Optimum hen house ramp angle?

[Rattus]

I'm about to purchase my first chicken house. I want to get a Green Frog medium house, but I want to raise it off the ground by about 50cm so the hens have proper access underneath to maximise run space. The Lodge version is raised off the ground but only by 22.5cm which doesn't seem enough, which is why I want to save a few pounds and get the House and construct a stand for it. But obviously the ramp supplied with it would then be too steep/short. Also if instead I got the Lodge and raised that a bit, presumably that ramp would also be too steep. So I am probably going to have to make my own longer ramp. So my question is what is the best angle off the ground for the ramp? Then I shall be able to do a bit of trigonometry to work out how long it needs to be. If I know how long I want the ramp I thought may even contact Green Frog to see if they could make me a longer ramp.

 

[Minorcafan]

My hen's ramps are about 60 degrees with slats to give them a grip. One house has steps built out of breige blocks so I can get in too. That one has a hen door in the main door.

 

[rick]

Oh the joys of trigonometry!
I recon that a 30 degree slope from the ground, as long as it has good treads, is pretty much as steep as it can be and them be reasonably comfortable going up and down. Any steeper and they would rather fly. I've discovered this by trying to save length in the run up to my rather high roosting shelf by trimming the end off a long ramp with steps. My ramp is currently 28 degrees and they wouldn't use it if it was any steeper.
If the ramp is too long they just don't see the ramp, from where it starts, as a route to where they want to go! (bless 'em)
Alternatively you can have a shorter ramp down to a platform. My ramp starts from a low table at about 20 cm. (the table also serves to keep a food bowl off the floor)

 

[Marigold]

I've raised my Green Frog off the ground on concrete blocks at the corners. We had some old ones lying around. This was to make it easier for them to get underneath, but actually they don't seem to need much height unless you want to put a feeder etc under there as well. It does save your back a bit, though, if the coop is nearer to knee height.
I would think that a 6" plank, sold as gravel board, would be fine for a ramp, they come 2metres long so if you got one you could experiment with shortening it. You could fix smaller bits of wood across the plank to increase grip. Mine actually use the one provided by GF, but I had to put a supporting block under it, halfway up, as the plastic sagged a bit in the middle with use. so, for a longer one, wood would be best.

 

[LadyA]

I've no idea what angle my ramp is, but the house is 3ft off the ground. The ramp has bits across it at intervals for grip, but I have to admit, in wet weather, it gets slippery. It could do with either some rubber strips on it, or exra "steps". In the mornings, some of the hens sort of parachute from the top anyway, in the race to the feeder, while others step very, very carefully the whole way down. A personality thing I guess.

 

[Rattus]

OK thanks. So I won't be asking Green Frog to make me a longer ramp as it will be too bendy. I think I will get the Lodge and just raise it up on a few bricks to give a bit more height underneath. I don't need to put feeders underneath as the whole run will be covered. I can rest the end of the ramp on something (possibly a thick slice of tree trunk I have) to keep the angle shallow and if I need to make a new ramp I will use a length of ravel board.

 

[RichmondHens]

You could do away with the ramp altogether and just put a sturdy log (standing on end) or block on the ground in front of the pop hole. They will hop onto that and then into the house from there. I have this arrangement with a couple of my houses.