henriette Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Having finished the construction of the cube I managed to put everyone into it last night while they were almost asleep. Hardly a squeak from anyone. I had (rather callously perhaps) blocked off the nesting box to encourage them to sleep on the perches. This morning, I peeped in and they were all perching beautifully, so I unblocked the nest box so that before I let them out, they could investigate it. About ten minutes later I went back to put their food down and to open the door. I had thought that maybe there might be a problem or two, but oh dear, they were not at all happy chickens. The first one out tried to get down the ladder, slipped and fell into the feed. The next one put one foot on the rung and fell off, landing on the one already down. Then came the cockerel! Full of bravado, he managed a rung then slipped and fell onto the other two. Stood up, shook himself and looked at me as it had been his perfect plan Finally, it was the turn of the smallest hen. I really thought she was going to manage it well as she is much lighter than the others. Unfortunately not - she started to descend then slid, just as if she was on a children's slide, down to the bottom Please, please tell me they will master this very precarious descent without breaking legs!! (ps, have put a split log at the bottom of the ladder) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I have to admit mine haven't go the hang of the ladder yet. I thought that as they were ex batts the wouldn't have the strength so DH made them a ramp/slide, then put some cross pieces on, then put some more cross pieces on. When we moved the cube earlier this week I took out the unattached ramp for a moment, and you wouldn't believe the fuss that was made until it was replaced! P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
House MD 221B Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 This may help... it's from another post I replied to about Eglu Cubes elsewhere on the forum, and maybe it will help... I'll copy and paste directly, so ignore the bits that aren't relevant to you.... mostly it's just the quoted bit from a book that will probably interest you. Which I've set in Bold type font. Grapes / Blackberries / Sweetcorn are the 3 things that Scramble and Poach would jump out of a moving airplane door for. They also like worms / slugs / snails, so spaghetti / tagliatelli might work too. I'm sure others have much better advice, but from our personal standpoint Green Grapes Poach ill jump and try and take them out of our hand if we don't offer it to her lol (boundary issues, she doesn't win.) but in "The River Cottage Cookbook" by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, (Page 214) it states... Chickens do not automatically grasp the ladder system. They have to be trained. The way to do this is to shut them in the Hen House every night to begin with. Open the door in the morning, and they will soon learn that the only way down to the ground is by means of an awkward shuffle down the ladder, or a kamikaze leap from the top step. Over time they will come to prefer the shuffle. Teaching the upward climb requires a little more patience. Food, as ever, is the best incentive to learn. If the only grain available is placed on a temporary platform nailed to one of the lower steps, they will soon learn how to climb a step or two to get to it. Once they have mastered this trick, raise the feed platform a couple more steps. Eventually, usually within a week, they ill be happy to make the climb all the way to the top - and happy to go into the high rise Hen House to lay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggregiousness Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Sounds as though the rungs are very slippery. Can you cover them in anything temporarily? I'm sure I read a suggestion for pipe cladding as a cover? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Just had a thought that a sheet of something attached to the underside of the ladder so their legs don't slip through might work. Hmm, watch out my ladies, things could be changing round here. P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Have to say that I hate the ladder, maybe all ladders are the same but mine have never really been very good at getting down it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 My cube ladder is in the garage since the day it arrived I made my own to ground level and tied it on the WIR with some string and it works fine. I am sure they would have got the hang of jumping up to the first rung but I made it easier for them indie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patricia W Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 I put a garden bench in front of mine.... Tricia Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henriette Posted October 18, 2009 Author Share Posted October 18, 2009 Thankyou all very much for your ideas. Two of the girls have since been up and down and one of them has even laid an egg However, I think some modification from the safety point of view will be necessary. The split log seems to work from the point of view of starting off at ground level, but I agree that something to stop them slipping and something else to stop their legs going through the holes will need to be added. Oh my poor chickens! To think they had no problems until we had the awful red mite and had to burn their first home Never mind, I am sure it will all work out really well. I really think they like their cube Again, very many thanks to you all. Have a good evening M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barkisland Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Mine never got the hang of the ladder - and I think it is very badly designed. Husband made a ramp for mine by covering a plank with some weldmesh, and they use that much