building a cage (also breeders please read)

[Rogue]

I decided to build a cage for my future pigeon .. I plan on using wood, and making it 3-4 feet high and 2-3 feet wide , does this sound about right? I plan on screening the front of the cage with mess and the top with a wire which I can let them out of ... as said in my post earlier, I live in florida and the temperature rarely drops below 30 .. What temperatures are suitable for outdoor keeping ? and with a perch made does that seem like suitable living conditions ? I assume 30-40 is probably to cold for them iin the winter, so if a small blanket with a heater etc was placed would that due? Also, is there any breeders in here who would like to sell one? I do not know what variety to buy, preferably black coloration.. obviously I am a beginner and looking for a good homing variety as I will be letting it out frequently, Id like little to no training if possible and am willing to go the extra buck .. responses appreciated

[Rogue]

btw I need a good flyer ... There are hundreds of stray cats in the area which could pose as a problem ... They are somewhat tame since you can walk almost all the way up to them and they are fed , but Id still worry .....

[mike_m453]

It would be better to build a loft with an outside aviary.There are many easy to build lofts you can make if you have basic carpentary skills.This site has a great loft and works great.It also includes detailed directions and diagrams on how to make this loft and even a list of materials.This loft works good with me and I would recomend it though you might want to put in some perches and nest boxes.Pigeons can survive teperatures of -20 degrees they could definately survive winter in Florida they can even survive Canadian winters wich are much more harsh.Heres the site:
www.redroselofts.com/starter_loft.htm

[This message has been edited by mike_m453 (edited August 18, 2003).]

[Nanci]

Hi,

My biggest piece of advice for cage building is make sure it will fit through the doors of your house!!!!!

I have been trying to move my beautiful handmade oak cage in for months. It measures 33x36x36. The first delay was getting it out of the porch it was in, which required removing the sliding glass doors. I _thought_ I measured carefully so I could be sure it would fit through my door in my new house. I knew I would have to remove the door and the frame, but then I had a quarter inch to spare. I also measured the hall to be sure the cage would go down the hall. So after I took off the door and the frame, and squeezed the cage through the doorway, I realized that it would have to turn to fit down the hall, and it couldn't, because the hall was narrower than 36 inches, so a couple inches of cage were still hanging out the door. had to take it out, put the door back together, now it won't close right... The cage won't come apart because the screws are old and they would rather break or strip that just unscrew. I am going to have to cut the cage in half and reassemble it inside.

Other things to consider:

Make a seed barrier high enough around the bottom perimeter so the bird can't spew seeds everywhere. 6 inches should do it. You could use clear plexiglass, but I used wood.

I made a shelf up high in the back for Dill to perch on. It's nice to be able to cover this with paper to make it easy to clean.

I also made him a little house that sits on the floor, that is removeable. He used to go in it, or perch on top of it.

[Trees Gray]

Hi!
Are you building an outdoor coop? The size of your coop depends on the amount of birds you want. You gotta plan because you may initially start out with a few birds, but you might easily end up with more...

I started with 4 and now have 42!!

Please make sure your cage is strong enough to protect against cats, hawks, rats, racoons and snakes. We have had them all!

Make sure the coop is off of the ground, extremely important in Fl. make sure it is always dry inside, especially the floor.

Do use wire mesh to keep mosquitos out, but make sure you use strong wire infront of it. We use this in the inside around openings just under the roof. You don't need mesh in your outside aviary if it closes off from the main coop. We have a door with wire and mesh screening between the outside aviary and coop.

Pigeons can handle the heat and most temperatures. Allow them an enclosed area and an open area. Don't allow any drafts in the coop.
Treesa, from Fl.