Chicken coop ramps: Your ultimate guide
Designing a chicken coop ramp should be easy, right? It sure seems that way, but the second you sit down to do it, you realize you have loads of questions.
How steep should it be? How wide should it be? Does it need cleats or rungs? If so, what size should those be? How far apart should those be? Should you use a ladder instead? Do your chickens even really need a ramp?
Oh, boy. That’s a lot of questions. But don’t worry, because once you get those questions answered (and you will get them answered here), building a ramp is the easiest part of the whole coop!
In this article, you will learn:
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Ramps for chicken coop access
Do Chickens Need a Ramp? Chickens will need a ramp for access to the chicken coop if their chicken pop hole door is higher than ~18-24 inches above the ground (12 inches for fluffy breeds, like Silkies).
If a coop has a very large pop hole door, chickens may be able to access the door at 24 inches. For heavy chickens or chickens with clipped wings, 18 inches is likely the highest pop door they can access without a ramp.
That’s the short answer. Now let me break this down into more detail for you. Whether or not your chickens really need a ramp for access to their chicken coop depends on 5 variables:
The height of your chicken coop pop door
The size of your chicken pop door
The size of your chickens
The type of feathers your chickens have
Whether your chickens’ wings are clipped or not
I have seen so many chicken coops with ramps that really don’t need them. Many chicken coops have pop hole doors at only 6-12 inches above the ground. These coops really don’t need ramps. There’s no harm in having a ramp for a door this high, but it’s not necessary. Many of your chickens won’t even use the ramp. They’ll just hop into the coop from the ground and back out to the ground.
However, if you have an elevated coop, you are more likely to need a ramp. To learn if an elevated coop is right for you, and how high you should elevate a coop, check out my article, Does your chicken coop need to be off the ground?
You may want to at least consider having a ramp if your chicken coop pop door is greater than 1 foot off the ground. If your coop door is 18+ inches above the ground, and you don’t have a ramp, you’re starting to push the limits of what’s best for your chickens.
This is not because chickens can’t jump up that high. It’s because chickens can be very clumsy when jumping down from, well, any height. If they land too hard, they can get injured.
And one thing to keep in mind is that the heavier the chicken is, the heavier the landing is. If you have heavier birds, like Brahmas or Buff Orpingtons, they probably shouldn’t be jumping down from a height greater than 18 inches.
Similarly, if your chicken pop hole opening is standard size and higher than 18 inches, your larger chickens may have a harder time jumping up into it. For more information on chicken pop hole doors, including how big yours should be, check out my article, Chicken coop pop doors: Size, height off the ground, and design ideas.
Also, if you have fluffy breeds of chickens, such as Silkies, Frizzles, or Sizzles, you definitely will need a ramp for any pop hole higher than a foot. This is because these chickens don’t have flight feathers, and, therefore, cannot fly.
To put chicken door heights into perspective, check out the photo below of one of my chicken coops. The pop hole is 20” above the ground, and the coop has no ramp (the ramp it came with broke).
I have 4 Ameraucana chickens (3 hens and a rooster) who live in this coop and they have not had a problem getting in or out. However, their landings do still look a little rougher than I’d like. I think this chicken coop door is too high, and that it needs a ramp. My husband disagrees, and thinks it’s fine.
I haven’t replaced the ramp to this coop because I will be moving the chickens into a new coop (yes, one with a ramp) very soon. The takeaway: A pop hole door 20 inches high is right on the cusp of needing a ramp.
Another thing you need to consider is whether you will be clipping your chickens’ wings or not. If you clip their wings, I recommend giving them a ramp for any pop hole door that is higher than 12 inches off the ground.
Chickens get into the pop hole door partly by jumping, and partly by flapping their wings. They may not be able to get quite high enough to get into the coop, or land quite gracefully enough on their way out of the coop if their wings have been clipped.
However, even if your chickens have a hard time getting in and out of the coop without a ramp, be forewarned that they still may not choose to use the ramp. For help on getting your chickens to use the ramp, see the section near the end of this article, How to Get Chickens to Use a Ramp.
What material should you use for a chicken coop ramp?
Wooden boards and plywood are the two most commonly used chicken coop ramp materials.
Wooden boards are more durable than plywood because they are thicker. If you have a plywood ramp that is particularly long, you may want to reinforce it with 2x4s to prevent it from sagging with time. Whether you use boards or plywood, painting your ramps will help to extend their lifetimes.
If you’re interested in DIYing a chicken coop ramp, check out the YouTube video below for step-by-step instructions:
You could potentially use other materials for a ramp too, but you want to make sure you’re not using something that’s slippery. Chickens can injure themselves badly on slippery material, like slick plastic. You also don’t want to use a material that’s going to get too hot in the summer sun.
You can attach the ramp to the chicken coop by nailing or screwing hinges onto the ramp and the coop. Hinges will also allow you to lift the bottom of the ramp if you need to get underneath it for cleaning.
Dimensions of a chicken coop ramp
Width of a chicken coop ramp
How wide does a chicken coop ramp need to be? A chicken coop ramp should be at least 8-10 inches wide. If the width of a ramp is fewer than 8-10 inches, chickens may not feel comfortable using the ramp.
