still a meany!

 

[gryeyes]

Every single one of my youngsters (and I've had a few "cycles" of youngsters added to the flock) would perch on the roost bars during the day, trying them out. But they would NOT get up there to sleep until they were closer to 16, 17 or even 18 weeks old.

*I* think they need the daytime practice to develop confidence and to trust their ability to SLEEP whilst roosting. Just my take on it. I never worried about it, because the pine shavings are really deep and the coop is up off the ground, so there was never any cold ground. They snuggled in the shavings for a while, then eventually got around to sleeping on the roosts at night.

I don't have a ramp that long, but I don't think that's an issue, really. They'll eventually flap hop their way up there, if they don't use the ramps.

Everything in its own time, just like laying eggs. It's their schedule, not mine.

 

[AllCoop'dUp]

Quote:
They have to establish a pecking order, the higher up on the pecking order means you get the best roosting spots. Also means they can push their way into the food dish. I find it interesting that your BR on on the roosts, BO on the ground but yet the BR' run from the BO's. Maybe their still trying to figure it out. Yes, it's pretty dramatic and hard to watch anyone getting picked on.

 

[MissJenny]

From the angle in the photo the ramp looks a little narrow and maybe it's length gives it some "bounce" that the chicks don't like. How wide is it? It's made of 1"x something or 2"x something? Maybe a wider, beefier board would help them feel more secure.

Jenny