Ramps for chicks

[Stephanie8806]

Okay, I know ramps are both super amazing for uncoordinated little chickies… but for this year, I need to utilize one for babies to access the run from the coop and vice versa. I am doing a mix of brooded and incubated eggs, chicks and Mama will be in the coop.

That being said, at what point can chicks be relied upon to sort of figure out a ramp/ladder to follow the mama around? I will be building a special grippy ramp that has sides so they won’t tumble off and is about 10” wide.

No, I can’t build them a separate setup this year. Next year we will have a separate brooding coop with a low entrance, but there’s no time and I don’t have the time/means to do that this year.

 

[junior67]

following. I will be doing both and have a ramp. My ramp is 10-12" wide. has pieces of wood for "grips" but they are apart good enough for the chickens. Will that work for the chicks?

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

Also following. I would worry about new chicks less than 2-3 wks old on a ramp, but I am no expert on broody raised chicks. I just know they are pushy and clumsy little peepers.
I have 4 1/2 wk olds that went into the coop yesterday. They are curious about the ramp to the roost but no one has tried it yet. They can jump and fly fairly well. I guessed on angle, dimensions and spacing to grips. 2x6 lumber on a 20-25degree angle.

 

[BanoOmg]

A couple of my newborn chicks had slight problems following mama hen up a 12" -14" ramp with a very shallow incline. One or two would go off the side and not know how to get back to the bottom of the ramp. This happened the first three days or so, then they were developed enough to just hop back up if they walked off.

If it's a steep and tall ramp, I have no clue.

 

[AshLeighNycolle]

I am also working on a solution for this. My idea is to either attach smaller wood pieces to the ramp so there’s not such big gaps between each one. Or wrap the ramp in chicken wire (with the squares. Idk what it’s called) and zip tie it underneath for easy removal. I’m not sure if the wire would be too dangerous though. I liked the idea of attaching an edge to each side so they don’t fall off. Our chicks are 2 weeks old. Most stay in the roost but 6 of them like to follow mama into the run. They get about a quarter of the way down the ramp and just jump off but they can’t get back up, so every night I have to gather them up and put them back in the roost. There are 2 other hens and a rooster that roost with them and luckily they couldn’t care less about the chicks. Maybe it’s because they’re outnumbered 15 to 3.