4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Tilly7]

My cube arrived on Friday and on Saturday we set it up. The trouble is my girls are reluctant to go up the ladder! It has required a great deal of coaxing to get them in at night. They sat together looking out of their WIR and calling rather pathetically. Translated I would say it was HELP!

 

They are two mini Orpington’s and we have had them since they were eight weeks old. They quickly took up residence in an eglu and slept in the nest box vey happily. Now at 24 weeks they are not best pleased with the change and are really struggling with the ladder. OH has attached a wooden ladder behind the Omlet one so that reaches down to the ground, but they still didn’t want to climb up it last night. There were two of us encouraging them and it will be just down to me tonight as he is away on business this the week. I offered them some live meal worms – their absolute favourite but it still required the two of us to get them in. Any ideas?

 

I really don't want to give in a put the eglu back as I would like to use it to introduce some more girls soon.

[Space Chick]

Some people have put a plant pot or similar at the bottom of the ladder to help with the first step (as it is quite high), they will get the hang of it

[Cooks]

I placed a small upturned chimney pot at the bottom of mine so they could hop from that if they wanted not that they were ever that bothered with the ladder it was just me fretting.

 

My ladder reaches the floor of my walk in run though so it is a little easier for them.

[Patricia W]

I have to say that we have put a bench in front of ours so the lazy so and so's simply hop onto the seat, then onto the back - and then in! But we don't have the run with our cube so we have more space.

 

Tricia

[Falkor]

My Orps were the same when they first moved into the cube.

 

I actually picked them up and placed them into the cube through the door for the first three nights. They came down of their own accord, albeit in a very undignified tumbling/flapping manner!

 

On the fourth night they went up on thier own. Now. a few months on they are up and down like "Ooops, word censored!"odys business

[Tilly7]

Thank you all for your replies they were so helpful. I have just been out and put a large flower pot at the bottom of the ladder. They seem quite intrigued! We shall see what they manage to do with it tonight but I can see that it could help them. We ended up lifting our two in, in the end, so I have great hopes that they may be getting the idea that this is their new home and that it is staying. As for coming out – one flew out and the other very tentatively came down the ladder. Just goes to show they have very distinct characters!