Length of a chicken coop ramp
How long does a chicken coop ramp need to be? The maximum length of a chicken coop ramp is indefinite. The angle the ramp makes with the coop is much more important than the length. So, the more elevated the chicken coop pop door is, the longer the ramp will need to be.
Check out the YouTube video below to see a 14-foot chicken ladder! This ladder allows the chickens to get into the trees to roost.
I must admit that I’m actually very disappointed that this video doesn’t show how the birds get out of the trees. Although I love the idea of helping chickens get into trees, I would worry that they may seriously injure themselves trying to get out of the trees.
Chicken coop ramps: Getting the angle right
How steep of a ramp can chickens climb? For chicken coop ramps without cleats, the ideal angle of ascent is ~30 degrees or less. For ramps at angles between 30-45 degrees, cleats should be placed every 4-6 inches. The steeper a ramp is, the more cleats it will need, and the closer together those cleats will need to be.
In the photo below, the ramp is fairly shallow and so it does not need cleats (also called “rungs” or “slats”).
How to use cleats on your chicken coop ramp
If your ramp is at an angle that is greater than 30 degrees, you will probably need to add cleats to the ramp to prevent your chickens from getting injured. If the ramp is too steep and doesn’t have cleats, chickens will slide down it. If a chicken’s legs slide apart, she can overextend her muscles and even dislocate her hips.
Sliding on ramps can also lead to slivers.
How big should chicken coop ramp cleats be? If a chicken coop ramp is at an angle between 30-45 degrees, the cleats should be at least ¾ inch wide x ¾ inch high in size. The steeper a ramp is, the larger the cleats will need to be.
Many chicken keepers use cleats that are cut from 1x2s. These are a good size to use.
How far apart should chicken coop ramp cleats be? If a chicken coop ramp is at an angle between 30-45 degrees, the cleats should ideally be 3-4 inches apart, and no greater than 6 inches apart. The steeper a ramp is, the closer together the cleats will need to be.
You may be able to get away with cleats 6 inches apart if your ramp isn’t very steep. However, many chicken keepers choose to put their cleats only 3 inches apart for their chickens’ comfort. Keep in mind that your ramp may be slicker in the rain or when your chickens’ have muddy feet. So, even if 6 inches works okay in dry weather, 3 inches may be better in inclement weather.
Also, keep in mind that if you have smaller birds, like Silkies or bantam breeds, 6 inches is probably going to be too far apart for them. 3 inches is a much better choice.
Some people even use large sticks or small branches as cleats. Small branches are a good idea if you have a particularly steep ramp.
Need to see some examples? The photo below shows a shallow ramp that has thin cleats that are far apart.
Compare the ramp in the photo above to the ramp in the photo at the very beginning of this article. The ramp at the very beginning of this article is a steeper ramp that has thicker cleats that are closer together. Notice that the cleats are more and more closely spaced towards the top of the ramp. This is another idea that may work well for your chickens.
The photo below shows a steep ramp that uses large cleats (sticks) that should be close together (but don’t appear to be close enough).
If your ramp is very steep, you will want thick cleats that are close together, so that your chickens can use the cleats as stairs. This is what the chicken is doing in the photo below. Again, the cleats on this ramp should be even closer together. I imagine the hen will have a really hard time getting back down. Even her steps going up look too wide.
The ramp in the photo above is incredibly steep. Do what you can to avoid this kind of slope. If you are worried your ramp will be too steep, but don’t have a lot of space to make it longer, check out the next section for ideas on how you can fix it.
Chicken coop ramp ideas
What should you do if your ramp is too steep?
Most of the chicken coop ramps I’ve seen are too steep. If your ramp is a little too steep, it may still be usable. For an example, check out the YouTube video below:
The ramp in this video is too steep. The chickens are clearly having a hard time getting up into the coop. They are sliding and having to put their wings out for balance. Not ideal. This ramp may not be safe during wet or muddy weather, and it may not be safe for chickens trying to go down it (which the video conveniently leaves out).
Almost all factory coops have ramps that are too steep. If you buy a manufactured coop, you will probably want to add an extra cleat in between all the cleats that are there.
The one exception here is Rita Marie’s Chicken Coops. These are the only prebuilt coops I recommend.
(For why I don’t recommend other prebuilt coops, see my article, Why you should never buy a chicken coop from Amazon or Walmart.)
Below are a few other things you can do if your ramp is too steep:
Put blocks or rocks beneath the bottom of the ramp
Add a porch
Add a platform
Use a ladder instead of a ramp
Use stairs instead of a ramp
Let’s look at each one of these ramp ideas closely.
Blocks or rocks at the bottom of your chicken coop ramp
One easy way to fix a ramp that’s too steep is to rest the bottom of the ramp on top of a concrete block or wooden block. This will make the angle of the ramp shallower. You could even put several blocks underneath the ramp to lessen the slope even more.
You can see an example of this concept in the photo below. The bottom of the ramp has been placed on a rock to lessen the slope.
