How Steep Can a Ramp Be?

[louise_stocker]

Hi
I'm new to this forum and thanks to reading around all your posts I've got a beautiful new C&C cage! (After years of a shop-bought plastic one).

I've still got some teething issues, one of which is the ramp to the second floor. We tried to make one out of correx which is actually a large piece of correx bent into a square shape (i.e. like a square tunnel) with a length of towel inside it so they can grip on. They love it and have no problems going up it but unfortunately love it too much and are spending most of the time sleeping inside it (and weeing inside it!) and as it's so long and enclosed, I can't get inside it to clean it properly and it's already smelling pretty bad.

I've been looking at making a new ramp out of spare grids but I've only got 2 spare. The height to their second floor is the height of one grid (36cm) so if I bent my two spare grids (4 squares for the width and 5 squares to make a bannister) would that be too steep for them to climb up? The ramp would therefore be 72cm long to reach a height of 36cm. I think that's an angle of 60 degrees but my maths is rubbish.

Sorry for waffling...
Louise (Peggy & Daisy-May) x

 

[louise_stocker]

Sorry - quick correction - the angle would be 30 degrees not 60 degrees - I told you my maths was rubbish. I've just been corrected by the other half!

 

[Amanda1801]

My maths is somewhat rusty, but using trigonometry (if I recall how to do it correctly!) I make the angle to be 30 degrees, which should be fine.

 

[louise_stocker]

Thanks Amanda - that's brilliant. I always hated trigonometry!

I'm going to give it a go - I guess if they don't want to go up it, they won't - so they can make their own minds up. I'm just paranoid about them hurting themselves.

Louise, Peggy & Daisy-May x

 

[Amanda1801]

Thanks Amanda - that's brilliant. I always hated trigonometry!

I'm going to give it a go - I guess if they don't want to go up it, they won't - so they can make their own minds up. I'm just paranoid about them hurting themselves.

Louise, Peggy & Daisy-May x

As long as there's something on it that they can get some grip on (like the towel idea) they should be fine

 

[louise_stocker]

Yes definitely - little piggy feet don't have much grip do they? :-)

 

[Dindypig]

I've used a piece of wood with some cup hooks in the end and a piece of carpet stapled to the wood. I've also put some hardboard bannisters on using panel pins.

I've left a gap at the foot of the shorter ramp of four 'little' grid squares (six on the longer one). I've since modified the shorter ramp by cutting back the bannister like you see on the longer one, this allows for a bit more space to manouver at the bottom of the ramp.

 

[louise_stocker]

Thanks so much for the help and for showing me your ramps! We tried out my idea for a ramp last night and it seems to work, although we did prop the bottom of it up with a folded towel to try and reduce the angle a bit further. Here is a picture of them rushing down it to get some treats - they're running which is why they're a bit blurred!

 

[Dindypig]

Looks good to me, the Piggies seem to like it to.

 

[Amanda1801]

Thanks so much for the help and for showing me your ramps! We tried out my idea for a ramp last night and it seems to work, although we did prop the bottom of it up with a folded towel to try and reduce the angle a bit further. Here is a picture of them rushing down it to get some treats - they're running which is why they're a bit blurred!

They really want their treats!

If they're using it happily, then seems like your angles are fine!

 

[louise_stocker]

Yes, they are always the best judges! It's funny the way they sniff around new things suspiciously - they don't just take your word for it that it's safe - it's like they're doing a piggy health & safety inspection!