- Feb 25, 2013
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So...I've done a forum search and it seems as though all of the "chickens using ladders" questions/comments are geared for young chickens that are in large coops and dont mind being held/handled.
So heres the background story:
I have zero experience with chickens but 2 days ago I bought 2 Americauna hens off craigslist. They were free range and the owners didnt have them as "pets" persey so I dont think they were accustomed to handling. Their nesting boxes were on the ground, and there was plenty of room for them to "fly" up onto a perch (the coop was also very covered in fecal matter making them stink to high heaven). So anyways......before this I built an Aframe tractor/coop out of recycled materials/stuff I had lying around and built it so that the ends hinged as doors but the sides didnt have doors (mistake explained later). On one end I set it up to where the one nesting box was on top, and the bottom half was the "roosting box" both are enclosed with a 6x9" cutout door, and a ladder going up to the nesting box. So far they have both laid an egg in the lower roosting area, and in the "run" area.
So as promised, heres my mistake and final question:
I read here on the forums alot of people tried treats to get them to use the ladder. So being a 6'5'' 270lb dude I had to crawl into the 3'x6' run area through one of the end doors to even get to the ladder - which made them immediatly retreat to the roosting box squaking like crazy. I put squished grapes on the ladder, in the opening, and inside the nesting box and backed out (dam near destroying the coop in the process). When they finally came out of the roosting box one of them could have cared less about the grapes and the other one just ate a couple off the stairs but didnt follow the "trail". The most frustrating part is the opening to the nesting box is litterally 2" above their heads - so they can almost see into it. So my question is - can "mature" hens learn to use the ladder in a way that doesnt require me handling them because they FREAK out, and definatly didnt get the trail of grapes idea???
Thanks, and sorry for the super long thread
So heres the background story:
I have zero experience with chickens but 2 days ago I bought 2 Americauna hens off craigslist. They were free range and the owners didnt have them as "pets" persey so I dont think they were accustomed to handling. Their nesting boxes were on the ground, and there was plenty of room for them to "fly" up onto a perch (the coop was also very covered in fecal matter making them stink to high heaven). So anyways......before this I built an Aframe tractor/coop out of recycled materials/stuff I had lying around and built it so that the ends hinged as doors but the sides didnt have doors (mistake explained later). On one end I set it up to where the one nesting box was on top, and the bottom half was the "roosting box" both are enclosed with a 6x9" cutout door, and a ladder going up to the nesting box. So far they have both laid an egg in the lower roosting area, and in the "run" area.
So as promised, heres my mistake and final question:
I read here on the forums alot of people tried treats to get them to use the ladder. So being a 6'5'' 270lb dude I had to crawl into the 3'x6' run area through one of the end doors to even get to the ladder - which made them immediatly retreat to the roosting box squaking like crazy. I put squished grapes on the ladder, in the opening, and inside the nesting box and backed out (dam near destroying the coop in the process). When they finally came out of the roosting box one of them could have cared less about the grapes and the other one just ate a couple off the stairs but didnt follow the "trail". The most frustrating part is the opening to the nesting box is litterally 2" above their heads - so they can almost see into it. So my question is - can "mature" hens learn to use the ladder in a way that doesnt require me handling them because they FREAK out, and definatly didnt get the trail of grapes idea???
Thanks, and sorry for the super long thread