Add a porch to your chicken coop ramp
A chicken coop porch is simply a horizontal surface placed outside of the chicken pop door that is big enough for the chickens to comfortably stand on. In the photo below, the porch extends all the way across the wall of the coop, but it doesn’t need to extend this far.
Chickens can more safely exit down a ramp from a porch than they can from a pop hole door.
Additionally, if your ramp is a little too steep, the porch also makes it much easier for the chickens to get back into the coop. They can scramble or fly up the ramp onto the porch. Because the porch is a larger surface, it’s easier for the chickens to land there.
Add a platform to your chicken coop ramp
Adding a platform to your chicken coop ramp is one of the best ways to reduce the slope of a ramp by essentially breaking the ramp into two or more pieces You can also change the direction of the ramp at a platform to better fit the shape of your chicken run.
A platform is simply a flat horizontal surface that is big enough for your chickens to stand on, just like a porch. Unlike a porch, a platform is placed somewhere between the chicken pop hole door and the ground. Think of staircases that change direction. Each change in direction is broken up by a horizontal platform.
Platforms can also be nice when the ramp is steep because chickens can simply fly to the platforms on their way down from the coop, if you place them strategically.
In the YouTube video below, you can see an example of a platform. This is an enclosed platform (the video calls it a weather-proof foyer), and rather than a ramp, the coop has stairs, but the concept is the same.
Using a ladder for your chicken coop
Chicken coop ladders can come in handy as they can be steeper than chicken coop ramps. If you place the rungs on your ladder 6 or more inches apart, chickens can hop from rung to rung. If you place your rungs closer together, chickens can actually walk up the ladder, as in the photo below.
Using stairs for your chicken coop
Stairs are perhaps the best solution if you are worried that your ramp is too steep. Stairs are really just a series of platforms with no ramps in between! Don’t make your stair steps further apart than 12 inches or so. If they are too far apart, your chickens may risk injuring themselves.
In the video above (under the section, Add a Platform to Your Chicken Coop Ramp), you can see a chicken coop that has 57 steps! These steps don’t have much distance between them, which makes them very easy for the chickens to get both up and down them. You can see a chicken going down the steps starting at 35 seconds into the video.
You can even make steps out of cinder blocks. Just make sure the blocks are sturdy and can’t tumble over.
How to use a chicken coop door as a ramp
Some chicken coops actually use the chicken coop door as a ramp. The door is cut to be large (typically 18 inches), a hinge is put on the bottom of it, and then it swings downward to make a ramp when it’s opened. Obviously, this type of ramp will only work on coops that aren’t very elevated.
One of my coops has this kind of ramp, and it hasn’t worked out well for me. To learn more about why it hasn’t worked well, and to see photos of my ramp door, check out my article, Chicken coop pop doors: Size, height off the ground, and design ideas.
How to get your chickens to use a ramp
The truth of the matter is that you may spend time, money, and effort to make your chickens a wonderful ramp, and they may never use it. They may not even use it even if they really need to use it.
Remember when I said above that heavier breeds, like Buff Orpingtons, really shouldn’t be jumping more than 18 inches out of the coop? Well, I know of a chicken keeper who keeps this breed and says that her Buff Orpingtons jump in and out of her 3-foot tall coop, despite having a perfectly functional ramp.
Other chicken keepers have noted that their chickens will fly part way up the ramp and then use the ramp the rest of the way. Similarly, they may take a few steps down the ramp and then jump off.
You may not be able to change the habits of your chickens. If they really don’t want to use the ramp, they won’t. Chickens are very much individuals, after all. However, you certainly can try to train them to use the ramp. How do you train a chicken? With food, of course!
The very best time to train your chickens is when you first introduce them to the coop and run. Build the ramp-using habit early!
Most chickens are very wary of the ramp when they first see it. My chickens had no interest in setting foot on it. To make the ramp a fun place to explore, I spread some chicken feed across it. I did this several times over several days, and it definitely helped. Now they partially use the ramp.
The YouTube video below shows an example of a woman trying to coax her chickens up her ramp with food.
Notice in this video how the woman’s hen jumped to the top part of the ramp. A better technique would be to put some of that food on the cleats. That way the hens could practice going up and down the cleats.
Now you know how to design the perfect ramp… What about the rest of the chicken coop?
There are so many elements you need to plan for your first chicken coop. If you want to learn about them all in one easy place, check out my free video training, Chicken coops 101: Designing your chickens’ dream home.
I put this video presentation together to teach you exactly what you need to consider when buying or building your first chicken coop.
When I first got chickens, choosing a chicken coop was one of the most stressful things for me. I had so many little (but important) questions that I couldn’t find reliable answers for. That’s why I put this video together—to answer all those questions for you in one spot. I hope you enjoy it!
And if you’re interested in simply purchasing a high-quality prebuilt coop, I highly recommend Rita Marie’s Chicken Coops.
Check out my review of my Rita Marie’s chicken coop, The BEST luxury coop you’ll ever buy: Spoil your chickens with Rita Marie’s.
