silkies won't climb ramp

[evitachu]

Chinese people eat those silkies!!!!!

it's a delicacy! Scary.
My silkies are 10 weeks, so they're still teenagers. No hair yet covering eyes. They look scared all the time. Always huggy buggy all the time before i lift them up to their room. Oh gosh.

 

[evitachu]

Day 7 now. I have angled it more and they still didn't know how to go up the ramp!

 

[shortgrass]

You might have to opt for a staircase lol

 

[napdognewfie]

Have you tried a row of treats up the ramp? As soon as one figures it out the rest will follow.

I think I put mine on the roost each night for over a week. Other breeds walk right past them and go in. Silkies just stood or piled in a group by the door. Many goodies later and they have got the idea to go in and out normally.

Then I raised the coop. When you add a ramp it all starts over.

Now they all come running to kitty kitty when I call them. I just said kitty kitty every time I fed them or had goodies. Now they think there might be goodies involved when I call and they would climb a 10 foot ladder to get them. Food overcomes fear. lol

 

[evitachu]

Hahahhaha kitty kitty!!!! LOL!!!

 

[shortgrass]

Have you tried a row of treats up the ramp? As soon as one figures it out the rest will follow.

I think I put mine on the roost each night for over a week. Other breeds walk right past them and go in. Silkies just stood or piled in a group by the door. Many goodies later and they have got the idea to go in and out normally.

Then I raised the coop. When you add a ramp it all starts over.

Now they all come running to kitty kitty when I call them. I just said kitty kitty every time I fed them or had goodies. Now they think there might be goodies involved when I call and they would climb a 10 foot ladder to get them. Food overcomes fear. lol

Ha-ha the things we do to get a chicken up a ramp

 

[evitachu]

I GAVE UP!!!! They are really air heads. It seems like I will have to put them to bed every night for the next 8 years! LOL

 

[Hokum Coco]

The ramp is a 2 x 6 and is at near a 45 degree angle. I have 1/2" thick cleats nailed on every 3 1/2 inches. Is my ramp too steep or will they eventually figure out how to get back up the ramp?

The ramp sounds steep to me.

A good rule of thumb in a perfect world:
Make your ramp twice as long as the drop which would give you a 6/12 pitch and an angle of 22.5º.
"A 4x4 block attached to the end of your ramp to make a step up will do a lot to reduce the slope also."

 

[mpmrla]

Larger cleats worked great for my Buff Orpingtons when they would not use the ramp.

 

[evitachu]

OMG!!!! Major breakthrough!!!! So...! I have a Sweet Polish rooster that got picked on the head by the polish ladies, bloody head and all those gory stuff. I decided to move him into the silkie coop. I put a partition for a day and a night so they can get acquainted (although my roo is on the gentle sweetheart side, actually!). The next morning, they've become friends. Julio the Polish roo and the silkies (all are 3-month old) are just buddies, and silkies started to be more playful as Julio. All of my Polish chickens knew how to climb ramp since day one they moved in to their coop. So Julio, moving to the Silkie house, climbed the ramp in a breeze. When I did my nightly silkie pick up, Julio was already roosting. This was day 1. I picked up those stupid silkies as always, and all 3 roosted together. Tonight is day 2 together. I went to the coop at normal time at 8pm....guess what.....all 3 of them were roosting!!!!!!! *clap* *clap* *clap* I am so proud of my Julio who taught them how to climb the ramp and roost hahahahha LOL. These chickens are funny!!!!!