Ramp question: Can chickens hang a right? (90° turn)

[ChaosMom]

this is what I had in mind re: log by ramp for side exit
View attachment 4063248
(mum had just exited stage right, and the chicks were thinking about leaving the coop for the first time)

Is the cloth attachment purely for the babies, or do you always use it?

We have the itty bitty supplied ramp, which I’m thinking of using as the doormat, so to speak.

I’m going slightly crazy wanting to finish this thing, and waiting each morning for the soil in the run to re-thaw isn’t helping.

 

[ChaosMom]

I remember struggling with the instructions 1st time, but it's like riding a bike and soon you'll have it off pat. This might help, from Shad's thread, when I partially disassembled to show how easy it is to clean
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...hickens-thread.1502267/page-907#post-26093710

Yep, I’ve got that link bookmarked!

As my character-building project for the next few months, I’m determined to remain open-minded about this thing and embrace the oddities. The partial disassembly (feels like it, anyway) for egg-collecting and daily cleanout are at the top of the list to stop whining about.

 

[Perris]

Is the cloth attachment purely for the babies, or do you always use it?

it's the stuff sold as shelf liner for pots and pans, or to stop plates sliding on trays. I found the birds could lose their footing on the plastic ramp, despite the grooves cut into it. It's on all the coop ramps all the time, replaced as needed (it does wear thin).

We have the itty bitty supplied ramp, which I’m thinking of using as the doormat, so to speak.

I have no idea what you mean by that. I find the ramps work fine for all. But of course you plan to raise the whole coop onto a platform, so I guess you'll need something longer or staged, yes?

The partial disassembly (feels like it, anyway) for egg-collecting and daily cleanout are at the top of the list to stop whining about.

lifting the nest box lid to collect eggs and removing two pins to take the whole back off hardly counts as a disassembly, imo

 

[ChaosMom]

it's the stuff sold as shelf liner for pots and pans, or to stop plates sliding on trays. I found the birds could lose their footing on the plastic ramp, despite the grooves cut into it. It's on all the coop ramps all the time, replaced as needed (it does wear thin).

Oh, nice idea.

I have no idea what you mean by that. I find the ramps work fine for all. But of course you plan to raise the whole coop onto a platform, so I guess you'll need something longer or staged, yes?

Sorry, that’s me thinking out loud again.

Yes, the coop is elevated with a wooden ramp, and there will be a platform at the ramp off the ramp where they “turn right” to enter through the pop door. Maybe I can repurpose the ramp for that. #117 on my to-do list.

lifting the nest box lid to collect eggs and removing two pins to take the whole back off hardly counts as a disassembly, imo

So I keep telling myself! I leave home at 7:45 to make it to class two days a week and will need to get up earlier. But as I said, I’m practicing on giving up whine.

 

[Chicken_man_J]

I'd go cheaper... if you have some cardboard boxes lying around, I'd deconstruct them and tape them securely to form a corral inside the coop. Maybe 24" high and about 10-12 sq ft? That should be plenty of space for the first week or so, after which they'll be big enough to jump out so you'd want to remove it before they do.

You can compost or toss it after.

Feeder and waterer, the usual mason jar type that's common at feed stores is what I use. For 8 you might be able to get by with 1 of each, for 12 maybe bump the feeders to 2 (not sure as I only do 3-4 chicks at a time). Set them up on low bricks or scrap lumber to raise them slightly above the floor/bedding to reduce waste.

(Note I didn't bother buying a mason jar for the feeder, I let them sit in it if they want. But with 8-12 mouths you'll have a hard time keeping it full enough without the jar feeding into it so don't do what I did!)
View attachment 4063090

If I build something similar to this picture would I use pine shavings and where would the heat plate go?

 

[rosemarythyme]

If I build something similar to this picture would I use pine shavings and where would the heat plate go?

Pine shavings are fine (I use aspen simply because I can get it with larger flakes, to reduce them eating it) and you can see how I have the heat pad on one side, but with space between the pad and wall so chicks don't get trapped back there.

 

[Chicken_man_J]

I only have experience with Brinsea. Mine is the kind that they can get under and you can adjust the height as they grow. I think the one I got says 20 chicks. But like mostly everything associated with chickens the manufactures love to exaggerate the chick count. But for 8-12 chicks a plate that says 20 chicks will be good. Flat or angled I guess is up to you, or maybe try both and see what the chicks like. I keep mine flat.

View attachment 4063001


If you get a heat plate you don't need the thermometer. I suggested that because the chicks need a place to get warm and a place to get cool. They will self regulate. But if the heat lamp is heating the entire coop up then they have no place to cool down.

I don't think medicated feed is necessary. I've never used any sort of medicated feed.

There was no local store or place to purchase a Brinsea, so I ordered a Brinsea EcoGlow Safety 1200 Chick & Duckling Brooder.
The sale made it only a couple dollars more than a 600.

 

[Stephine]

Careful with using a heat plate in an outside/unheated situation. They might not put out enough heat to keep your chicks warm enough. They are meant for indoor brooding and might state a minimum ambient temperature. I had chicks in our studio under a heat plate a few years ago, room at about 56-60f and they did not warm up enough to come out to eat and drink. just quietly rested under it. I watched them for a few hours and finally switched to a heat lamp and they started behaving like regular chicks, eating, drinking, running around, chirping, napping… People have built little caves with heating pads to brood outside in cold weather, but I don’t think the heat plates work well for that.

 

[birdlady11]

All my perches are high off the ground so I used a straight long ramp to reach up to the perches, not a problem when all my chickens were young and spry. But as they started to age, those steep ramps were more difficult for them to navigate both up and down. So I went to using a switchback system (like when the trail up the mountain is too steep and they use switchbacks so you don't kill yourself trying to get up the mountain). If you look at the back wall of this run in my coop you will see both the switchbacks which are wide 180's and the perch layout (everybody has their favorite size and shape perch to fit their particular comfort and of course some are more picky about their perchmates than others; hence the wide variety of choices).

It's always easier to teach them to come down because they want to start their day and will figure out how to navigate whatever system you use. Because they used the ramps to come down in the morning and are then familiar, when it's time to go to bed it seems to be easier for them to figure out how to back up the ramp. Plus they're highly motivated to get to their "spot" before someone else grabs it - at least that seemed to be the mindset of my girls.

In the photo you can also see the ramp that leads to the blue nest box and the platform on which their PVC auto feeder sits.

 

[Chicken_man_J]

I'd go cheaper... if you have some cardboard boxes lying around, I'd deconstruct them and tape them securely to form a corral inside the coop. Maybe 24" high and about 10-12 sq ft? That should be plenty of space for the first week or so, after which they'll be big enough to jump out so you'd want to remove it before they do.

You can compost or toss it after.

Feeder and waterer, the usual mason jar type that's common at feed stores is what I use. For 8 you might be able to get by with 1 of each, for 12 maybe bump the feeders to 2 (not sure as I only do 3-4 chicks at a time). Set them up on low bricks or scrap lumber to raise them slightly above the floor/bedding to reduce waste.

(Note I didn't bother buying a mason jar for the feeder, I let them sit in it if they want. But with 8-12 mouths you'll have a hard time keeping it full enough without the jar feeding into it so don't do what I did!)
View attachment 4063090

My plan is to get 8 chicks, what size cardboard box you I construct for them and when do I allow them to have access to the inside of my trailer coop?