Ramp training 101?

[Beccazon]

I worry more about wild birds during the day...those rascals can be a real nuisance,

A simple garden netting can be an easy fix to that. We have many crows, hawks and turkey vultures in my area so my run has a heavy plastic netting over it so I have no fears if I am away during the day. Garden netting is cheaper and lighter though and sufficient for wild birds.

 

[aart]

A simple garden netting can be an easy fix to that. We have many crows, hawks and turkey vultures in my area so my run has a heavy plastic netting over it so I have no fears if I am away during the day. Garden netting is cheaper and lighter though and sufficient for wild birds.

There's really no need, as feed is inside...works for me
...and I have no desire to cover 50 x 8 feet of run with garden netting.

 

[Beccazon]

Okie dokie

 

[Mrs. K]

just different ways and reasons for doing things.

 

[ChemicalchiCkns]

My second Flock, which was shipt chicks, would not figure out their perches @ ALL. I hand percht them for some days, and then they decided they liked it and did it themselfs.

 

[MiaS]

I feed outside as well and only during the day. Less cleaning and poop and bugs action inside. I do give access to water at night in the coop but it comes out in the morning. At night their food is brought in to my mudroom to refill and set out in the morning. My run is pretty predator safe but I worry the food is begging for it to be tested.

I like this idea, just bringing the container indoors to be refilled at night. I've been wondering how best to keep rodents etc out and this seems dead simple. A secured storage container in my garage would work too

 

[jspeese]

I've had much the same experience with ramp training. I typically pile logs, stones, etc. around the ramp so the babies can't get under it, and I've found that having the ramp in a corner against a side of the run works better than in the middle of the coop. That way if the chicks congregate in a corner they will go up it. The main thing to watch is bad weather until they get the hang of it, which they eventually do. And if you brood naturally, make sure that the ramp and the entrance hole are big enough that the hen and her brood can go through it easily without crowding/the babies getting stepped on and injured.

 

[IronFeather]

I like the PVC pipe for feeding my chickens. They are on the outside of the run with the bottom openings through the fencing and inside the run. I fill it from outside and replace the cap. At night when my chickens are in, I cap the opening inside to keep the mice etc. out of the feed in the tube. There's a small roof over the feeding station so the feed doesn't get wet in inclement weather.

 

[MarylouBunny]

My 10 chicks are now 8 weeks old. I moved them from their brooder out into an elevate coop last week. I left them in there for a few days with food and water so they could get used to their new home. About day 3 in the coop, I started opening the pop door during the day. Going on day 3 now with the pop door open, the chicks will walk up the inside ramp, look outside, but then turn around and just go back into the coop.

To encourage them to use the ramps, yesterday I put some chick feed on the inside ramp, the landing on the coop wall, and some more chick feed on the ramp going down to the grass. The elevation is about 3 feet and the ramp is about 5 feet, so the ramp is not very steep. The best reaction I got yesterday was one chick came out and ate some of the chick feed on the top rung and the next one down. So she got down about 1 1/2 steps. Then she turned back and went into the coop.

I thought the best method would be to let the chicks figure out how to use the ramp on their own, and once they figured out how to get down, they would probably understand how to get back up. But they seem content to stay in the coop.

Although I think I made them a pretty nice coop, I would like to see the chicks get out of the coop and go down into chicken run with fresh grass. Will the chicks figure it out on their own or do they need to be trained? I want to continue to feed and water the chickens in the coop, but would be willing to try options if needed to get them down into the run. How long would a person give the chicks to figure it out themselves, or is there a better way to teach them to use the ramp? Thanks.

 

[MarylouBunny]

my 3 hens love grapes. If they are still young, cut the grapes into quarters. Now they will follow me anywhere if I have a grape in my hand.