more easily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Mine slid a few times until they got the hang of it. Now they often leap from halfway. No broken bones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 Takes a big gulp of red wine. Ladies and gentlemen, I wish Omlet would just s"Ooops, word censored!" the ladder system and send you all a nice ramp each so that your poor hens could get in and out on their cubes without any fuss. I'm sure it could be made of moulded plastic to match the Cube. I'll get my OH onto it for you if you like. He's in manufacturing of such things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAJ Posted October 18, 2009 Share Posted October 18, 2009 The first morning out of the cube my light sussex stood in the doorway and bok, bok bok - very early in the morning. I scattered some mixed corn on the floor and they all suddenly knew how to fly down into the run! Give them a couple of days and there will be no issue. Tracy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
henriette Posted October 19, 2009 Author Share Posted October 19, 2009 Went to put them to bed last night and, low and behold, they had all climbed the ladder and were fast asleep . I went to let them out this morning and when I opened the door, not a move. I waited for a little while, then very gently the first one came down then the others. A bit of wing flapping, but no hen heap today! Even Henri came descended in a very gentlemanly fashion. Hopefully they have mastered it on their own. I must admit though, I do agree that Omlet might think about coming up with a more convenient descent for the feathered ones Takes a big gulp of red wine. :D Who has to have the wine - me or the chickens!! Sincerely hope it's me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abwsco Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Mine just don't like it so DH has put wood behind it with a couple of rungs low down as well. They're getting in but not doing an elegant job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimnpaula Posted October 19, 2009 Share Posted October 19, 2009 Takes a big gulp of red wine. Ladies and gentlemen, I wish Omlet would just s"Ooops, word censored!" the ladder system and send you all a nice ramp each so that your poor hens could get in and out on their cubes without any fuss. I'm sure it could be made of moulded plastic to match the Cube. I'll get my OH onto it for you if you like. He's in manufacturing of such things. I'll have a red one please! (Not the wine, the ramp ) P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarahsausage Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I agree the ladder is very badly designed and to save bruises and other injuries maybe you should make another one from wood? Poor girlies, I wouldn't have found it funny if that happened to mine, bless them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckingmad Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 Shirl., can I have a green one please?! Must admit my girls have always bee nraqther good at the ladder, but then they ran up it on day 1 at bedtime, launched themselves out of the cube and at the food morning of day 2 The ex-batts took a bit longer to grasp the concept, getting up wasn't the problem, but Millie especially was a bit cautious of the descent for a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keyhole kate Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 A solid ramp made out of the same plastic as the roosting bars obviously in all cube colours Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Shirl Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 A solid ramp made out of the same plastic as the roosting bars obviously in all cube colours What have I got myself into now Rubs hands together thinking of all that money to be made It can be done Guys. Not sure what the Cube manufacturers would think of the though. Probably have to flee the country. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cluckingmad Posted October 21, 2009 Share Posted October 21, 2009 I believe you, my dear, are in Tenerife Problem solved!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My chooks arrived today. Two of them had been eyeing up the standard cube ladder, and one of them (Gwennie) had been up to the second rung, slightly awkwardly. She just flapped down again, but they can fly as I haven't clipped their wings. I put a torch in the Cube and then waited. They did a lot of running about and clucking but no getting into the Cube. They did a lot of begging for treats and eating raisins but no going into the Cube. Hmmm. I suggested the light from the garage might be putting them off, so I went into the garage with the DH to look at his new chainsaw before he put the light off. And when we came out all three were contentedly sitting in the Cube! We'd only been a couple of minutes. And I'd waited for ages and missed the event! It will be interesting to witness the exit in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Good news. Don't worry about their ability to get up they can leap several feet. My Grackle can make it over the omlet netting if OH is seen on the other side. (provider of all things good that get chickens super excited ) Hope we are getting some pics of them tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Pictures on viewtopic.php?f=5&t=54185&start=30 I'm still looking forward to the big exit though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
docsquid Posted October 24, 2009 Share Posted October 24, 2009 It will be interesting to witness the exit in the morning. We missed the exit as well! They just did it all on their own while I was in the shower. They are playing about on the ladder today with various degrees of success, so this little chook family, at least, haven't had a problem with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
