Prolapsed vent - am I getting it right?

[WitchHazel]

Hello again.

 

My girls are struggling quite a bit with the Cube ladder. They seem to find it difficult to get a grip on it.

 

Did your hens manage OK? Did you do anything to the steps to help them?

 

Hazel

[feemcg]

Someone put pipe insulation round them but the chickens ate it

[WitchHazel]

Someone put pipe insulation round them but the chickens ate it

 

Oh. Maybe I should just let them get on with it then!

 

I've realised its made worse by Scarlet sitting just inside the entrance and refusing to let the others get in...so they wibble wobble uncertainly and then fall off.

 

There are some things with Hens you just can't prepare for.

[theherd123]

Some of my girls struggle with the ladder too so you are not alone.

 

3 of my 7 point blankly refuse to use it to get down in the morning and just fly/flap their way to the floor of the run. 2 others find it ok and the final 2 slide down the side of the ladder and usually fall the last 2 steps!

 

Im actually thinking of fixing some branches to each rung to give them a little more grip

[ajm200]

I'm sure I saw a note recently (possibly in the chickens forum) about someone adapting their cube for ex-bats as they were not strong enough to climb the ladder

 

I think they just used a plank of wood with thin battons nailed across it. Sorry if my terminology is wrong - DIY is not my thing

Edited February 28, 2008 by Guest

[MaggieMcHen]

What about trying Plastidip as has been recommended for the roosting bars. As well as making them easier to clean it makes things non slippery.

[Egluntyne]

I

I think they just used a plank of wood with thin battons nailed across it. Sorry if my terminology is wrong - DIY is not my thing

 

Sounds terminologically correct to me!....I'm sure there is a picture somewhere.

[ajm200]

Egluntine is right - there is a picture in this thread

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=15389&highlight=ramp

[Egluntyne]

Thank you!

[WitchHazel]

That's brilliant, thank you for posting the link. I had tried searching, but didn't use the keyword "ramp".

 

Delilah is managing OK, the other two still aren't. When they came out this morning, Bluebelle came down first, followed by Lydia (Buff Sussex) who was stuggling a bit, and Scarlett (TNN) who was also struggling. Then Scarlett slipped and they all went down like skittles!

 

I'll see how they go for the next day or so.

[Helen&Lee]

They are pretty new to it aren't they so I would give them a bit more time to get the hang of it - mine all seem to manage fine, although I recall in the early days they were a little unco-ordinated

 

It's a bit of a flap-fly-walk in the mornings here as they are all pushing each other to get out first

 

...mind you its a totally different story when the ladders icy - for some reason on those mornings thay all want to try and walk down the ladder...

 

Helen

[Dodge]

This is what I did for my ex batts

 

 

http://club.omlet.co.uk/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=23183

 

They now have no problems getting in and out.

 

Regards

 

Dodge

[Egluntyne]

Very neat!

[WitchHazel]

nks very much for the replies and pictures.

 

We're going to give it a few more days and see how they get on, but DH has said he'll make a ramp if we need one.

 

Hazel

[Mrs Frugal]

We've had to put a ramp on the ladder as my girls kept sliding down or fallilng off, bless them. We tried pipe insulation but as has already been said by others, the girls ate it . The ramp is working nicely and they don't fall off anymore .