Up the ramp, please...

[Ballerina Bird]

Here are some pics and further info. Interface is a little wonky, so am hoping descriptions correspond to pics. The first two are of the coop. First is coop door closed, but you can see the whole door is a window with double hardware cloth. Second pic is inside the coop with door open. There are two small windows on either side near ceiling. So at dusk it's darkish but not dark. Next is exterior of whole coop with small run underneath (connected to bigger run not in pic); whole ladder visible. Next is a close-up of the ladder, and next is the opening in the floor as the ladder leads up to it. Finally, pop door is actually embedded in structure of small run.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Sorry, picture uploading was so demanding that I forgot to say thank to @aart et al. for help!

 

[aart]

Not sure how 'un' handy you are but...
Can you put more cleats on the ramp?
Got a driver and some screws, some scrap wood???
Those are kinda far apart....your other bird manages, but it would help the new one.
Double the number, placing a new cleat between each existing one.
They don't have to be as large or as long, just something to give her a grip going up and stop the slip coming down.
Coming down the ramp can be harder than going up.
OR
Let her figure it out.
You don't have your location in your profile so I don't know if your weather is too extreme, or secure enough from nighttime predators, to leave her in the run all night.

Good pics....."upthread" is a great term.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

Thanks, @aart ; I will see if I can find someone to help me with that. I remember my other birds had trouble, too, when they were pullets, and I thought about adding treads then, but then they figured it out. But it might be harder for an adult hen.

I am in California; weather OK but I definitely do not want to leave her in the run vulnerable to predators. Do you think there's a connection for them between descending and ascending the ramp; i.e., getting her to do one will make the other easier?

I really appreciate the help. I feel like I'm back where I was three years ago, with new pullets and totally overwhelmed by not knowing what I was doing and not having any relevant skills. Integrating a new member is now another element of chicken keeping I don't know much about, so it's been a bit hard (and I am so sad about my darling hen who died so suddenly). I'm glad to have BYC to turn to at these moments.

 

[aart]

Do you think there's a connection for them between descending and ascending the ramp; i.e., getting her to do one will make the other easier?

I think getting down the ramp is often harder than going up,
they don't much like it when their feet slip.
Especially with the hole in the bottom of the coop, hard to take that first step, especially-especially where top of ramp meets wall of coop like in yours.
(warning mini-rant ahead)
'Hole in the bottom of the coop' is a terrible, but common, design.....
...wastes floor space in coop, hard to navigate, no adjustment of ramp possible.
(mini-rant over)

How long have you had this bird?
The integration went well?
Sorry about your loss.

 

[jthornton]

The only fix I can see in my engineering mind is somewhat of a spiral where they enter from the right and not have to take a leap of faith to hit the ramp. Even dropping down 8" to 10" to a platform would be better IMHO then a ramp down to the ground.

JT

 

[aart]

The only fix I can see in my engineering mind is somewhat of a spiral where they enter from the right and not have to take a leap of faith to hit the ramp. Even dropping down 8" to 10" to a platform would be better IMHO then a ramp down to the ground.
JT

Yeah, I saw several others too....but..

First, I should say that I am not handy and do not have building skills, so suggestions that involve modifying or adding to the coop in some way will unfortunately be very hard for me.

 

[jthornton]

Yeah, I saw several others too....but..

I have to remember that before I knew how to do anything I had to learn by my mistakes... gotta try first before you give up, skills are learned by trial and error. My favorite quote is "improvise, adapt and overcome" and no I was not a marine. My neighbor knows nothing and has nothing but manages to build, fix and modify her coops, I admire her tenacity and will help with anything she needs.

JT

 

[Ballerina Bird]

I think getting down the ramp is often harder than going up,
they don't much like it when their feet slip.
Especially with the hole in the bottom of the coop, hard to take that first step, especially-especially where top of ramp meets wall of coop like in yours.
(warning mini-rant ahead)
'Hole in the bottom of the coop' is a terrible, but common, design.....
...wastes floor space in coop, hard to navigate, no adjustment of ramp possible.
(mini-rant over)

How long have you had this bird?
The integration went well?
Sorry about your loss.

Thanks, @aart ; that's very kind of you. I totally agree about the hole in the floor. In many other ways this has been a great coop -- well-built of nice materials and watertight even in some very bad storms -- so I can't complain too much. But definitely if I ever have the chance to design and build a new set-up, I will not situate the ramp this way.

I've had the new bird for about two weeks, and I think the integration has gone pretty well. My lead hen enforces a bit more "personal space" for herself than she did with her original flock mate (with whom she was hatched), but she and the new hen seem to get along pretty well. Here is a pic; very sweet new hen in front and my beautiful pita pinta lead hen in the back.

 

[tigger19687]

Good pointers here !

I had a 'floor pop door" when I made my fast make shift coop and they just couldn't do it.
Only way to make it work easy it to Raise up the coop and make the ramp longer and less incline (at least me for).
At that time i couldn't do that so I just put it on the ground till I got the new coop fully made (more like saved up the $$)